I am a girl in the dungeon?
by daeore
Summary: People are ever the playthings of the Gods. When a middle aged man's boredom reaches a level even the Gods notice, he finds himself in Orario, naked and female. The story starts a short time before Hestia herself descends, and I -hope- to keep as true to the main plot line as I can.
1. Chapter 1

A message from the author.

What follows is the beginning of an idea I cooked up while extremely bored. Working a 10 hour shift doing nothing that provoked any real thought, my brain started kicking ideas around out of sheer desperation, just to keep me sane.

So, imagine a wage slave factory drone who's mortal boredom levels made the Gods themselves notice.

But where's the fun in that? Hopefully, dear reader, I can present said fun to you.

I've read (just recently) the ninth book too. And will be using various wiki sites to try to keep characters true to form as I run my own tale through the paces before eventually de-railing or something. Who knows?

Also note: I am putting the 'M' rating on every chapter, because I KNOW at some point, something is going to cross a line with some one, and I'd like to avoid a 'well you should have put an 'M' rating on it' down the road some place.

An 'Is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon' fanfic

 **I am a girl in the Dungeon?**

From the Dermegil Works.

* * *

Prolog

My life to the point before the incident was like a broken vinyl record. Wake, eat, travel, work, eat, work more, travel, eat, attempt to entertain myself with some kind of hobby or the like, fail to do so, shower then sleep again.

Only to repeat it the next day.

Like some sort of golem who refused to break yet couldn't be bothered to aspire to something more, I was just another wage slave for yet another faceless corporation, who tried to avoid thoughts of suicide through copious amounts of video games and internet browsing.

The downfall of having a genius IQ but lacking the focus to apply it. My schooling was Canadian standard, and nearly drove me insane on its own with the lack of mental stimulus a cookie cut curriculum provided.

Books and book like games were my release, imagining myself as the camera behind a hero, or being the hero myself. I even did a little writing, though I hadn't actually managed to get anything published.

No wife, kids, family whom I kept in touch with. I was simply an 'existence' in the modern world.

Leaning way back in my computer chair, closing my eyes and stretching my arms high above my head, trying to ease the seemingly eternal stiff shoulders of a factory grunt, I declared to my small empty apartment, "I'm BORED!"

It was at this moment, my chair seemed to tip, and after an instant of weightlessness...

"-ED-ouf!" My rear hit the floor and I suddenly felt wind over my skin. My eyes snapped open, letting in what felt like a spotlight directly to my retinas.

Squeezing my eyes shut again I brought a hand to my rear and froze.

I was naked. I was still in my work clothes a moment ago, but the hand on my rear was touching bare skin. I was also in my apartment, not outside, though the wind blowing through what sounded, (and smelled) like an alleyway told me otherwise. I also just worked a night shift, so the sun would just be coming up, not be directly overhead.

"What the hell?" I moved my legs to start getting up, then put a hand to my throat at the sound of my voice.

Slender throat, no beard, smooth fingers and palm. I turned my eyes downward and looked at my hands. Gone were the familiar work worn hands and roughly kept fingernails. The rest of me hand changed too. My chest and belly were now...

I think my brain finally decided it needed to reboot or some thing, because when I heard a scream of distress, the side of my head was flat against the ground and I was starting to shiver against what felt like rough cobble stones pressed into my side.

More of an act of mental desperation than one of potential heroism, I set aside what ever it was that had happened to me and looked around for the source of the noise. Another cry of distress came from my right, and I felt something on the top of my head twitch an instant before my head turned to look. I got to my feet, (nice delicate feet with perfect toenails) found my balance, (that something below? my spine seemed to find for me) and headed towards the noise. I was thankful the streets were at least reasonably clear of debris.

I felt my adrenalin spiking as I heard another cry, the crinkle of newspaper and a collection of small impacts on the ground, then a solid 'thud' of something hitting a wall. I heard voices too, but I didn't understand the words at all. I stopped at the mouth of the next turn in the alleyway and looked at the scene.

Two men, one with sandy hair, the other curly black, dressed in what looked like a random assortment of conflicting era armor, were accosting some one in a green dress. I couldn't make out her face, as they were both in the way, but one of them had a hand on the wall near what I assumed was her head, while the other was standing by his shoulder making for all the world looked like 'grabby hands' towards the lady. Judging by the size of the feet and ankles peeking out from the bottom of the dress, I guessed the two of them outweighed her by about twice apiece.

I picked up what looked like an orange (but smelled like an apple), from a few that had rolled away from the paper bag on the ground near by, gave it an experimental little toss in my hand, and with all the strength I could manage I threw it at the the two hoodlums.

It was an odd sensation. My brain knew the motions. Like just about everyone who went to a North American school, I knew how to throw a ball. That automatic twist, flex and extension of the arm. My body however, didn't seem to have a clue, and though I've known girls who could keep up with any of the boys in gym class baseball, I... Threw like a girl.

Mid way through the not-orange's arc, I picked up another one, feeling my shoulder twitch with the recoil of unfamiliar effort. I switched my throwing hand from right to left, figuring that I couldn't do any worse, I let fly again.

The result was a little better, smoother, and just as 'Sandy' stopped making 'grabby hands' at the girl pressed against the wall, the second not-orange hit him in the face.

He said something I didn't understand to the other one, and the 'Curly' turned to look over his shoulder at me. They both had the well worn faces of people who lived a rough life, but they lacked the missing teeth you might expect of what seemed like a medieval mercenary. My train of thought was interrupted as 'Curly' said something with a grin that showed almost all his teeth to 'Sandy', who's face also split into a grin, and he started towards me.

It was about here my brain reminded me I was NOT who I used be. I lacked my utility knife from work that I usually kept in a pocket. My keys with the sharp little leaf ornament I got for a birthday, or even my belt. Or clothes, for that matter. Anything that could be used against the short sword sandy haired man was drawing menacingly from his hip. Next thing I knew my back was against the wall, the sword was touching the wall by the side of my head and not quite touching my throat. His other hand and eyes started wandering over my bare chest while the other laughed at my horrible rescue attempt.

Reality slammed into me like a hammer, and my body suddenly felt like it actually belonged to me. And I hated it. The man must have noticed the change on my face, because he laughed and turned his eyes away from me to say something to the black haired man.

It was clumsy, and hurt my knee, and gave me a nasty cut on my hand, but I exploded into motion. I put my right hand over my throat under the sword edge, kneed the man as hard as my body could manage, and tried to slam the heel of my left hand into his elbow to get the sword away from me.

The effect, despite my slender build, seemed to work. Mostly. His armor didn't seem to cover his groin, and he folded into my knee with a wheeze. His sword cut the back of my hand, and the tip traced a line across my shoulder, while my strike on his elbow brought the blade back up, earning me another tap against my upper arm this time, and a brush through my hair.

I didn't stop there however. I punched elbowed and kicked as fast as my awkward muscles allowed. And weak as I felt, I managed to drop him to the ground before he could recover by kicking the side of his unarmored knee. I finished the motion by punching the back of his head with my right hand while grabbing his left wrist and twisting it behind his back, before sitting on his back.

His friend had turned and was looking at the two of us in stark disbelief. The man under me was recovering however and I had to do something fast. He was already using his free arm to push himself with me on his back, off the ground slowly. I felt something cold under my naked rear and reached for it, cutting myself on the back of my leg as I drew a knife out.

"Don't move." I said to the other man as he let the girl he was now absentmindedly holding against the wall go and took a half step towards me. My words were lost on him as much as theirs were on me, so I flipped the knife in my hand, and rested the edge to the sandy haired man's throat. That stopped the both of them, a moment before the girl behind him smashed what looked like a flower pot over the back of the black haired man's head.

The sandy haired one said something that made the girl frown. Then a few more things as she calmly walked towards us, another bit of pottery in hand.

* * *

After we had quickly tied up the two unconscious men with their own bets and various bits of armor straps, she took one look at me, and started rummaging through their belongings. Upending two backpacks, four pouches and one coin purse, she came up with a length of some sort of light red cloak which she draped over me, and two little vials of red liquid.

Before she did this, I had a chance to finally look her over a little better. Shorter than me, coming up to only my chin, she had light gray hair and eyes, wore what looked like a (slightly rumpled and dirty) green red maid outfit, and now that the crisis was over she exuded a businesslike air of confidence.

My hands were trembling by the time she offered me the two vials, and she used her other hand to steady mine as she deposited them into it. She said something, and only now did she realize I couldn't understand her. She had been chatting constantly while we tied them up and she went through their belongings. But only now, as she looked at my face did she notice my total lack of understanding. Frowning, she took one of the bottles back, pulled the cork with her teeth, and dribbled a little of the liquid on the cut over the back of my right hand. I winced as the sensation of what felt like rubbing alcohol was poured into the cut. What little blood was washed away showed clear uncut skin underneath.

My brain kicked again, and I my vision went dark around the edges. Potions? That worked? Mercenaries wearing a half dozen era's of armor patches? A young girl who had perfectly gray hair and eyes? Wearing a simplified French Maid outfit?

She shook me and I regained a little focus. Her showed her worry clearly. Without taking her eyes off mine, she held me up with one hand, and brought the rest of the first vial to my lips. Numbly, I tasted something that might have been sweet, and shivered as it tingled down my throat. I felt my shoulder stop itching a moment before some of my other bruises stopped throbbing. She poured the second vial into my mouth before I could really comprehend the effects spreading through my body.

When the tingling finally stopped and my body recovered from the lack of adrenaline I must have given some sort of outward sign, because the girl helped me to my feet, kept me steady until I could stand on my own, then took my hand and tugged me towards another alleyway. The stone under my feet felt cold despite the sun that looked to be just past noon. My diminutive guide walked with purpose, and soon we stopped in front of what smelled like the back door of restaurant. A few neatly stacked crates of bottles and carefully piled sacks of what looked like garbage near the door added to my hypothesis.

She turned, said something to me, let go of my hand and opened the door. She didn't actually enter, but instead called inside. There was a bit of back and forth between her and at least two others, before a new face stepped outside to join us.

This lady was, politely put, immense. My eyes were level with her chin, which made her tower over my guide. Tall, wide shouldered, and built like she lifted weights professionally, her stern face was framed by brown hair, but her brown eyes held extreme kindness. She said something to the shorter lady in a rough tone before she noticed me and my appearance. Her face softened, though the cloth in her hand suffered a white knuckled squeeze from her immense hand. She was also dressed similarly to my guide.

The shorter of the two took my hand again and tugged me towards the door. My feet took a moment to catch up to my body and I nearly stumbled again but this time the huge woman put her hand on my shoulder. I felt like a kitten being herded by a tiger as she kept me steady and led me inside.

Instantly, there were two girls with cat ears in front of me, speaking rapidly to me, then the gray haired one, then to the tall one, before being shoo-ed away by the large lady. She said a few more words to the gray haired one, who gave a surprisingly formal, if a little shallow, Japanese bow. She then gave me a reassuring pat on the arm before turning and leaving as well.

With a satisfied nod, the big woman resumed her herding of me. This time, she directed me towards a set of stairs. I caught a brief look at what looked like the kitchen and common room as I walked, but only managed a glimpse of a fairly crowded room of people enjoying what I assumed was lunch, and another worker with sharply pointed ears doing dishes.

My guess that this was an inn or tavern was spot on it seemed, as she led me up to the second floor and a short corridor of doors. We walked to the end one, and she opened it, nudging me ahead of her. This room actually looked like a permanent residence. The bed was the first thing that caught my eye. It was made of what looked like wood that had grown into the shape of a bed, rather than being built into one. There were various other eye catching things, but before I could really look at them, the lady turned me to face her, looked me right in the eyes and before I could react tugged my only bit of clothing away with one smooth motion.

I took a half step back, but stopped myself from going further when all she did was look me over critically, turn towards a wardrobe (that also looked grown into shape, rather than being built), opened it, and removed a few articles of clothing. These she bundled under one arm before handing my borrowed robe back. I put it back on without really thinking about it, and was herded once again to another room. This one was a simple bath room. In the literal sense. A metal tub that looked like it might hold the big lady, what looked like honest to goodness taps, with a red and blue knob on either side, and a full length mirror.

I looked back to the lady who put the bundle of clothes on a shelf, handed me a bar of soap, a rough cloth and a horse hair brush.

As I held all these in my arms, she gave me an honest to goodness pat on the head, like I was some lost puppy.

I suppose I was, at this point. But it still felt a little embarrassing. I mean, less than an hour ago I was a man in my mid thirties. Now I was...

I looked at the mirror next to me, and regarded the person contained within. I looked about as tall as I was before, but now...

Eyes the colour of molten copper had replaced my gray ones. My once bearded face was now angular and smooth. My hair was coal black, with two pointed ears atop my head, that twitched and turned towards the lady as her feet moved her back towards the door. One side of my hair had been cut by that man's sword, revealing that yes, my ears were now on top of my head.

Still intent on the mirror, I tossed off the red cloak I was wearing and revealed the rest of my change. Clear, near white skin (at least in spots that didn't have blood over it), lithe arms and legs, a midriff that was just showing the muscle underneath, perfectly shaped breasts...

And a black fox tail.

"What the F-..." My brain processed everything a second before I voiced my confusion, and the big lady was too far away to stop me from hitting the floor as my legs went numb.

At least I thought she was. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her stop, push one foot against the floor, spin and almost 'appear' next to me. Her two big hands supported my back and middle, turning my 'collapse' into a controlled folding of my legs. I squeezed my eyes shut a moment to replay the act of such a huge person covering the two meters between us near instantly, and catching me gently enough that I almost didn't feel her hands touch me.

I opened my eyes and turned to look at her, reaching out a hand to pat her shoulder and get my feet set under me again. I needed time to think, sort and simply comprehend what had happened. I nodded my head at her and gave her a light push for her to let me go.

With a return nod, she stepped back, letting me go and smiling slightly. Apparently she had been told I couldn't understand the language, because she reached into a cupboard and pulled out a towel, made to offer it to me, then hung it near the tub on a hook instead.

To a factory worker, where hearing your own voice, let alone some one else was difficult at best, I translated her actions as "You can use this, so I'm putting it here." And then she turned and left, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Author's notes.

Okay, so that's the beginning done.

I'm hoping I am capturing the essence of 'dropped into a situation' properly. Maybe I'm not being descriptive enough? Our protagonist currently has a whole bunch of things stacked against him(her?), and needs time to process it, so they can switch from 'react' to 'act'. But just how much of a culture shock would it be? Even if you read all kinds of fantasy books and played D&D and the like growing up?

 **NOTES VERSION 2. 2018**

For anyone reading this, this fanfic is **DONE.** Finished, complete, curtains closed. So if you do decide to stay and keep reading, you'll actually get to the end. I still reply to comments, even if this story is done.

Till next time.


	2. Chapter 2

*Ahem*

So if you're here, you've at least decided to give my story a second glance. For that, I'm grateful. I'm hoping to release a chapter every couple of weeks, so if nothing in real time explodes, I'll be able to keep it going.

Leave questions comments and the like where ever questions and comments go, and I'll try and apply advice and the like to the next chapters.

* * *

Chapter 1, Now what?

I soaked in the big metal tub and considered. Now that I wasn't spiking off adrenaline, getting cut up, and wrapping my mind around a rapid-fire set of new situations, my mind fell into a kind of computer logic routine.

Fact 1. I was not where I used to be. Even though this new place had an odd assortment of modern conveniences, like clean hot and cold running water, fairly modern weaving techniques, if the towel was any indication, and what looked like an abundance of other creature comforts, it also had magic. The potions I drank earlier had removed all evidence of the cuts and bruises I'd suffered earlier, and the lamp in the corner hanging from the wall looked to be powered by an odd little stone.

Fact 2. Everything seemed to be mixed up. Running my little encounter through my head again, I had seen no less than three different building styles, 1100's British style (like where I was currently), a Greek ruin of some sort that my guide had tugged me past, and 'Adobe' style buildings from the middle east. Even the bathtub I was in was a great copper thing with 'claw-foot' feet from the Victorian era. The thugs, 'Curly' and 'Sandy' from before wore chain, scale, and plate armor in a sort of Roman gladiator randomness that was functional, if ugly. The dagger I had 'borrowed' from 'Curly' had a short curve in it like an Arabic janbiya, while the other had what looked like a Roman gladius at his hip.

Fact 3. Something odd was going on with the people. The Matron and 'Curly' showed ability past what I would have considered normal. Even if I were only 50 kilograms, he was making a one armed push up look easy. And the Matron of this tavern should not have been able to move that fast.

Fact 4. I was, mentally, who I used to be. While it had been ages since I took an actual bath, and not a shower, my arms still did the automatic motions of some one cleaning themselves without really thinking about it. Throwing that not-orange, really rusty martial arts learned from when I was a child, knowledge of what used to be my world. It was all there.

Fact 5. I was not WHAT I used to be.

That last one gave me the weirdest bunch of mixed feelings. Sure, by anyone's standards, discounting the ears and tail, I looked pleasing and exotic. Even as I dried off and looked at myself in the mirror, if I had met my current self as a man, I'd almost be unapproachable. But aside from that, internally, everything felt clumsy. My old balance was gone, though my tail (which held so much water I had to gently wring it out over the tub before drying it with the towel) helped. My hearing seemed sharper, but my sense of smell was the same, or similar enough.

I was far far more flexible. Years of factory jobs and little motivation to expend more effort after a long night of work had pretty much done the old me in, in that area. In this body, after a few minutes of stretching, I could hold the backs of my ankles while standing straight kneed. Do the splits, both front to back, and straight outwards. I could even, after holding a chair for balance, touch the bottom of each foot to the back of my head.

It was as if I were literally given a brand new body, grown from the brow of Zeus, ready to...

To what?

I considered that as I started putting on the clothing provided to me. I was kind of glad my mental age made me capable of brushing off some of this part. Panties, modern style too, were some what awkward with my tail, but with a little bit of shifting about, I managed to stop them from trying to crawl upwards or escape down. Black stockings that were basically a tighter version of a knee sock weren't too bad either. But there was nothing left to keep my breasts from swaying about inside my new dress, and while the fabric was not exactly uncomfortable, something needed to be done about that before I started causing accidents.

I made a silent vow to myself to never tease another woman about her wardrobe.

I was just trying to figure out the bonnet when there was a gentle tap at the door.

"Yes?" I said, forgetting for a moment that no one seemed to understand English. Instead I crossed the room and opened the door.

Outside stood the owner of the pointed ears I had seen earlier. There was no mistaking that green hair, which, now that I could see them, matched her blue eyes perfectly. I took a step back and let her into the room proper. She said something, with a slight upturning of her tone at the end, which made me think she asked a question. I tilted my head slightly with what I hoped was a questioning look.

She said something else, this time in what sounded like another language, but with the same hitch in tone at the end. It was a question, I was almost certain. I shook my head and I think my ears did something that told her I still didn't understand.

Instead of speaking a third time, she instead did a walk around me, tugging at my outfit in a couple of places, and as she got behind me I heard a tiny noise like the ripping of fabric, and shivered uncontrollably for a moment as she reached into the small hole and tugged my tail through it. My brain still wasn't completely wired for my tail it seemed.

Aha, this must have been her spare uniform. She was a little shorter than me, and I think the tallest next to the Matron. She must have been checking to see if it fit properly. After my skin stopped trying to fluff itself from having my tail pulled, I turned, tried to look concerned, and gave my torso a little side to side shake. I didn't have to fake the wince that followed at the friction. She made a 'hmm' noise, left the room, and returned a moment later with a long strip of what looked like ribbon.

Yes, never again making fun of a lady and her wardrobe. Nope.

She didn't seem to know what to make of me simply pulling the dress and apron over my head. Her manner seemed a little cold, no, distant? But after I started to bind myself with the ribbon, unconcerned about being half naked, she helped me wrap my new anatomy properly. I thanked my old scout master for teaching me to bind my own torso in case of injury, but I'd never thought I'd do it for this.

That done, I redressed, got help with the bonnet, then after a quiet 'tch' sound from my newest acquaintance, she went to the linen closest and fetched a pair of scissors. I suppose I did look some what lopsided after nearly getting my head cut by a sword. Looking in the mirror and making a quick decision, I held part of my hair in one hand, and put the other edgewise against the middle of my forehead. I knelt down in front of the mirror and she seemed to understand my hand signals. 'Make one side like the other, and leave this bit.'

When I finally made my way down stairs, following behind the elf(?), the lunch crowd seemed to be gone, and the two cat girls were cleaning up the tables with practiced ease. My gray haired guide was taking a turn at dishes, and the Matron was sweeping the floor. At my appearance one of the cat girls made a noise, getting the other to look, then my guide and finally the Matron herself. I was suddenly crowded by the two cat girls, but I simply held up my hands in mock surrender at the sudden outpouring of words.

The Matron spoke a sharp word, then a few softer ones, until finally she pointed a thumb to herself, and said "Mia Grand." She said the words clearly, one at a time.

My guide did a little curtsy after drying her hands on her apron, "Syr Flova."

The brown haired cat girl did a little twirl in place and said "Arnya Fromel."

The black haired cat girl opted for a formal bow, hands in front of her, "Chloe Rollo."

My wardrobe savior and barber said simply, "Ryuu." When I turned my head to her.

I looked at them all and with my best impression of an English butler bow, one arm in front hand open and palm up, other behind with fist closed, both bent at a right angle, I bowed. "Kodori."

* * *

Author's notes.

And so introductions are had, and mental cleanup done. I hope I haven't strayed too far with all of the exposition. Self re-discovery and all that.

And yes, I know there is one more person who works at the Goddess of Fertility, but that's for later. (Two, if you count the cook who by the wiki's explanation simply 'exists'. Nothing more)


	3. Chapter 3

Author's notes.

So here's another, in case you wanted more. When I first started it was just an idea, and I was hoping this idea wouldn't simply implode under the sheer size of the world Fujino Omori had made. There is so much detail here that I'm not sure how much I should describe without things getting out of hand. I know many (if anyone?) readers are going to come to this fanfic having at least watched some of the anime, while others have read some of the books. So how much is too much detail?

Anyhow. Lets see how our poor not yet adventurer gets along with their new friends, despite being unable to read, write or speak the local language.

* * *

Chapter 3, Money talks.

We were all smiles for a moment after the round of introductions. I seemed to be welcomed into Mama's home, and her acceptance seemed to be all the others needed.

That moment lasted until my stomach decided to make itself known. For all I knew, this really was just a body made from cosmic dust, and this would be its first meal ever. I frowned, considering that, and hating that I really knew nothing about my new situation.

Nothing except, I was hungry.

Mia chuckled, Arnya laughed, and Syr ducked back into the kitchen. With a wave they directed me to sit down and an empty table. Food and drink was brought out a few minutes later, enough for at least four.

By no means a feast, it was a far FAR cry from my old life... Only a few hours ago. Ready made meals and not quite fast food where what I lived on previously, but I'm pretty sure microwaves weren't even a notion in this world. Two loaves of sliced bread, plates of shredded meat, some cheese and cut up tomato were placed on the table, as well as big wooden mugs of... I wasn't sure.

After Arnya sat down and started constructing a sandwich I took the hint and made one for myself. There was some banter back and forth, between Syr, Arnya and Chloe. It was hard to mistake friendship when one sees it. Even my tail seemed to be happy with the atmosphere, as I had to think about stopping it from waving back and forth. While I couldn't understand them at all, the lack of conversation coming my way didn't make me feel excluded.

Not that I wasn't paying attention to other things while we ate. Ryuu had stepped out just after the table had been set, Mama was casually cleaning the bar top and engaging the lone customer who came in. The streets outside the window were busy with people going back and forth going about their day. Most of them wore plain but well made clothing. The mercenaries? Seemed to be a normal thing as well. Chatting with others like themselves, passing by the common people without incident. Curious...

I wanted to ask a question so badly right now. Were they militia? What is going on that there would be so many?

Asking 'where am I' and 'what year is it' seemed pointless to worry about. Magic and different humanoid races existed, telling me this just wasn't Earth. Here and now were what I wanted so badly to ask about. All I had was a name I made up, a single borrowed uniform and a place to work. At least, I was assuming I'd be working here. My treatment so far hinted at kindness being free, but charity not so much.

After I finished the drink of... I wasn't sure what it was honestly. Sweet, a little bitter, and mildly alcoholic. I stood and gave my belly a pat to signal the still eating cat girls that yes it was good, but I was done. I started collecting empty dishes. I got an approving look from Mia, who said something to the other three, making them re-double their efforts to clean their plates.

I suppose washing dishes was the same no matter what era you were in. Dirty dish in, clean dish out. Chloe was apparently on drying duty who handed them to Syr to put them away on sturdy wooden shelves.

During this time, I wondered how this city, without electricity, managed to have running water. I considered 'magic' as the answer, but it seemed impractical. More questions, no answers.

I nearly dropped the plate in my hand when something brushed my tail. I'm sure I made some noise too, but with the feeling of my nerves locking up from the base of my spine to the top of my head I wasn't sure. I turned around faster than I intended to face my attacker, my tail seeming to seek shelter by wrapping itself around my hip and into my free hand.

Arnya was there, looking momentarily surprised but she stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth and scratched the back of her head a moment later. I made what I hoped was a grumpy face at her, and she replied by pointing through the inner window that looked out from the kitchen to the common room.

A new face was there. Standing just in front of Ryuu, and talking to Mia was another young woman. Brown hair, green eyes, pointed ears, slim figure and dressed in a uniform of smoke gray with white sleeves. Had I met some one like this back home, I'd have thought banker, or perhaps corporate lady. She adjusted her half rimmed glasses on her nose as she spoke to Mia, then turned to look at me after Mia pointed in my direction.

Local authority? I thought to my self as I dried my hands, gave one of Arnya's pointed ears a pat and walked past her into the common room. I ignored Arnya's noise of indignation and stood just out of arms reach of Mia and the newcomer.

She gave me the same 'point to self' introduction I'd gotten from the others, saying "Eina Tulle." while I gave her my new name, "Kodori."

We sat down and what followed must have frustrated Eina to no end. She tried several languages, at least four, and I understood nothing but that they were questions. She took a piece of paper from a pocket, with four different types of script on it, and I could understand none of it. I did note that the first line had matching letters to the signs around the shop. A strange combination of lines and curves. I also noted now that I looked, that there was a sort of V symbol next to the things written next to each entry on what I assumed was the menu board and chalk board stand just out side the door. Money maybe?

Aha... Something to hook my mind onto.

Inspired, I put my finger on the corner of the paper, shaped my hand as if to hold a pen and looked around. Eina perked up at this possible avenue of progress and put a pen on the table. I noted it was not a quill, but a fountain pen. More out of era things, I mused to myself as I held it, and wrote on the paper.

First, I wrote in block letters, my name. I.

This got no response, and Eina and I shared near identical sighs.

We shared a look at each other and smiled.

She then stood and said something to Mia, putting the paper and pen back in her pocket, before turning and leaving, sketching a bow to the room before stepping out.

I looked at the menu board again, thoughtful. Mia must have mistaken the look on my face for something else, because she put one of her big hands comfortingly on my shoulder. I looked up, smile on my face, and got to my feet. I now had a start to understanding the language of this new world.

Inspired, I made the same 'need a pen' motion and went behind the bar Mia managed, to the register. I noted, but didn't think too much on exactly how much it looked like an old fashioned cash register, as I looked for and found the latch to open it. Quickly, before anyone could complain, though I think they realized I was on to something, and didn't bother stopping me, I scooped out a handful of the small coins inside and put them on the bar top.

A pen and bit of paper was put next to me, and I started manipulating the coins. Mia stood beside me and watched as I did so.

The numbers... They were nearly identical to what I knew back home. Now that I looked at the currency, I sorted them into denominations. 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500... I split up the money into piles and wrote my version of the number beside them. Mia wrote hers in return. We went back in forth for a minute or two, before I went back to the top of the page and spoke. "One."

She replied with a smile, " _One._ "

I had to stop myself from doing a dance on the spot. Progress. An ANSWER, to something. I looked up to Mia, then to the door at the first customer of what I assumed was going to be the evening rush. Quickly, I piled the coins into the middle of the page, drew a circle around it, and wrote that strange V next to it. "Money."

She smiled again, scooping up the coins and sorting them back into the cash box expertly, " _Valis._ "

* * *

After the dinner crowd of random looking mercenaries had come and gone, and cleanup was over with, Mia and the rest closed up the front door and started turning the chairs and stools up side down and putting them on the tables. I was handed a broom, and with a nod I started sweeping. Progress. I still didn't understand any words. But numbers... A universal language, no matter what universe you were in.

I started yawning, not long afterward, though the rest of them seemed to be going strong. As the list of work to do shortened, the girls started leaving. Eventually it was just Mia, Ryuu and I. Mia dimmed the lights some how, I think by brushing the side of the crystal inside the lamp cover, and said something to Ryuu, then she called my name and started up the stairs.

I was led to the door next to the bathroom, and without pausing she opened the door, and waved me inside. A bed, a wardrobe, washbasin and mirror were the only furnishings. Not that I could complain. My body, now idle, was telling me that I could have slept on rocks and roots for all it cared.

Mia put a hand on the small of my back and gave me a little push into the room. Taking a step in, I felt...

It was odd. Less than a day ago, I was a middle aged factory wage slave who, while bored with his life, had stability. Stagnant, but stable. In the span of that not quite day, I had gone from having nothing but the fur on my tail, to having a home. Despite everything being so bizarre. Sure I couldn't speak or read the language, but a single act of kindness had replaced everything I had 'lost' with me ending up on this world. Out of everything that had gone wrong, this was the only thing that needed to go right.

I turned around to face Mia who had just started to turn away, and on impulse gave her a hug. I hoped she wouldn't take offense but this was the only way I could think of to show her how thankful I was.

He response was a gentle pat on my head, followed by gently prying me off of her.

She entered a room as well, and I returned to mine, closing the door behind me. The bed was filled with feathers, and smelled faintly of the outdoors. Hung to dry? My history lessons on Canadian Frontier living shuffled through my mind as I undressed and hung my uniform in the wardrobe.

I felt a moment of awkwardness as I undid the ribbon around my breasts, feeling like I could finally take a proper breath again and shiver as the cooler night air touched my skin.

Nope, still not going to bother a woman about her clothing ever again.

* * *

Notes

Still here? Thank you for sticking with it. I hope the 'silent movie' isn't wearing on you too much. Don't worry. Now that I've gotten 'day one' done with, I'm going to be accelerating the time a little, switching to more of a 'highlight' reel as our hero(?) gets used to the new world, and get into the story proper. Chapter length will increase as well.

Till next time.


	4. Chapter 4

And so you return, good reader, to my humble fanfic.

From now until I finish the story (If there is in fact an ending... though the ninth book in the series is hinting at it. Sorta.) The chapters will get longer, as our hero starts being able to take in more of her surroundings.

But now that our protagonist has survived the first day in Orario, its time to stretch the legs of our story and get into the actual adventure.

* * *

Chapter 3, Potato puffs?

Waking up after my first day was very... normal. Mostly normal at least. I woke up at the first thing to bother me. Nature was calling, so I opened my eyes and found that I had absolutely no problem with seeing in the dim light. I chuckled to myself as I stopped hugging my tail and tugged the sheets down. Dressed in nothing as per habit from my old life, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stood glancing out the window as I did. Not quite morning by the look of it.

The floor felt cool under my feet as I opened my door and padded out into the hallway. Most of the motions were automatic really. Open door, walk, open other door, find toilet, stand... No, not stand. Wouldn't that have been embarrassing...

I stopped in mid yawn as I heard a ripple of water off to my left. In the dark I could see Ryuu, shoulders just below the waterline of the bath. Our eyes met and I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn't just imagining things.

Nope, still there.

I frowned, mostly to myself, and looked around the room now that my brain was shocked into alertness. Uniform on a hook near the back. Towel on a chair next to that. What caught my eye the most was the wooden sword resting point down against the linen closet.

Bathing after morning practice?

I finished my business, (cleaning myself was yet another hitch in my usual morning.) Washed my hands and turned back to Ryuu. She was still mostly under the water, so I gave her a quick bow, and left the room. It was only then I noticed the small sign on the door. I hoped she wouldn't hold my illiteracy against me later.

When I returned to my room, the clouds that I could see over what looked like a high city wall were just starting to lighten. I thought back to the wooden sword.

"New body, new life, new routine." I mumbled to myself, raising my arms above my head in a stretch. "Let's hear it for second chances."

I was trying to finish a set of ten pushups when my new ears heard Mia's footsteps outside my door. A half second later she knocked. Still thinking about just how new my body felt, and how pathetic it was at exercise, I opened the door.

Mia gave me a raised eyebrow, and I realized I hadn't put anything on yet. With a sigh she handed me a small bundle of clothing, stepped back and pointed to the bathroom. She then tapped her foot against the floor a couple times as if impatient.

'Clean up, and be quick about it.' Was my interpretation.

* * *

It was just after the lunch rush when I found a chance to apologize to Ryuu. I had been thinking most of the day if I should bother, but finally decided that I really should have knocked first. I also didn't want her to have reason to dislike me. I was living here by Mia's grace, and didn't want another resident to make her... Disappointed with me. I was never good with women taller than me.

So while she washed dishes, and I dried and put away I tugged her sleeve to get her attention. When she looked I bowed, Japanese style, and waited for her response.

I heard a very quiet laugh, before she punished me by pinching the tip of one of my ears with wet fingers. She then handed me a rinsed dish.

Aside from learning more about how things were run, and finally meeting our cook, a cat person named May, nothing really interesting happened.

And of all things, I found that odd. Sure, I hadn't been here long, but despite this being a tavern run by women, and most of the patrons being male and looking like mercenaries... I'm sure I was stereotyping things a little, but I honestly thought some one would try something.

I'd already seen a bit of the darker side of the city, and with the demographic in the tavern being mostly male... They seemed to keep their collective hands to themselves, the food, and the money when it came time to pay. Even late into the day when some of the patrons were getting a little drunk.

Curious...

* * *

At the end of the night, near closing, Mia called me to the register and started to school me on the numbers. She was all smiles when I picked up on it, but I did have a high school education. It wasn't as if it were difficult, but I was pretty sure Arnya was jealous of just how easily I took to it.

I resolved to wake up earlier the next day, hoping to catch Ryuu practicing. I drank some water before bed and trusted my body to wake me up before I had an accident.

Thankfully it worked, and after (very desperately) not having an accident, I got into the spare clothes Mia had given me the night before to sleep in (which I hadn't, by the way.) I was thankful for the sandals I'd also been given, as I'd spent the last two days barefoot.

I headed out of the tavern for the first time since I had gotten there, through a door I'd seen the others go through that wasn't the rear entrance I had entered from two days ago. It led, to my surprise, to what looked like the beginnings of a second building. It had cobblestone floor too, and while not very large, it could have held a respectable garden, or perhaps be used for training.

Like it was now. Ryuu was standing in the middle of the floor, moving about with her wooden sword in hand. Seeing the sword yesterday, with the well worn handle hinted at dedication. And that meant training when ever one had time.

I stood as still as I could and watched.

Not much scared me, back in my old life. I wasn't fearless by any means, but I tried to be alert and capable of motion when something bad might happen. Keep your eyes open and your body balanced. Even if 'balanced' meant a shuffling walk as I got older.

But in that moment of watching Ryuu move, I felt something in me want to hide under a rock and never come out.

I couldn't see the blade. It wasn't the dim light, as my new eyes had amazing dark vision. I could see her body move. Her shoulders and legs too. But her arms and hands... It took a moment for my brain to accept the possibility of some one moving that fast. My brain, wired for modern day logic simply couldn't accept it. It tried in vain to calculate just how fast, how hard, and how the hell wasn't that piece of wood disintegrating with that sort of movement?

I found myself holding my tail tightly for comfort when Ryuu stopped and my brain ceased to force some kind of logic to the superhuman sword practicing. Shaking my head to tell my logical side to grow a sense of humor or something, I stepped forward.

Ryuu finally looked at me. If she was bothered, or surprised at my intrusion, she didn't show it, but she did smile slightly when she saw me leg go of my tail and close my mouth with a click of teeth. I shook my head again, and wished, yet again, to be able to ask direct questions.

"New life, new body, new routine." I mumbled to myself. Before bowing to her, hands out in front of me in a martial art salute.

My second surprise of the day, before the sun had even started to brighten the clouds, was that she recognized it. My two hands out in front of me, hand held in fist as I bowed. The surprise broke her usual neutral look.

Then I attacked her.

Back when I was younger, I had taken a few different martial arts. It was fun for a while until I started to feel like I was switching one group of bullies at school for another in the dojo. But in the few years I had done, I managed to gain a good sense of balance, coordination and some simple technique of my own.

Seeing just how, quite honestly insane Ryuu was with not just her swordsmanship, and just how many people with swords there were around the small sample of town I had seen so far, I made a snap decision: Throw a mostly textbook perfect front punch at the lady who I was pretty sure wouldn't take offense at it in an environment that was made for practicing.

It was only around lunch time when I had walked off enough of my new bruises to stop moving about with a noticeable limp. Pain aside I was pleased Ryuu took my sudden assault in stride and didn't hurt me too badly. It was mostly my fault anyhow, honestly. My new body was soft. Pleasing curves aside, it was not used to any sort of violence, not to mention hard exercise. She hadn't even fought back really. Just tapped me on the back or side every so often as I basically flailed my limbs at her. There was just enough force that I'd lose balance and end up on my face, side or rear.

We stopped just as the sun was starting to colour the clouds, and she helped me get myself to the washroom to help me clean up a little before starting work.

When the late evening came around, I learned exactly why there were so few problems at Mia's tavern. I was walking by with a tray of drinks to serve a group of four when I heard a very drunk voice say something in a tone that even I could tell was lustful, and a hand grabbed my rear and went down my tail.

My spine did that thing it liked to do when my tail gets petted, while my already tired legs twitched with the sudden contact to my ass. The resulting shower of ale got me, the man who groped my rear, and Chloe soaked.

As I held onto the back of a chair to let my nerves recover from my tail molesting, I watched a very angry Chloe take hold of the top of the drunk man's breastplate, drag him most of the way out of his chair, and then walk, man still held in one hand, to the door.

Then she grabbed the bottom edge of the man's breastplate, and threw him like a javelin, into the street with a battle cry of "Eh!" Judging by the noise he made, I think he rolled at least twice before sliding to a halt just out of sight of the window. Dusting off her hands to the cheers of the rest of the tavern, she turned and looked at me, giving me a thumbs up.

Well, that answered the question of how a group of women averaging about 5'4" (discounting Mia) could keep the place running so smoothly. Again I had to force my logical side to stop trying to figure out how a young lady who might weigh 45 kilograms soaking wet, toss a man who was about my height of 5'9" wearing half a suit of plate armor, most of the way across what looked to be a street that could fit six lanes of traffic.

* * *

About a week passed like that. I would wake up early, flail my hands and feet at Ryuu in what could laughably be called sparring, clean up, work in the Tavern, learn a few more things, then sleep. On the third evening I pulled Chloe aside, handed her a brush turned and with all the control I could muster of my new anatomy, swished my tail against her chest.

I had hoped this would start to cure me of my near debilitating twitching when some one other than myself handled my tail, and to some extent, it worked. For about ten minutes every night after that, I'd let her brush the fluffy appendage until it shined. She even braided my hair, left long in the middle but short on the sides as per Ryuu's work after losing part of it to that ruffian's sword.

At the end of the seventh day, I had to finally admit to myself that while Chloe's tail brushing sessions had stopped me from simply locking up on the spot, they were doing something else my previously male brain was not wired for. Stupid hormones. If she had noticed me trying not to think about it while also trying not to scratch an itch that wasn't really an itch, she made no sign. Not like I could ask anyone about it either. So I just tried not to squirm and had a cold bath later.

* * *

After the eighth morning's exercises, to which I wasn't getting too badly tossed about by Ryuu's seemingly invincible speed, the day was beginning like any other. Our cook started cooking, the breakfast crowd shuffled in, and we waited on them as usual. It was around lunch, when Mia called myself and Arnya over to her. With a few words that got Arnya excited, she handed me a small pouch of Valis and gave me a look that said 'Protect it with your life.' Arnya pouted a moment at me being apparently trusted with the money, but after another few words she looked dejected and sighed.

Without further words, Arnya hooked her arm around mine and walked towards the entrance, half dragging me until my feet caught up with her.

This would be my first time leaving the building proper since I had arrived, I realized.

Aside from the view out the big window at the front of the shop, the back alley behind it, and the little bits of the city I could see from my window, this really was only my second time in the city proper. And it was overwhelming. The people not in shop uniforms were nearly all mercenaries. Even some of the people dressed in outlandish armor or 'battle clothing' were running actual shops. And I had only just stepped outside.

I could see from here, straight to the high outer wall of the city where the road ended with a big double door. Across and down the street itself, were more shops and stalls with either active or slightly bored merchants, depending on if they had customers or not. When I looked the other way however...

I'm not sure how long I stood there completely dumbfounded. It was by far the tallest structure I'd ever seen. Reaching to the clouds stood a pillar of stone that my logical brain said should not exist. Even with modern day materials, I doubted it could have been built.

"It's like... The tower of Babel..." I mumbled to myself, before Arnya brushed my tail with a hand to get my attention.

I spun to look, but she looked disappointed at my lack of reaction. Instead she nodded her head, pointed at the tower and confirmed "Babel."

I blinked, not just at being right, but at something of legend being here. Before I could fall into that line of thinking Arnya tugged on my sleeve again and we were off towards the gate at the end of the street. I shook my head and followed, listening to the up beat cat girl hum cheerfully.

At one point about half way to the gate, some one called her name and she seemed to vanish from in front of me to go to a stall with a white haired man behind it. The stall around him had bits of meat and sausage on display, and even my mouth started to water with the smell of spices. Walking over, the two were having a lively conversation. Arnya introduced me, to which I responded with my name and my now patented 'butler bow'. Arnya then said something else, making the old man's face fall a little. I understood what that meant by now, as a few of our regulars at the Tavern had tried to start a conversation with me, only to be told I couldn't understand them. So far I'd only picked up a few words of the trade. Like 'Plate' 'Table' and 'Drunken idiot'. (OR just 'Idiot', I wasn't sure.)

After a few minutes of them talking back and forth, and Arnya drooling over some of the meat under the glass counter, I figured it was time to be on our way. Lost in her own world of 'what's for dinner' I looked at the old man, raised a 'watch this' eyebrow, and simultaneously brushed one hand from Arnya's butt down along her tail, and blew in her nearest ear.

I had a moment to get an outsider's view of what my own 'tail brushed spine lock' looked like, before Arnya pushed me away. I felt an instant of weightlessness, before my body reacted and I started a backward tumbling recovery. Practicing with Ryuu had taught me how to roll with it, despite not being as insanely strong as she was. About five meters away, I had slid to a halt, the new boots I had been given recently to complete the uniform gripping just enough on the cobblestone, and one hand ahead of me so I could balance forward in a sort of three point slide.

Figuring I certainly deserved that, I simply stood and dusted myself off. I shook my tail to poof a little dust out of it, and bowed again to the old man, who was howling with laughter. Meanwhile Arnya stamped a little foot against the cobbles at our combined teasing. Once she had settled a little, I waved her over so we could get on our way.

Our destination was indeed the gate, where we found a wagon loaded with barrels. It was idle, with a truly impressive horse hitched to it. I wasn't ever really familiar with them, but I had attended a few medieval fairs, with jousting and everything. This horse looked like one of those. Big and muscular all over.

And bored. It had taken one look at us as we approached, sniffed the air, and decided we were not bringing it food. Arnya stopped near the wagon, looked around for something, then made an excited noise and darted off to a small house like structure near the gate. Following her with my eyes I spotted the reason for it. Another young lady in a uniform identical to ours was at the gate house. I watched a moment while they chatted, then turned back to the horse.

"Must be tough." I mumbled to it, getting closer, reaching out my hand slowly. "I had a job like yours once." The horse replied by snorting at my hand, though it moved its head closer, "Doing what I was told, day in, day out. Different materials, same process." I gave his nose and the side of its head a gentle pat. The horse replied by pushing its head against my hand, then it looked up and over my shoulder.

Arnya was back with the new girl. A little taller than Arnya, but still almost ahead shorter than me, she was rather plain looking, with short brown hair and matching brown eyes. She had a warm smile however. "Lunoire." She said with a small curtsy.

"Kodori." I replied, bowing.

"Valis?" She asked in return, motioning her head to a man who was now standing by the gatehouse. A merchant I guessed. Wordlessly, I reached under my apron, and untied the pouch I had stored in my bosom. With another warm smile she took the pouch and skipped over to the waiting man.

In the mean time, Arnya hopped up onto the driver seat of the wagon, taking hold of the reins. I followed her up, and she handed me the reins. I held them gently, and waited for Lunoire to hop up onto the wagon bed with the barrels. She gave me a wave to get started, and I looked back to the horse.

"No rush." I said to the dark eye looking at me as I gave the reins a gentle shake. With a snort, the horse started moving.

* * *

We were within sight of the tavern when I heard the raised voices. True to command, the horse was taking its time as we approached but as my ears focused in on the yelling I realized I knew one of them. Arnya picked up on my body language, her playful banter with Lunoire stopping cold. She nudged my arm as if to ask a question. I looked back and raised my hand to the side of my head, where the hair was nearly shaved by a sword.

Arnya said something to our new companion, and they both hopped out. I gave the reins a gentle tug to stop the horse before hopping off and tugging on a lever to apply an effective, if primitive, lock on the wheel. The other two were already jogging ahead to the tavern, when I saw 'Curly'. He was yelling at Mia, while Syr hid behind her. Mia stood passively, thick arms folded over her chest, looking down at the man with a face that wasn't quite angry, but very very close.

When he caught sight of me, he became even more enraged. I didn't need to know the language to need to guess at what he was calling me. "Syr?" I said to her. When she looked at me, wincing at a new line of what was probably very colourful profanity from Curly, I acted like I was putting on a robe or cape, then pointed a thumb at the man. She blinked a moment, confused, before her face lit up, and she dashed back inside the tavern. The man yelled at her retreating back, but Mia simply shuffled her feet to block his view.

He simply fumed and paced, until Syr came back with the red cloak she had 'borrowed' to cover me when we had first met. I had lost sight of Arnya in the mean time, but Lunoire was standing beside me now. Mia took the cloak from Syr and tossed it to Curly, saying something short and final sounding. The 'or else' tone clear to even me.

Angrily, he caught the cloak, swore again, then turned away. Likewise, we all did.

Then I heard the whisper of a sword being drawn.

Without really thinking, I completed my step, half turned, and ducked all in the same motion. Just as I caught sight of Curly again, I heard the distinct noise of metal shattering. Lunoire was there, her bare hand finishing a swing that looked to have punched through the flat of Curly's sword. He dropped the now useless sword hilt, turned, and ran as fast as he could away.

It would have been rather comical, if I hadn't been his target. Weak kneed I slumped to the ground. A moment later I was helped up by my rescuer, who's hand was perfectly clean, despite having just punched through a sword.

"Is he gone?" I heard a voice. "I swear, can't a Goddess sell potato puffs in peace? I have to make a living too you know... Hello?"

I didn't care that I could feel everyone staring at me. "I can understand you." I said, holding her shoulders as I leaned down to try and bring my eyes level with hers. Failing that, as she was the shortest person I'd met so far, I knelt on one knee and looked right into her blue eyes. "I understand you!" I repeated happily.

"Why wouldn't you? I am a Goddess, after all." She replied.

* * *

Author's notes.

Well then. Now that the groundwork has been laid, things shall speed up from here. Sort of, at least. The last worker at the 'Goddess of Fertility' has arrived, and the intro of Hestia had happened.

If you are still reading, I hope you continue doing so, as I get things lines up for the next chapter. Until then, gentlebeings.


	5. Chapter 5

Ah, the gentle reader returns.

So now that we have met Hestia, perhaps now we can go about out main character's education. Or snap her mind in half with just how alien this world really is to our own.

Shall we?

* * *

Chapter 4

She looked at me a moment, probably wondering why I looked at her with a 'oh SURE you are' look of disbelief. I wouldn't ever expect a Goddess to dress like she was. A white shirt, white elbow gloves and simple sandals. The only colour on her clothes was a blue ribbon that was tied to both her upper arms and ran under her breasts. Her hair was done up in twin tails, held in place by two neat white and blue bows.

"You can understand me right?" She asked, to which I nodded, "And that certainly isn't the local language you're speaking, right?" I nodded again. "Do you doubt your senses often? Or are you really that daft?"

I looked down at the ground... Or tried to. This lady had a staggeringly huge bust for her size. Not wanting to get lost looking down THAT particular thought I said, slowly, just to keep calm, "I have had a very confusing time recently. I arrived in town, naked, was rescued after trying to be a hero. I have since then seen things that my mind can only just barely comprehend." I looked up into her eyes again, "Aside from numbers, I cannot read or speak to anyone. I've heard six different languages too. It has been very frustrating."

She frowned at me thoughtfully, but I continued, "Then, I hear your voice, and understand it. I've been humbled so badly recently, that I don't want to ask an more favors. But please? Can you help me?"

She smiled at me, and for an instant, the logical bit of my brain simply snapped off. In the past, you might have had to hit me with art to get me to notice, let alone care. But her smile made me think of all the simple things I enjoyed, that I had to throw away as I got older. "How can I help?" She asked.

* * *

Mia had given me the rest of the day off to talk with this 'Goddess'. We went to my room, where I offered her my bed to sit on, while I sat in a chair. She introduced herself as Hestia for starters. My history lessons were sketchy on the name, but I recognized it instantly as the Greek goddess of the hearth or fireplace. She also said she wasn't the only deity to descend either.

"So... You were all bored?" I asked, "You descended from the heavens because you had nothing better to do?"

"More or less." She replied. "Eternity is very dull, but the children are so interesting. With your short lives you accomplish so much..."

For a divine being, she was quite easy to get along with. A little childish in her mannerisms, but I hardly minded that. "So..." I started, then stopped, my tail making a 'swish swish' noise as the tip brushed the floor. "I have so many questions... It's hard to begin..." I trailed off with a sigh, "I've never been good at speaking to others."

"How about I start then?" Hestia asked before I waved a hand for her to continue. "You lied when you told me your name." She didn't seem angry, just matter of fact.

"Eight days ago, I dropped from where I was, to the middle of a back alleyway not too far from here. Literally." I half smiled at the memory, "I... Was different than what I am now. My old name didn't fit me, so I started new."

"Different?" She blinked at me, and I nodded. "Different how?"

I couldn't bring myself to deny her an answer, and I wasn't ready to tell her everything... so I gave her half truths, "I was nearly forty years old, for one. I had a job that paid the rent, fed me, and just barely kept me sane. But I was basically just existing." She nodded at me, "When I got here, I was like this." I motioned to myself with one hand, holding my tail in the other. The latter brought me comfort, so I hugged it to myself, "I couldn't understand anyone. None of the patrons could either. It's been very frustrating."

"So how do you want me to help?" She asked.

"Materially, I absolutely need only two things." I replied, my logical side taking over again. "To learn the language, I need the alphabet, and a book meant for children. A Rosetta stone, so to speak."

"Really? Why didn't you ju... oh, right." she started, then trailed off. "That's it?"

"Material wise, yes. I am sure I can get the help I need here to actually learn it. If it weren't for Mia and the others, I'd probably be... Actually, I'm not going to think about that." Hestia nodded at my decision. "But aside from that, I'd like to know what is going on in this city... Gods and Goddess, legendary structures, mercenaries, people throwing other people around like paper..."

"I'm not very good with history, being kind of new here too... But I'll try." Hestia replied with a shy smile.

* * *

Somewhere around the middle of her history lesson, the logical side of my brain simply gave up. Monsters from underground, sealed by the giant tower Babel. Adventurers, not mercenaries, gifted with a divinity's blessing or 'Falna'. Once blessed the mortal does heroic things to gather 'exilia' to raise their abilities. Certain thresholds mark out 'levels' which give much larger leaps in ability.

These adventurers go to the dungeon to keep the monsters at bay. The monsters are born from the dungeon, and hold within them a 'magic stone'. Those are sold to the governing body of the town, the 'Guild' (which I learned Eina was a representative of) for money, and used in all sorts of applications. Mostly as an energy source.

I also learned the proper names of some of the races. Mia for instance, was a Dwarf. I would never have guessed that one. But there were many others, from all around the world. Humans, elves, cat people, Chienthrope (dog people), dwarves, pallum (a sort of child like demi-human) and my own apparent race, Renard, who were rare outside their homeland, and usually had some kind of inborn magic.

"You look puzzled." Hestia said, looking at me then out the window at the lowering sun.

"Not puzzled... I understand so far. But where I am from, we had nearly none of this. The gods were nothing more than history lessons at best, footnotes at worst." I sighed, "And most of them were jerks. Humanity was more of a plaything for them. Maiden raping, village burning, monster spawning... Oh... Sorry."

I tried to comfort the suddenly downcast Goddess. "Always good ones in the bunch though." I smiled at her. "I think we have a little more time before the dinner crowd comes in."

"One more lesson then. Was there something in particular?" She asked, brightening up again.

"You mentioned some where in there, 'Familia'." I started.

"Oh! When a God or Goddess gifts their falna on a mortal, they become part of their Familia. In exchange for the gift of falna, the Familia takes care of their patron." She frowned slightly, "I only have one person in my Familia so far, and I have to work a part time job to make ends meet..."

I had the sudden urge to reach out and pat the young looking Goddess on the head, so I did. I noted that her hair was impossibly soft. "Since we ate all of the potato puffs you were trying to sell, how about I ask Mia to pay for them, for today. And you can come back with my poor man's Rosetta stone."

She looked at me with a smile, "Deal."

* * *

With Hestia translating for me, I told Mia my plan, and begged her to buy the potato puffs Hestia had come into the tavern with. Reluctantly she agreed, but she smiled all the same at my good fortune. After Hestia left, Mia took me aside and handed me a small pouch on a long string.

"Pay." She said, using one of the half dozen words I'd picked up. I accepted it without opening it, and tied it around my neck before tucking it under my uniform inside my binding. She then gave me one of her matronly pats on the head, then started belting out orders to prepare for the dinner rush.

* * *

The next day was by far the most awkward. It started out as usual. Ryuu taught me how to fall while I tried to punch and kick in what I hoped was her general direction. I was getting a little better, I thought, but that might have just been Ryuu taking pity on me and letting me get closer with my attacks.

No. The awkwardness came after. As per usual, I was going to let her into the bathroom first, but she instead tugged me inside as well. She then started stripping out of her practice clothes, and motioned me to do the same. Puzzled, I did so, politely turning my back to her while she ran some hot water into the bathtub.

As soon as I had the ribbon binding my breasts in place, I felt a brush against my tail, and hands come up under my arms. Had this been a week ago, the contact with my tail would have locked me in place, but now, I simply held very still.

I made a questioning noise as Ryuu's hands cupped the underside of my breasts. I'd only ever given myself a few experimental pokes and prods, to make sure they were in fact attached to me, and not just some hallucination. But here I was getting groped by my elven sparring partner.

She wasn't moving her hands, just holding my extra anatomy up gently, making a 'hmm' noise, before giggling quietly as my tail started to wrap around her leg in a friendly manner.

I was about to try turning around, but she let go and gave me a little push. I turned around to face her but she was already getting into the bath. She waved me over to get in too, and we quickly scrubbed off the morning's exercise in silence.

I figured out later more or less why she had given me a surprise fondle. After I had dressed for work and stepped out of my room, I saw her and Mia having a quiet chat. No more than a few sentences. After that however, Ryuu approached, pointed back to my room and said "Valis."

Shortly after, Ryuu and I were standing in front of a just opening shop a little ways off the main street. I couldn't read the sign obviously, but from the frills and such in the window, as well as the small window display. A woman's clothing store.

I suppose I did only have very small selection of clothing. And they weren't really even mine.

With Ryuu's help, and my own ability to read price tags, I used what money I had been payed to get real clothing for myself. It was hard to tell if Ryuu approved of my selection. But she helped me find the right sizes due to her earlier 'helping hands'. I kept it simple and conservative. I knew I had curves. Nice ones too. But honestly I'd rather not have shown them off any more than I had to.

The shopkeeper, a middle aged human who was nearly falling over herself trying to get me to try things on, was very helpful. And in the end, I purchased two sets of the same clothes and two pair of what a modern day women would call 'sport bras'. Ryuu didn't even raise an eyebrow at my choice, and even bought two pair for herself when she saw me hop up and down a couple of times to see just how bouncy I was. Or rather how bouncy I wasn't, in this case.

She did however raise an eyebrow when I took a scrap bit of paper and drew what I hoped had a similar existence in this world. Boxers.

To my relief, they did in fact exist in this world. And after a quick hunt for a similar store for men, and a weird look from the shopkeeper, I had a few pair of boxers. Thanks to the wide variety of races in Orario, they even had a proper hole in the back for my tail.

Thus carrying my new clothes, we returned. I had settled on a loose fitting pair of pants and a sort of half kimono long sleeved top, both in green to keep it simple and low cost. My undergarments were both dark gray, though that was because I really didn't feel comfortable being brightly coloured.

Still never going to tease a woman about clothing...

* * *

Hestia returned just as the dinner rush was getting into full swing. She also had some one with her as well. A young man, a boy really, who was just a little shorter than I was. He too wore adventuring gear, though his was limited to a simple breastplate, a tough looking brown overcoat, dark undershirt, dark pants and simple leather boots with what looked like hard soles on the bottom. What was really remarkable was his face. If this had been my old world, I'd have thought he was albino. But his skin wasn't pure white, just very pale. His eyes however were red, and his hair was snow white. He looked a little nervous in the tavern as he talked to Mia at the counter, and I instantly thought, 'rabbit.'

I met gazes with Mia, and she nodded and waved me over. Expertly weaving around the tables chairs and stray feet, I approached and called out to Hestia. "Welcome back, Hestia."

"Ah Kodori." She replied, though I heard a slight hitch in her voice as she called me by my 'lie' of a name. "I brought you what you asked, and my Familia member." She turned to the boy, "Bell?"

He looked up at me and I extended a hand to him. "Kodori." I said simply.

"Bell Cranell." He replied, shaking my hand like he meant it. I could see that he was timid, but his handshake was solid. He said something else, and I looked to Hestia.

"She can't understand the language yet." She said to Bell, then to me she continued, "Pleased to meet you, Miss Kodori."

I couldn't stop myself from 'snerk'ing into my hand, but before Bell could look too crestfallen I put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Kodori."

He hesitated, but I gave his shoulder a squeeze and he relented, "Kodori." He repeated. I gave his shoulder a pat, then turned back to the Goddess.

"I thank you for your help." I took a half step back and bowed as I did to Ryuu before we started sparring. Hand holding fist in front of me, I bowed, then stood. "I hope to repay you for your kindness some day."

"Well..." She started, but I held up a hand.

"I am on the clock right now. Tomorrow after lunch we can talk?" She smiled and nodded.

"Tomorrow after lunch then." She replied looking at Mia for permission, and smiling brightly at me when my Matron nodded.

* * *

That night my lessons started in earnest. Gifted with a simple bit of paper and some help from Chloe this time, I started sounding things out, and writing them on a separate bit of paper as they would translate into English. Just as I did with basic Japanese and Hirugana when I tried to learn it. An interesting thing I'd discovered was that our alphabet was very similar. Same number of letters, in the same order, making almost the same sounds.

After that, I picked up the book I had been given, and started translating. Letter by letter.

Chloe made me stop just before closing to brush my tail. After the first few brush strokes I lost my concentration and put my head down on the bar top where I had been studying. I hadn't gotten too far, but there were a few words I had sought out first, once I knew what to look for.

I flicked my tail away between brush strokes, making Chloe 'eep' as it brushed against her face. I spun around on the bar stool, hopped off and reached out with both arms, collecting the surprised cat girl in a hug. It was then I used my first sought out words, whispering it in her ear.

"Thank you."

She didn't seem to mind the hug at all. I don't think I could have survived it if she had taken offense. This did however attract Arnya and Syr, whom I also hugged and thanked. Lunoire wandered over, question on her face, and I hugged her too, despite having known her less than two days, she had already saved my life. After thanking the three, I went to the kitchen, hugged and thanked the cook May just before she left, and then waited for Mia to put a dry dish away before thanking her as well. Ryuu was washing dishes, so after giving her a hug and thank you, I nudged her out off the stool she was standing on so I could stand on it, bow to them all, and thank them again.

I don't think I'd ever been this happy, and embarrassed, at the same time. My old life was one of a shut in. I had no use for people aside from work and shopping. My family was distant and cold. My social life out side of work was non-existent. New body, new life, new routine. I refused to go back to my old ways. Not after my faith in other thinking beings had been so thoroughly restored.

So there I stood, thanking them with my freshly learned words, making what was probably a total ass of myself.

And not giving one tiny little damn that if I was.

After a small round of applause, Mia put a hand on my shoulder and said, "Dishes."

To which I replied with one other new word. "Yes." And turned to take over washing dishes for Ryuu.

* * *

Ryuu must have mentioned something to Lunoire, because the next morning when I went down to spar with the elf, she was waiting there as well. I bowed to her as I had with Ryuu, and to my surprise, she returned it. She then got into a fighting stance that looked like a mix of Karate, with one hand low and opened, and Boxing, the other hand close to her chin and closed. Her feet were fairly close together, but he weight was on the balls of the feet, making her look ready to spring off either foot.

My stance, compared to hers was a bastardization of Tae Kwon Do and Karate. Most of my weight was on my back foot, and instead of closed fists, one over my solar plexus, and the other forward, they were both open.

Ryuu simply stood to the side and watched us.

I just hoped Lunoire would show the same restraint at Ryuu, when it came to punishing my technique.

* * *

There is something to be said about learning a new language through full immersion. My half learned words helped me build on what I had already been hearing for days now. The brain likes patterns, and when you know the word 'I' and 'juice' you put the sentence together automatically even if you don't know the word 'want'.

Mia had said something on my behalf to everyone as the morning crowd had finished filtering in too. And it seemed that everyone I'd talked to spoke slowly, and clearly. Just so I could pick up on the words without trying to sort out slurred words or slang. Mia and her girls might not be adventurers, but they were respected by them for sure.

Elated at my own progress, and good fortune, when Hestia showed up just after the lunch rush was mostly over, I gave her a hug too, and a thank you.

"You're learning so fast." She commented as we sat at a table. Chloe brought out lunch for myself and Hestia then wandered back to the kitchen to clean. I made sure to thank her. What a simple understated phrase...

"I could explain the logic behind it, but I'd probably bore you." I said in English, so I could be more fluent with her.

"I suppose." She said, before taking a bite from her sandwich. "I am just happy I could help."

"You have no idea how much you have, either. I've not learned the words yet to ask, but I'm almost positive we haven't had a single divinity other than yourself come here since I arrived." I also nibbled at my meal before continuing, "So, you were going to ask me something, before I had to get to work?"

She fidgeted in her seat a moment at my bluntness, and had several false starts before she finally asked, "Would you like to join my Familia?"

To be honest, after hearing about how she only had one member, was poor, and spent a good while trying to get members before she picked up her single adventurer, I expected this question. It was an obvious one, really.

"What would be involved?" I answered with a question of my own.

"Well, first I would have to gift you with Falna. Where I write your status on your back. As my new member, we would have to register you at the guild. Bell can help you there as well, he says Eina, his adviser is teaching him many things." She paused, "The guild will also supply you with a starter weapon as well."

"That's it?"

"Basically, yes. Then it's just coming back alive at the end of the day." The bluntness of her reply startled me, but the worry in her eyes was clear as polished glass.

"When I can ask Mia, properly, without translation, if I can leave her service to help you." I put my hand out across the table, "Her answer will be my answer. I owe her that much at the very least. Deal?"

She smiled her 'everything is awesome in the world' smile, and nodded, taking my offered hand in hers and shaking it. "Deal."

* * *

Authors notes.

And so the adventure continues. Our heroine learns words of simple gratitude (which I wish the rest of the world would do too.) and makes a deal with Hestia, our favorite micro Goddess.

You may all have noticed the larger amount of story breaks. For the sake of speeding things up a little, as the chapters have been getting longer, I skipped some of the excess descriptions. Trying to give the impression that the days were blurring together a little as some sort of a routine set in. In my humble opinion, this is still some what of a prologue to the story.

And!

Just in case anyone was curious about 'the logic behind it'. The brain likes patterns and picks up both consistencies, and inconsistencies. You look at a white wall and instantly your eyes see the spot of dirt on it. You listen to music, and you tap your foot to the beat of the drum in the background. You feel along a wall and notice even the smallest dips and bumps in the paint. The same can be said of language. If one knows the words for lets say, 'take' 'plate', and some one offers you a plate saying three words, your brain will assume the middle word is 'this' Take this plate. I am dramatically simplifying it, but that is the general idea. Once your brain knows a few words, it will try and fill in the blanks with what logically should be there.

Anyhow, lesson over, chapter done.

Until next time, gentle readers.


	6. Chapter 6

Good day, gentlefriends, and welcome again.

So now we start to get into the actual story line itself. Matching lines with the anime and light novels. Things will be close to the main story, but certainly not exact. If you wanted the same story, you would watch or read the original, would you not?

Shall we continue then?

* * *

Chapter 5

It was two days after I had made the deal with Hestia. The three of us, Ryuu Luniore and I had just finished cleaning up after our morning spar and I was now standing in front of the mirror in my room.

It had been almost two weeks now, and I still wasn't really at home in this body. I watched myself stretch, the muscles under my skin still warm and loose from the sparring. The logic side of my brain had been perking up every time something 'impossible' happened, while the creative side was telling me just how amazing it all was.

I lowered myself to the floor, doing a split that would have had most of the modern world either jealous or holding their groin in agony. I felt the gentle stretch of my hips and inner thighs, my palms resting on the floor in front of me. Eyes closed I simply -felt-. I started lowering my body to the floor, hips rolling forward, until my big toes touched the floor and my breasts started to compress against the slightly rough floorboards.

There was a tap on the door. "Kodori?" It was Ryuu.

"Enter." I said slowly, to make sure I said the word properly. I saw the door open from the corner of my eye. I saw Ryuu's booted foot take a half step into my room, hesitate at what I'm sure she saw, "Please." I continued, and her foot moved forward again. She closed to door behind her.

I only made out some of her words. And she was keeping them simple for me, "Are you well? Something wrong?"

"I am well." my words came out slowly, as I tried to use the words I knew to make a sentence that would make some kind of sense. "Try to think. Not like home. Not like old Kodori."

"Home sick?" She asked, sitting on the bed behind me as I let my body simply lay there on the floor. I felt my tail swish against her leg, and her hand pet the end of it.

"No... yes? Think like old Kodori. New Kodori, need new think." I sighed, hating my lack of words. I pushed myself up, looking over my shoulder.

As usual her eyes were hard to read. But she gave me a tiny smile and pinched the tip of one of my ears. "Work soon. Hurry."

"Thank you." I said to her back as she closed to door. I tried to flick my ear a few times to get the tingling sensation to subside. I got dressed, listening to Mia and Luniore walk by my room.

Realizing that I could actually flick my ears made me feel better about myself, strangely enough.

* * *

Now that I could understand bits of the language, I took more interest in the patrons. Not to say I hadn't been interested before, but now I could actually engage them on a more tangible level. Not just serve them but say hello, and catch little bits of conversation. Mia noticed my change in attitude, and grinned at me after I returned to pick up a plate for another table.

"More fun now?" She asked, adding, "Window table."

"More fun." I agreed, "Yes Ma'am." I finished, taking the plate of food over.

I hardly noticed the passing of time while I worked. Listening to things, making broken small talk, and generally feeling like I actually belonged.

When evening fell, I found myself greeting Bell, as he was dragged in by Syr. "Bell, hello."

"M... Kodori. Hello." He quickly corrected himself, before Syr sat him down at the bar.

"New friend Syr?" I asked.

I could have imagined it, but I think Syr blushed when I asked. She waved away my question, but then Mia put a monstrous plate of pasta in front of him. "Heard you helped Syr. Eat eat!"

Syr looked embarrassed again, but sat down next to Bell. I tuned out their chatting and went back to cleaning up tables. It was by far the rowdiest evening since my arrival. Cards, drinking, food... Some one even got up and started dancing on a table, before his friends dragged him back down to sit again.

Then, with a 'nyaa' Arnya came back in from serving a table outside, announcing, "Guests have arrived!" There was a little more to that sentence, but I didn't know the words.

The bar went nearly silent as these guests arrived. The one in the lead was a boyish looking girl with orange hair and eyes that were almost squinted shut. The smile looked like one you would wear if everything was right in the world, and you were the one who made it right in the first place.

Next was a male Parum, with a mop of blond hair and a perpetually young face. He was also smiling, though it looked like the smile of one enjoying the atmosphere.

Side by side walked two sisters. Only a little shorter than I was, they looked to be twins, except one was just as boyish as the figure in the lead, and the other had a bust that rivaled Hestia. The less endowed of the two wore her black hair short, while the other had hair that was nearly to the floor. Of them all, they also showed off the most skin, which was a pleasing dark tan. Amazon race maybe?

Next was a bored looking werewolf. Grey hair, amber eyes, much like my own. He was tall and muscular. He gave off an air of 'whatever'. I liked the armor on his shins and forearms though. Protective and functional.

Behind him was a woman, also looking a little bored, but that very well could have been her default look. Green hair and sharply pointed eyes marked her as an elf. She wore a robe with a white cape that looked like it could cover her completely.

Beside her was a dwarf, for no other race could be so stout looking. His face was serious, but I think the reason for that was he was now in a tavern, and there was ale to be had.

A second elf, or half elf? Walked in behind him, smiling happily. She looked younger than either Ryuu or the green haired elf, though I could only guess at how much.

Last was a blond haired woman who seemed to make the rest of the bar start whispering. Long blond hair, perfect curves, form fitting backless white shirt and short skirt. She was like a masterpiece marble statue come to life.

Her expression actually drew me away from her beauty though. Her face was just as perfect as the rest of her, but blank. Golden eyes set in a face that was just as unmoving as an actual statue.

I caught words and names. 'Loki Familia' and 'Aiz Wallenstein'. As well as 'Don't stare'.

As they got seated, Chloe, Arnya and Luniore started bringing out food and drinks. They filled the middle of the tavern's biggest table in a flash with our best dishes, before Ryuu brought out a tray filled with mugs.

They all took a mug and with a flourish, the one who had led the group in declared "Good work out in the dungeon guys!"

I missed the next line, and only heard the clunk of mugs distantly as my brain connected a couple of dots. She was a god. And if that was Loki Familia, then THAT was Loki.

"You would think I'd be used to surprises by now." I mumbled, walking past Bell and Syr with a platter of empty mugs.

"Huh?" Syr asked as I went by.

I stopped and watched the party at the middle table start really going. "Sorry. That Loki?" I pointed to the short flat chested lady who was standing with one foot on the table and drinking her ale like it was going out of fashion.

"Yes. Something wrong?" Syr inquired again. "Loki Familia. They come here often."

I shook my head and continued on my way.

It wasn't much later, after many refills, that they got even wilder. Loki, who I noticed had opened one eye at me, as if to say 'I have noticed you', was chatting with Ryuu. Or rather, chatting AT Ryuu, who simply stood there, making sure Loki didn't drown herself as she kept refilling her mug directly from the keg on the bar top. The werewolf was starting to talk about something, getting the others to look at him with mixed expressions. He was obviously a bit drunk, as I could make out even less words than usual.

What I did pick up on was how something funny happened in the dungeon. Followed a monster. Saved a boy. Tomato. The green haired elf told him, "Bete, stop." but he kept on going, leaning over the table at Aiz, who sat opposite.

The Parum told him he was drunk, but he kept asking/shouting questions at Aiz.

Then Bell, now most of the way through his massive pasta dish, got up and ran out the door. His face was red with embarrassment, and I put the dots in my head together instantly. I turned to Syr, who had followed him out the door, hand over her mouth in surprise, and to my surprise, so did Aiz.

I heard Loki say something like 'brave to run from Mia.'

Turning back to the table, I saw the werewolf tied to the ceiling and the two amazons dusting off their hands, one of them saying "Cool off, you're drunk."

"Wow, that was fast." I mumbled to myself.

"Happens... All the time." Loki slurred beside me, mug once again almost empty. "You speak funny. You new here?"

Ryuu, seeing her chance to escape, melted away, leaving me there to entertain the mostly drunk Goddess. "I'm learning." I replied. "I'd never believed you were a Goddess, but since you can understand me perfectly..." I shook my head, "I'm new in town. Your Familia seems to be doing well."

"O'course! We're the best!" She crowed, "Especially Aiz! Nothin' my Sword Princess can't do!" She downed the rest of her mug and looked at the bottom as if it offended her. "More please!"

I took her mug and filled it for her, tugging the back of her shirt to stop her from trying to drink from the spigot. "You're the second Goddess I've met so far. Not what I expected." I said, "Figured you would be less of a light weight."

"You callin' me flat?" she stopped in mid drink to bring her face right up to mine to look me in the eye. Her hand went to my breast while she did too, "Just cause you got these doesn't mean you can call me flat!"

I was at a loss for what to do. Grabby patrons got a slap, drunk grabby patrons got the 'Chloe Javelin' treatment. But what about a drunk Goddess? Objectively, I considered that she was being rather gentle for someone that...

I took the offending hand in mine and pushed it away, "You're not drunk at all, are you?"

She kept her slightly rosy coloured face smiling, but she opened one of her nearly closed eyes and looked at me, "Sharp one, ain't ya?"

"An outsider's perspective." I said with a smile of my own, "I don't really care, but if you do that again, I'll hand you to Mia." For being a Goddess, the look of abject terror on her face at my threat was rather surprising, yet VERY satisfying. "Refill?"

"Is our Goddess giving you trouble?" The Palum man came over to us, his 'amused at the world' smile still intact. He asked a question too fast for me to follow, and I raised my hands in mock surrender.

"Slow, please. Still learning." I said to him.

"You are new girl." He nodded as if to himself, "Heard of you. Want me to take her away?" He spoke slowly and with simple words.

"Could you please?"

* * *

The cleanup was... Epic. Loki Familia certainly knew how to party. Dishes, bits of food, mugs, bits of rope from where Bete the werewolf was tied to the rafters... By the time it was all cleaned up, I felt like skipping my evening stretches and just passing out. But I didn't.

I was just finishing up when Mia tapped on my door. "Enter."

She opened it, "Good work." She said with a grin, "Didn't panic."

I chuckled, shaking my head, "Old skill. From before. Loki was not drunk. Only play."

"Acting." She corrected me, "Words coming well too." She frowned slightly. "How long you staying?"

The question felt like it had physical force. I felt my heart lurch, before I caught myself and let logic think for me. "You heard Hestia." I stated. This time is was logic telling my heart to sit down and be quiet.

"Yes." She replied simply.

"Made promise. Must ask right before I go." I turned and smiled at her, "No good if I can not talk. No good if I can not read." I chuckled, "No good if I eat and run."

"Bad joke." Mia chided me, but nodded, "Always welcome. Go to sleep. Lots of work."

* * *

I was just walking down the steps when I spotted Bell bowing to Mia, holding out a back of what I presumed were coins. Syr was there as well, looking to be offering moral support to the boy as Mia stared him down.

"Sorry. Here is the money I owe."

They went back and forth, a few times. Bell trying not to shrink into a little ball under the much taller woman's stare, and succeeding, if only just.

I found myself respecting him for that. More than a little too.

"So it was you." I commented. "Bete was talking about." I felt like I had kicked a puppy when he looked up at me. "Sorry." Mia and Syr glared at me.

"Yes. Miss Ais saved me." Bell replied, remembering, even in his embarrassment, that I was still learning.

I gave him a pat on the shoulder, while Syr held up a little box. "Going to the dungeon today? Here. I made lunch for you."

I raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment as Bell stammered out a few things before taking the lunch and carefully putting it in his pack. With a smile Syr went to the kitchen, while Mia and I stood there watching him collect himself again.

"It might be embarrassing." Mia started, putting both big hands on Bell's shoulders and looming over him, "But in the dungeon, if you live, you win."

I considered her words myself. Sure, I had been in some bad spots in my life. But the dungeon itself was a deadly place. I had no idea how I would handle myself. I still added my own comment, "All well, I work with you. I will need a teacher."

"I will never forgive you if you don't come back." Mia added, turning Bell around and giving him a little push in the direction of the door.

* * *

Compared to the previous night, that evening was quite tame. Even a little dull, honestly. I had plenty of time to try my eye at reading. And was doing fairly well too, as I pointed to the various signs around the room and sounded them out. One sign in particular made me curious, so I asked Mia. "Hostess of Fertility?"

"Yes." She paused, "Stopped working... Re-ti-er-ed from Freya Familia."

Enlightened, I nodded, but didn't ask further. If the dungeon was indeed a deadly place, a person would have any number of reasons to pack it in and stay home. Though I did ask, "You keep Falna?"

She was surprised at the question, though she shook her head as if remember I wouldn't know. "Until death."

I nodded and blinked as I saw a familiar mop of white hair walk through the door. "Bell wins." I smiled at Mia, earning a halfhearted glare, before I ducked my head and went to do some dishes.

* * *

Again I was looking in the mirror. I was sore from the sparring session with Lunoire, but feeling good none the less. Today had marked the first time I had actually made contact with my sparing partner. Sure, it was with just my little knuckle just touching the the fabric over her short ribs, and I had been given a little nudge, sending me tumbling all the way to the wall of our little arena. But I still managed to do it. All the previous practice I'd gotten being pushed around and tripped up meant I hadn't even bruised myself when I came to a halt either. Just looked rather silly as I looked at Luniore while upside down against the wall, and said "HA!" pointing at her.

I leaned close to the mirror, nose almost touching, and looked into my own eyes. Maybe that is what was stopping me from my body feeling real? No that wasn't it. I laughed, pinching my arm gently to make sure one last time that I wasn't dreaming, and started laughing.

I was laughing so hard that I hadn't even noticed Ryuu or even Mia enter my room until I felt two big hands grab my shoulders and give me a shake. Blinking my eyes clear of tears, and trying to get my breath so settle down took effort, but eventually I stopped hiccuping and smiled at the two worried faces.

"Not a dream." I said, pausing to gather more of the half learned language and some more breath. "Dreams are too far. But I touched it. Not a dream. This is me. I am here. New life. New body. New routine. _But I am still me_." Lost in the fight between my logical side and emotional side, was that little fact. I was still myself.

I stood suddenly, the pair of them getting out of the way, and stood in front of the mirror. Still dressed in only my undergarments, and looked at myself in a whole new light. "I get it now." I said in English.

"Mia." I started, looking back at her and speaking in the language of this world, "I would like to join Hestia Familia." I turned to face her completely and bowed deeply. "Please."

I felt Mia's big hand rest on top of my head, and pet me between my pointed ears, "Yes you may." She continued, saying, "When Bell comes, go with him to the Guild."

* * *

"This place... Is big." I said to bell as I stood beside him, looking up at Babel. I didn't know the words for 'huge' or 'titanic' or 'ridiculously compensating for something', so I went with 'big'.

"Yes. First floors are shops. Floors after, up-per floors, are homes for Gods." Bell replied, "Guild is here."

He pointed to a much more modest place near the tower. Modest was still many times larger than the Hostess of Fertility, but still, when I thought about just how much paperwork managing not just a group, but a city of adventurers, I wasn't surprised. The building itself was well kept, and the walls were hung with various banners. We entered the front double doors, and I followed Bell past a series of paper laden billboards to a row of desks with various uniformed people sitting behind them. There were a few short lines leading to each person, making me think, properly so, that this was the front desk, and we were basically taking a number.

I noticed Eina, the guild representative who visited me, at the front of the line, helping some one in a suit of tough looking leather armor.

"Guild works one on one?" I asked over Bell's shoulder.

"Ad. vis. er. Adviser." He pronounced for me, "She teaches me, when I am not going to the dungeon."

I hmm'ed to myself, as we found ourselves standing in front of her now. I gave her a friendly wave, "Good morning." I said as clear I could. Her face brightened somewhat at my words. "I have come to sign up."

"Re-gis-ter." Bell corrected me. "Register."

"Register." I stood corrected, "To be an adventurer with Hestia Familia."

"Have you received the Falna?" She asked, adjusting her glasses and getting a form from inside her desk.

"No. Hestia does not know yet." I smiled, crossing my arms under my breasts, "I want to surprise her. And get..." I kicked the words around in my head a moment, "directed? No..."

"Oriented." Bell supplied helpfully. "Or-ee-ent-ed."

I kicked that word around in my head for another moment, then tried, "Orient earing? Orienteering?"

Eina smiled as I seemed to get the word right. "Very well. Here." She handed me the paper in her hands, and I glanced at it. My eyes picked up on a few words, then a few more. I would have to translate some of it tonight.

"Bring that tomorrow." She continued, "Today... Come with me." She turned to a co-worker, a human if her ears were any indication, "Misha? I am taking these two for..."

"Con-sul-ta-tion." Bell supplied, "Consultation, teaching." He was really getting into the role of teaching me.

As we followed Eina down a hallway, I resolved to find out what Bell's birthday was or something.

What followed was a brief but well practiced lecture on the upper floors of the dungeon. What to expect, how to deal with it, and simple do's and 'do not's. There was also a very detailed map. Part of the service the adventurers provided, aside from keeping monsters from jumping out into the town was to provide findings to the guild so that they could play the role of administrative support. The guild was also responsible for quests. Special materials and the like were often sought after by smiths, so they would post the request on the guild board, and offer compensation.

It was like I was living a video game. The dungeon itself was like a giant monster hive. Continuously hatching monsters. She mentioned, but wouldn't say more on a sort of safe spot about eighteen floors down, but otherwise, and occasionally even there, the dungeon was dangerous.

It played no favorites, it took no prisoners, and unless some one was there to take your remains back to the surface, it left nothing behind of the fallen.

Magic stones were the main prize of the dungeon. Useful in almost every way, and with a guild branch dedicated to researching more, they were the most common 'drop' of a monster. It was almost like their heart, and when removed, the body of a monster would turn to ash and be reabsorbed by the dungeon. Kind of creepy, but it made me think of the history I grew up with. People find something in the ground, build town, town grows, resource runs out, town vanishes. Unless it had a substantial trade or the like.

And it seemed Orario had even that. A big part of the city was set aside for smiths and artisans. Which made sense. With this many people swinging swords and the like around all day, there was bound to be a way to fix them some where around. Armor too. And monsters bits some times found their way into these weapons too.

My logical side didn't even twitch when I found out Hephaestus was a woman.

After the lesson, it was well into the afternoon. Bell and I were both told to return tomorrow to finish the orientation, and for Bell to teach me more on being prepared. We both stood outside the guild, stretching out our backs in exactly the same way.

"Lunch?" I asked Bell, who nodded, "Find Hestia? She does not know yet."

"She is working a few streets from here." He replied, "She should still be there."

* * *

To say Hestia was happy was something of an understatement. Bell caught her basket of potato snacks before it could be thrown into the air. I had to catch a happy very soft girl, and suffer myself to be hugged and be 'squee'd at.

After I put her down and pat her head to try and calm her down, Bell returned her basket.

"I am sure the entire district knows of your good fortune, Hestia." A calm male voice called out as the owner of said voice walked around a corner. "I assume this is the young miss you were talking about?"

"Ah, Take'! Yes. This is the Renard lady I mentioned. Isn't she adorable?" Hestia commented.

I felt something tickle in the back of my mind at how the man looked, and her pronunciation of his name. He was dressed like a some what down on his luck priest from Japan. Traditional black hair done in loops to keep it out of the way. A tattered at the edges, priest or perhaps politician frock with baggy pants. His outfit went out of style around a thousand years ago back home, but I suppose, a God dresses how ever they please.

I could also understand him perfectly. I tried my hand over fist bow to him, just to see what sort of reaction I'd get.

"I am pleased to meet you. My name is Kodori."

His handsome face was looked pleasantly surprised as he returned my fighter's salute. "I am Takemikazuchi. A pleasure. Where did you learn that language? I've not heard it before."

"I am... Very new to town." I smiled, then curious, I asked, "Wakarimasuka?"

"You know Eastern?" He was surprised again. But then shook his head, "Well, you are a Renard after all."

"No. I was just testing a theory. I know almost nothing of Eastern, though, I suppose if I had talked in it, some one might have come to help sooner." I replied, waving away the issue.

"See? She doesn't even have my Falna yet, and she's so talented." Hestia bubbled.

"Not yet." I confirmed switching to the local language and holding out the bit of paperwork I was given. "I can also properly register my _name_ as well." I said to her, "Once we fill this out." Both Hestia and Take' reacted to my emphasis on the word.

"Yes yes!" She recovered quickly, "Want to do it now?"

"No." I said flatly, "You are still on the clock."

And she suddenly had the kicked puppy look again.

"You said we are a small Familia. That you had to work part time to make ends meet." I continued, making her pout and fidget on the spot, "So, finish your shift. I promised I would join you, for helping me, and so I will." She looked hopeful, "AFTER you are done work." and then she was back to looking like a kicked puppy again.

"Miss Hestia, I will take her back home. Miss Eina asked me to help her with tomorrow."

"Fiiiiiiiiine..." She pouted, making Take' laugh quietly.

"I like her." He said with what could easily be called a winning smile. "She is already working hard for you."

* * *

"So this, is home." Bell said as we arrived.

"You know... I think I saw this home when I first came here." I said, "But..."

"Oh! This isn't... At the back." He pointed, and I spotted a door at the far back.

It was the old ruin of a Greek temple I had gone past with Syr, after my attempt at a rescue. The marble was half overgrown, and only a few pillars still stood. But at the very back, past a stone floor that was almost totally gravel now, was a solid wood door.

Following him through, and heading down, I found myself in what was easily the local equivalent of a large bachelor apartment. Small kitchen, well worn but comfortable looking couch, coffee table, and a large bed tucked into the far corner. There was a door to another room near that, which I assumed was a bathroom, and... not much else.

It was well lit with magic stone lamps, and it felt... Cozy.

"It is not much." Bell said shyly. "But it is home."

"I like it." I said with a smile. "Comfortable." I sat on the couch and sunk into it pleasantly. "But, to work." I said, pulling out the paper from inside my shirt.

By the time Hestia returned, Bell and I were just finishing a list of things I would need before starting into the dungeon tomorrow. I had already written what I could onto the sign up form, and needed Hestia for the rest. The rest of the time was spent on light conversation and Bell helping me with my reading, which was far far behind my speech.

Still in high spirits, she slammed opened the door with a "I'm back!" and bounced over to where Bell and I were sitting. I could have sworn I saw something cross her face when she saw how close we were, but I could have easily imagined it. She had a basket under her arm, smelling of potato and spice, and a clean sheet of paper in the other.

"Ready?" She asked, "I got some of the left over potato puffs to celebrate afterward!"

"Yes, Goddess, I am." I said formally. "What must be done?"

"First You need to show me your back." She turned to Bell, "No peeking at a her while I do this! Move to the bed and lay down. Its easier that way."

I raised an eyebrow, but for the Goddess's sake, I waited until Bell, red faced, had turned away before moving to the bed and pulling my top open to the waist, and tugging off my sports bra. "Like so?" I asked, moving my hair out of the way and laying down on the bed. Hestia's scent tickled my nose as I lay there waiting. I moved my legs apart slightly and told my tail to play dead.

I felt Hestia's weight settle on my rear as she sat on me. I noticed the glint of a small knife in her hand, the paper in the other. "This might tickle. Try not to move."

I was worried for an instant, but she instead applied the knife to her own fingertip, and lightly touched it against my back.

* * *

Author's notes.

There is it gentle readers. There is no going back now. Our heroine has come to grips with her change, and is now changing herself again. How will this change the original story? Well, keep reading. And we shall all find out together.


	7. Chapter 7

Perhaps our first venture into the Dungeon will turn out well. Perhaps not? Let us see how our new adventurer manages on her first sortie into the dungeon.

* * *

Chapter 6

"So? How do you feel?" Hestia asked as she sat up from her work.

I thought for a moment, the slightly damp feeling on my bare back evaporating like rubbing alcohol. "It... Tingles." I replied finally, "But I think that's all."

A moment later I felt her apply the paper to my back, and rub her hand over it. The sheet came off of my skin with a slightly tacky feeling. "Huh, that's odd." Hestia mumbled, "I've never seen this before."

"What's weird?" I asked, pushing myself up slightly and looking over my shoulder. "This is new to me."

Hestia frowned at the page, then ran a hand over it. After a brief glow, she turned it around to face me. It read as follows:

Kodori

Power: I 0

Endurance: I 0

Dexterity: I 0

Agility: I 0

Magic: I 0

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats.

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

My first thought was just how much like a game this was. My second was, "My stats seem to be zero."

"Yes." Bell answered from across the room still facing away from us, "When you start, you are at zero. When you level, your stats return to zero, but with what you have gained still there."

I kicked that around my head a moment, "So... If I had Power fifty, it would say zero, but I would still have fifty."

"Yes." Bell confirmed.

I wiggled my hips a little, making the Goddess who was still sitting on me 'eep' then get off. I put the paper down then got my bra back on. "I have magic too? And I'm cu..r..s..ed.. Cursed? And what is this here? Oh you can turn around now."

Bell slowly turned his head to make sure I wasn't teasing, but blushed and turned around again so fast I thought he might hurt himself. "S-s-s-shirt too please?"

"Skittish isn't he?" I mumbled to Hestia in English.

She gave me a tiny but unmistakable glare, but relented near instantly, "I would ask another Renard... But I have heard they all have some kind of magic. The curse... Why would you be cursed?" I shrugged, and she continued, "The last one is a skill. They can be gained independent of levels as well as gained while leveling." She explained, "Bell?"

Bell approached and sat on the edge of the bed as well. "Miss Eina has told me that you can do things with a skill, better than some one without a skill. A smith without the smith skill is not as good as one with the skill."

I hmm'ed a moment, then held out my hand, "I want to try some thing, Bell."

We stood, and he took my hand. He had a good grip for some one so young, and my respect for him went up another notch. "Try to escape." I said, gripping his hand as firmly as I could without trying to crush his hand.

He set his feet firmly then gave a tug. My arm moved forward, but my hand hardly felt it. I braced myself as best I could as well and nodded to him. His next pull had about double the force, nearly pulling me off balance, but again, the grip I had on his hand was unaffected. I leaned back a bit, to help compensate for his greater strength, then nodded once more. This time I was pulled off my feet, my knee and hip taking the impact as I hit the floor. Overbalanced, he fell over me, his face landing between my breasts while my face ended up under his chest. Yet I still effortlessly held his hand. "Ow my nose" I said letting go of his hand. He scrambled off of me, letting me sit up, "You are very strong." I commented while rubbing my nose.

"It hasn't been long but he does have some experience over you in the dungeon." Hestia said, hands on hips proudly.

Bell was much more modest, not mentioning his strength at all. Instead he complimented me, "It was like... My hand was in a block of stone. It did not hurt, but I could not get away."

"With my strength right now... My grip does not matter." I replied, looking at my hands. My arm and shoulder felt like I had just tried to stop a hundred pound dog from chasing a rabbit, yet my hand wasn't even red. "I wonder what the curse is? Weapons used to attack will break..." I looked around a moment, then took the butter knife Hestia was holding. Thus armed, I stepped over to the wall, and with an easy slashing motion I struck the wall with the knife.

With a bright metallic sound, I was left holding only the handle, while the shards of the blade skittered all over the floor. After a moment of blinking at the collection of tiny metal bits, I looked to the wall. "Not even a scratch."

"W...what..." Bell, astonished, grabbed my hand and looked at the now bladeless handle. "But how will you fight without a weapon?"

I handed him the remains of the butter knife and gave the wall an experimental punch. The sound of my knuckles hitting the wall made a gentle 'paff' noise. I gave it a more solid jab, the shock of my fist hitting the wall going up my arm a little, but not hurting overmuch. Once more I hit the wall, my knuckles making a solid 'thump' sound as they connected. This did hurt my hand a little, but after all my practise with Ryuu and Luniore, as well as on my own, it was nothing I couldn't handle.

"I will use my hands then." I commented, looking at my slightly reddened knuckles.

Bell and Hestia didn't comment, as I bent down and started picking up the little bits of metal from the knife. They started helping after a moment too.

I thought about how this would effect my new life as an adventurer... No weapons? That might be a problem. In my old life, I trained a little with at fencing and kendo, and even a few other weapons. Never enough to be considered good, or even competent, but I knew enough to not cut myself when swinging. I didn't feel like I was losing much with this curse. Though I would likely never gain the ability to use a weapon now.

I had magic too, but it seemed neither my Goddess or Senior knew how that worked. I would have to ask around to find another Renard like myself.

"So, how about that dinner?" I asked suddenly, feeling hungry.

* * *

Dinner was cheerful, Bell and Hestia seemed to get along well, though I felt some kind of weird tension between them that I couldn't really describe past that. They were both curious about me, but I couldn't really tell them directly about much of myself.

How could I tell them I used to be a man in my mid thirties who came from another world where Gods and Magic were legend, and monsters didn't exist? It would be the same if Bell or Hestia went to my old world and said they came from a place where magic and Gods existed and monster hunting was the most popular job in the world.

So, I told them the more harmless bits. I had a broad education, had experience with wilderness survival, was distant with my family, had few friends, etc etc. Sitting where I was now, I was rather pleased that my life had gotten so interesting in comparison.

Bell told us that his family was killed by monsters, and he was taken in by his grandfather. This grandfather was his inspiration and a hero to him. Telling him that everything he could ever want could be found here in Orario.

Hestia's story was even shorter. Just like many of the other Gods and Goddesses, she was bored. After her best friend, Hephaestus, descended, she had no one to really talk to anymore. Hephaestus even bought this little property, giving it to Hestia to motivate her to start her own Familia. She made it sound like she was kicked out, but I was pretty sure it was more a gentle push out of the nest than the firm boot of a tyrant.

After the simple, yet tasty dinner, I resolved to visit the market, provided I survived the dungeon. One could not survive on potato puffs alone, and after working at the Hostess of Fertility with Mia and her group, I had learned to cook simple meals.

* * *

Hestia insisted that I live with them, and after a token resistance, I relented and accepted her offer. Sleeping arrangements had left Bell on the couch, though that was normal from what he told me, and Hestia and I in the bed. My mind was still coming to terms with the Gods and Goddesses being so... normal. They ate, slept, worked, pouted, and even stubbed the occasional toe. Just like a normal person would.

Except... They made me think of highly opinionated children. It made me think of my own arrival, and how I had to sort of... Grow into place. Fit myself into the puzzle that was this world. Hestia seemed to be no different. She only had what felt like a basic grasp of what this world was like.

Not that I was different in that regard. But I felt less alone in realizing it.

After my evening stretches and a quick brushing of my teeth, hair and tail, I joined Hestia on the bed. Bell went about and dimmed the magic stone lamps, and flopped on the couch, while Hestia simply flopped onto the bed and seemed to sink into the mattress with a sigh.

"Bell?" I called quietly, "When do you wake?"

"Just before sun rise." He replied, "We have to visit the guild before you enter the dungeon."

"Okay. Good night." I replied, smiling in the near darkness. The thought of going into the dungeon made me feel like the day before starting a new job. Ready, but nervous.

* * *

I woke once during the night, not really knowing why. Cracking an eye open, I scanned what I could of the room without moving my head. Spotting nothing, I gave a mental shrug, closed my eye and was about to settle back into sleep when I felt something damp on my tail.

The comfortable numbness of sleep started to dissipate, and I realized that my Goddess was hugging my tail while she slept... And was drooling on it as she nibbled the end.

Grumbling quietly, I focused on the muscles in my tail, and slowly wiggled it about, until it was free of her grasp. This had the amusing effect of making Hestia pout in her sleep. I resolved to find a stuffed animal or this world's equivalent some time in the near future.

* * *

Out of habit I woke before either of the two. The habit of waking up and training with Ryuu, and more recently Lunoire had me up and alert before I remembered I wasn't at the Hostess of Fertility anymore. I had to rescue my tail again too, though this time it was squeezed between Hestia's prodigious cleavage.

Quietly, I got dressed, put my boots on, and made my way to ground level.

I lacked a sparring partner, so I simply did some shadow boxing. Punches, kicks, elbows, things I had tried to refine while trying to hit my far stronger opponent. Every so often, I'd pretend I got hit, tucking and rolling and getting back to my feet as fast as I could.

It didn't feel the same. But I ignored the negative voice in the back of my mind and kept it up until the sun was just starting to lighten the sky.

"You are up early, Miss Kodori." I heard Bell say.

I looked over, spotting him by the entryway to the basement room. "Just Kodori, please." He had both our packs and all of his armour on. He also had a long dagger at his belt, the handle looking well worn with use.

"Sorry." He replied, holding out my pack for me, "I brought the paper too." He handed that to me as well, "I have to visit Miss Syr to return the lunch box she gave me. And then we can go to the guild."

Smiling as I tucked away the document, I stopped myself from making a comment about Syr and her special lunches.

* * *

"Everything seems to be in order." Eina said to me as she looked over my document. "What's this here though? You are cursed? Sign here please?"

I nodded, looking about the desk and taking a spare quill from next to an ink pot. "I can use tools." I said, writing my name clumsily on the paper she offered to me, "But..." With a sharp motion, I tried to puncture the paper with the quill, some where near the bottom corner.

The quill didn't so much break as disintegrate in my hand. The stem shattered, while the rest pretty much turned to dust in my hand, leaving behind a small blot of ink on the page, and feather fragments all over the desk.

"Oh my..." Eina commented, "This is... strange."

"Un. use. you. all. Unusual." Bell said, giving me my first new word for the day.

"I have not tried many things. I did not want to break any thing that was not mine." I said, "I also do not know how to use my magic." Eina frowned while I added, "If there were another Renard I could ask, I would."

"I will ask and see if there are any in the city." Eina replied, "But, let us go to the tower."

"Are we going to that shop again?" Bell asked, his eyes hopeful.

"Yes. The guild gives a small... gift..."

"Stip. End. Stipend." Bell interrupted.

"Stipend, to all new adventurers. We consider it an..." This time she looked to Bell.

"In. vest. ment. Investment." He supplied on cue.

"Investment. Many people come here with nothing, hoping to get money or fame." Eina finished with a smile towards Bell for playing the teacher.

"And dead adventurers make no money." I said, earning a sharp yet resigned look from Eina. "Smart. Good business." I added. She simply nodded at my observation.

My reasoning was simple logic after all. If the guild did nothing but paperwork, the dungeon would be far FAR deadlier. People like Bell, who was just barely a teenager would probably die much sooner. But if the guild gives them a little push, a little education, the 'job' of adventuring becomes less lethal. Still dangerous, but now, everyone profits.

* * *

The inside of the tower was just as extravagant as the outside. You would hardly think that it would be the entrance to some kind of monster spawning pit of death. I followed the two past what looked like an honest to goodness set of elevators, and up a staircase spiralling up along the wall. I must have looked like a tourist, or some kind of country bumpkin, trying to take it all in at once, but I didn't really care.

The second floor was just as nice, with marble floors and bright lamps. Yet, instead of what was basically an open floor with a few things, like elevators and guild run kiosks, the outer wall was lined with shops, and across from those shops, were even MORE shops. Weapons, armour, clothing, accessories, jewellery, it was all there. My logical side was quietly calculating just how much some of these things would have been worth in my old world, while my creative side was practically drooling at just how well made the things on display were.

"Here we are." Eina said, snapping my attention back to the task at hand.

It was... well, a shop. Definitely. But it looked like the adventurer's equivalent to a thrift store. Weapons were standing upright in wooden barrels, pieces of armour were on shelves in a loosely organized jumble, the floors were made of abused wood panelling...

"Might not look like much Missy, but since Ma'am Eina is here, it's gonna be free." I looked towards to rough voice, and met gazes with a well weathered dwarf.

"Sorry." I apologized. I suppose my look of disappointment was plain on my face. "First time in Orario. So many shops..."

"Yes, she is here for some starting equipment." Eina confirmed, "But..."

"Oh? Problem? I don't usually see that look on your face, Miss Toole." The dwarf's grey beard split, revealing a broad smile, "She doesn't look that bad. Good shoulders, runner's legs...

Eina cut him off before his list started getting lewd. "She can't use weapons."

This seemed to kill the dwarf's good mood. "No weapons? Why not? Her hand's are still there, what's the problem?"

"Cursed." I answered simply, earning a sharp look from Eina, "I can not use anything as a weapon."

The dwarf scratched his beard, "Going into the dungeon will be rough for you, Missy. How about armour?"

"Never worn any." I replied, "I fight with my hands and feet."

"Mr. Dald?" Bell broke into the conversation, "What about this?" While we weren't looking, Bell had gone down an isle and returned with a wooden box. He put it on the table with a rattling of its contents, and we all peered inside.

"More of that boy Crozzo's work." Dald grunted, "What do you think Missy?"

My first impression of the collection of armour bits was a good one. Simple, clean, no extra flair and looking to be all the same material. "This... Looks like yours." I waved a hand at Bell's chest plate. The box contained most of the rest of what Bell should have been wearing, though it was too large for his still growing body. "Might fit..." I took out a pair of simple shin guards and half bracers.

Bell helped me with the straps, and they did indeed fit. "Not sure about the ...

"Gauntlet." Bell said.

"Gaunt...let..." I repeated the word, "Might break..." The gauntlets in question were simple leather gloves with thin metal plates fused over the backs of the hand and first and second joints of the fingers.

"Well, if you want the box, the guild's donation to my shop will cover it, since you aren't getting a weapon." Dald said as I worked my hands into the gloves.

"Please?" I looked at Eina, who nodded back and gave the dwarf a small metal tag with an official looking mark on it. I looked at Bell, "Bell?"

"Ye-ack!" He wasn't expecting my attack, as I punched his chest plate with enough force to stagger him. "What was that for... Oh..."

I held up my hand, looking at the glove. I had attacked with it, yet the glove was fine. "A-ha." I said. "The glove protects my hand. A tool. Not weapon."

* * *

Eina had walked us to the dungeon entrance, and with a bow, wished us luck. Bell took the lead as we descended, reminding me of a few things, just in case I'd forgotten. I admired his maturity.

The dungeon itself was just how I'd imagined it from Eina and Bell's information. The walls glowed with an inner radiance, making it easy to see. The cavern itself looked like naturally worn rock, not worked by mortal hands. I ran my hand along one of the walls, and felt an almost living warmth radiating from the stone.

Bell talked quietly as we walked down one of the tunnels, "Since this is your first day, we won't go past the first floor. Maybe later we can go further, but... Oh, wait..." He held up a hand.

As we stopped, I heard it. Like the cracking of glass. A moment later, with the sound like a handful of gravel spilling on the floor, I heard a thump, and a growling noise.

"Goblins." Bell said, "Small, but with sharp claws and teeth. Some have stone clubs, broken from the dungeon floor or wall."

"Three? Four?" I asked, unsure. My ears were sharp, but the echos and unfamiliarity with the dungeon made me unsure.

"Maybe more. Always expect more." Bell replied as we crept further down the tunnel. "Are you ready?"

Gone was the timid boy who could hardly talk to a girl without blushing as red as his eyes. He was serious, "I hope so." I replied, tightening the straps on my small backpack. We were only two or three steps away from the end of the tunnel now, just out of sight of what ever was inside the room ahead.

"Go." He said simply, drawing his dagger and running into the room. "Take that one! Left left!" He said as we ran in.

Small, with dark blue skin and naked save for a loincloth, I spotted my first 'monsters'. Bell told me to go left, and I did, seeing that there were two of them directly in front of me. I looked at Bell's back as he rushed forward into a group of four, then focused my eyes ahead of me again.

I nearly backed down from the entire thing right there, too. My logical side pointed out that I was about to fight, for real. Something I hadn't done since high school. I had to kill these creatures to survive.

I took a deep breath, recovered from my brief stumble of hesitation, and kicked at the first goblin's head as if it were a soccer ball. I felt the impact all the way to my hip as the heel of my boot slammed into the goblin's chin and sent the smaller creature flying backwards with a gurgling gasp. The second goblin ignored the first and started to claw at me with its sharp looking claws.

I recovered my footing and raised my leg to intercept its first strike, but it still managed to slash me just above the shin guard. It stung more like a hard scrape than a cut, but the pain delayed my downward swung fist just long enough for it to dodge to the side. It tried to bite my leg as it rolled under my next punch, but I was faster and slammed my fist down onto the top of its head.

I looked over to Bell just in time to see him slash through the throat of his last goblin, as it tried to jump on him. He stepped to the side, the goblin's neck spraying an arc of blackish blood from the wound, before it flopped to the ground like a sac of potatoes. He looked over to me as he turned, and started to say something just before I felt agony lance up my leg.

Looking down I saw the goblin I had just punched, diamond shaped teeth half buried in the back of my calf. I folded up my leg, trapping its head between my calf and thigh, and started punching it in the back with one arm. After the second punch, I felt the pain in my leg ease a little, and after the third I kicked my leg out to dislodge it. Despite acting like a drunken child, it tried to get to its feet, but I pounced on it and started hammering it with my hands.

I felt a hand on my shoulder try and pull me backwards, snapping me back into focus.

"It's dead, Kodori." Bell said as I snapped my head around to look at him.

Looking back to the floor, I saw what was left of the goblin. My armoured fists had reduced its head to what looked like half of a rotten melon.

I rolled off of the dead creature and threw up against the wall.

Bell rubbed my back as I finished coughing up my breakfast. Wordlessly, he handed me my canteen from my pack. "Are you okay?"

I wasn't really. The pain in my leg reminded me that this was a life or death situation. Fight or die. But I had just killed something. It wasn't just some game, the goblin had a pulse and fought. I swished a sip of water around in my mouth to get rid of the taste of vomit, spit it out, and lied to the boy. "I'll be fine." I looked at my leg, as it oozed blood, "Bandages?"

He handed me a roll of bandages, and I started working at wrapping up my injured calf, "What are you doing?" I asked as he started cutting up the chest of the one I killed.

After a moment of digging, the body simply vanished into a puff of black mist, and Bell held up a small stone that looked like glowing obsidian. "If we wait too long, we can't get the magic stone."

I shivered a little, wincing as I pulled a tooth out of my calf. I was about to toss it aside when Bell stopped me, "No! We can sell that to an ar-ti-san, artisan. They can make something out of it."

I nodded to him and stood, testing my leg and how well I wrapped the wound. "I might keep this one." I mumbled, watching Bell work a moment before kneeling again to strap on my shin guard again. "You are pretty good with that knife." I commented.

"Not good enough." He replied, pulling the stone out of the last one. His tone made it sound like simple fact, not self depreciation. "Can you go on?"

I put my pack on again, and hopped up and down a couple of times. My leg had no problem supporting my weight, but it did hurt. "Yes... uh oh." My ears twitched and I felt them turn and focus on a noise coming from another tunnel. "More of them."

* * *

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK YOU!" I yelled in English as I ran across the room and punted round fuzzy rabbit like creature away from Bell before it could bite on to him. We had been exploring and fighting for at least a few hours by now, and seemed to have been fighting almost constantly. We had also decided to go down to the second floor, as Bell seemed confident that I could keep up with him. Something about having to worry less about harvesting magic stones.

The round killer rabbit slammed against the wall and didn't move.

Bell grunted his thanks as he blocked a stone club being wielded by a goblin. With a twist of his blade he pushed the club aside and stabbed the goblin quite firmly in the side of its bulbous head. I spotted another goblin enter the room, near where I had kicked the rabbit monster, and without thinking I picked up the stone club the goblin had dropped and threw it with all of my strength.

This accomplished two things. After many mornings of practice, I no longer 'threw like a girl' and second, hit the goblin quite firmly in the chest.

And the club not only broke, but shattered like thin glass. The impact staggered it, but it was otherwise unharmed.

"Bell?" I asked, putting my back to his as we faced another half dozen goblins.

"Yes?" He was panting, but far less than I was.

"You do this every day?"

"Yes." We were rotating as one, keeping as many of the goblins in sight as possible.

"Why?" The goblins were getting closer, acting like some kind of wolf pack.

"Grandfather said I could find anything if I went to the dungeon." He readied his knife in a reversed grip.

"I hope he's right." I replied, taking a deep breath and rushing forward.

* * *

Bell and I made it out of the dungeon some time later. We, though I think I was more the cause, had gotten quite a few looks as Bell negotiated with the guild member at the exchange counter. I couldn't blame them for staring. I looked like I had been dragged ever gravel, fallen down a hill of stones, and then been bitten by a forest of small animals. The last part was almost literally true too. If it wasn't for the dungeon monsters vanishing, blood and all, after their magic stone was removed, I'd have been covered in a lot more blood too. My clothes were mostly shredded too, claws and teeth that didn't find flesh still had to have their owners pulled away and dealt with. I was effectively wearing armour and rags. Even my tail had a small patch of fur missing. For some reason that upset me more than I thought it would.

I was dabbing at a cut that was still bleeding on my arm when Bell came back from the exchange counter and handed me a pouch.

"Your half." He said, "Are you sure you are okay?"

"Thank you, and yes. It's just a few cuts. Unless you have another potion on you?" I replied. We had both used one at some point, but since they were expensive, Bell only had the two.

"We should visit Miss Nazza. I buy my potions from her." Bell said, "I hope our Goddess didn't worry too much about us today..." He mumbled.

"Let's surprise her with a nice dinner. Time to do some shopping."

* * *

Bell had led us to this Nazza person last. The shop itself was inside a run down wooden building a little distance from Hestia's home, with a small Celtic knot work emblem on the door. The first thing I noticed, aside from the bored looking dog eared lady behind the counter was the strong smell of herbs and chemicals. The Cheinthrope herself had brown hair and violet eyes, and a tale that wagged lazily when she spotted Bell. She also wore a plain blue shirt with one sleeve longer than the other.

"Oh... Hello again Bell." She said, "And..."

"Kodori." I said. "I joined Hestia Familia too."

"Good." She smiled at me, "Little rabbit needs some one to keep him out of trouble."

Bell blushed slightly, as we talked about him, but he recovered, "I used those potions today. It was her first day in the dungeon..."

"Well, that's no good." She smiled lazily. My ears twitched as I heard her fingertips 'click' against a pair of small glass bottles as she picked them up from under the counter. "Here" She put the two bottles down on the counter, then two more in front of me, "You will need them too, won't you?"

"Do you use bones in your potions?" I took a small pouch out of what was left of my shirt, "I have goblin teeth." The pouch rattled loudly. Almost every goblin I had punched or been bitten by had left behind a tooth or two. "I would like some... umm..." I hunted for the word in my head but I didn't know it. "Bell? Rub on cut..."

"Oh! Salve, or, oint-ment." He sounded out the words for me, "Sorry, she is still learning."

"No worries." Nazza replied good naturedly, walking out from behind the counter and to a shelf on the wall. "Here... Helps with cuts. Has some of the things a potion does too. Trade for the teeth." She offered me a fist sized clay jar. "Not from Orario?"

"No." I replied simply, accepting the jar and handing her the pouch of teeth. "Thank you."

"No problem. Come back any time." She replied, "Take care now."

* * *

Potions acquired, shopping for clothes and food done, and neither of us injured too badly from what I felt was a rather successful day in the dungeon, Bell and I made some small talk on the way back.

When we entered the basement apartment, Hestia was nearly beside herself with worry at our appearance. Bell looked tired, while I looked almost indecent with the amount of shredded clothes I was wearing. It took a while, but we calmed her down, and started cleaning ourselves off.

"Bell? Can you get the pot and boil some water? Heat up the pan too?" I asked him after I had taken off my armour, "After I clean up, I'll cook."

"Yes Miss Kodori." Bell replied.

It was about there that I simply gave up on trying to get him to drop the 'Miss'.

"Lady Hestia? Can you help me in the shower?" The Goddess looked at me and blinked in surprise, "I can't reach all of my wounds." I clarified.

"Oh... Sure..." She said.

I noticed Bell blushing over at the counter as he got the pot and pan on the small stove. I tried not to laugh at him, but I could certainly imagine what he was thinking.

"Cut up some of those potatoes and carrots if we take too long, Bell." I said as I walked into the tiny bathroom at the back of the apartment.

* * *

It was around the time I had finally gotten all of my blood washed off of me that I realized I was in the shower with another person, who was both very VERY pretty, and a Goddess. I wasn't sure what to feel about it either. Had I been a guy, the sight of Hestia's naked body as she very lightly dabbed the ointment I'd gotten from Nazza onto my various cuts, my body would have certainly reacted like any other male with functional eyes.

Hestia must have noticed something off about me when she asked, "Jealous?" She gave herself a little shake, making all of her curves wiggle exactly the right way.

My tail betrayed me, going ram rod straight in surprise at her sudden question. "I'm... Not sure." I replied honestly.

"All done." She said, seeming a little disappointed that I wasn't a little envious of her body, but she ran her hands through my tail gently.

"Thank you." Without thinking I gave the top of Hestia's head a kiss. Something I used to do to my mom, after I grew taller than her.

This seemed to fluster the Goddess, making me smile and soothing my nerves, "I'll get out and rescue dinner..." I said, putting on my spare pair of boxers and sport bra, then putting on my spare shirt as I walked out of the bathroom.

Dinner was received well, even though it was simply potatoes, onion and cheap cuts of meat from the butcher I had walked by with Arnya that one day. Afterwards, before bed, Hestia updated our status. It was strange how the process worked. Sitting up and getting dressed quickly to spare Bell the jump in blood pressure, I looked at the paper in her hands as she showed it to me.

Kodori

Power: H 125

Endurance: G 207

Dexterity: I 73

Agility: I 64

Magic: I 81

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats.

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

"So..." I looked at the paper, reading it slowly, "Growth depends on what happens to you between..."

"Up dates. Updates" Bell said from the kitchen, where he was diligently washing dishes.

"Updates." I said. "Since I was chewed on... A lot... My endurance went up... I attacked, so my power went up... But... Magic?"

"Maybe you used it without thinking?" Hestia commented, looking as unsure as I felt about the topic. "But you have grown a lot today! In your first day!" She sounded very proud, "Maybe Bell has a rival?"

I snorted, "Bell did almost twice the work today. He is very quick, and for someone so young too."

"I'm still so proud of my Familia." Hestia declared happily, suddenly hugging my around the head, giving me a face full of her divine cleavage.

Suddenly in darkness, and unable to breath, I flailed my arms around a moment before pushing the excitable Goddess back, "Gah, those are dangerous." Hestia pouted at me while Bell ducked his head and scrubbed the dish in his hand harder.

* * *

Author's notes.

So our growing little party has had its first day in the dungeon. Not much new here, save for the slight change in situation. A little time must pass before the next big event. Maybe I will watch the series again, or read the books to remind myself of how the main story goes... Or just shrug my shoulders and go with what I remember, in what ever order I remember it in...


	8. Chapter 8

Welcome back, gentlefriends. If you have read to this point, I must give my sincerest thanks for keeping on, when I know the pace must be very slow for some of you.

Now that our hero(?) has survived the first day, let us see how she deals with the wider world.

* * *

Chapter 7

"A message?" I asked Hestia, who handed me a bit of paper with a red wax seal on it.

"It came for you while you and Bell were in the dungeon today." Hestia replied, nibbling on a bit of cut green pepper.

It was dinner time, four days after I started in the dungeon. We had gone every day so far, and had been doing fairly well. I was still collecting teethmarks from the various monsters, but it was at least _fewer_ than when I started. I considered that progress.

Thanks to the wonders of magical potions, and my new status as an adventurer, I was able to shrug off the damage like some kind of superhuman. I shook that thought out of my head before I started thinking about my old world and what it would be like to have Falna there.

"Hm." I replied, picking up a butter knife and sliding it under the wax seal. Unfolding it, I did my best to make sense of the letters. "Lets see... Kodori. We have found..." I sighed and sounded out the words slowly, "Information? Information on another Renard. Eina"

"Oh! That's wonderful." Hestia said, clapping her hands together.

"Maybe we should take tomorrow off?" Bell suggested. "Do some of the chores that have been piling up?"

I stretched my arms over my head until my back and shoulders made a series of quiet 'pop' noises. "Sounds good. I think I might want to get some actual armour. As much as Nazza likes teeth, pulling them out of my arms and legs is becoming annoying." I said, rubbing a spot on my arm that one of those rabbit monsters had latched on to. "When does Eina go home?"

"I don't know." Bell replied, "Sun down maybe?"

* * *

Bell and I had parted ways at the Hostess of Fertility at what I would have guessed was 10:00 AM. After giving him a firm nudge towards a nervously fidgeting Syr, and waving to all the girls who weren't too busy to wave back, I started walking towards the guild building.

Even though I was dropped literally on my ass in some back alleyway of this city, it was starting to feel like home now. I was getting used to the hustle and bustle, and not having to watch out for things like cars. Despite the city being a major trade hub and hotspot for adventurers, crime was rather low too. The guild would level heavy fines to Familia who didn't obey some of the basic societal laws. No killing, no stealing, etc etc. Not that it stopped some people, but rampant crime was harshly dealt with before it could get out of hand. At least, so I'd heard.

"Miss?" A little voice broke my introspection, "Miss? Are you going to the dungeon?"

I looked around a moment, to make sure I was the only 'Miss' around, and then at the owner of the voice. She was a very short girl, or young lady, it was hard to tell with the vast height differences between races. Wearing a tattered white robe that almost obscured her gender, and DID obscure everything but her round face and a bit of brown hair.

"Yes?" I asked, getting closer to her and getting down to one knee so I could talk to her face. She was just barely over a meter tall after all. "The dungeon? I am taking a day off today."

She looked a little sad, but nodded, "Lilly has seen you and the white haired boy go to the dungeon a lot this week. Lilly was wondering if you needed a supporter?"

I frowned thoughtfully, then shook my head, "I don't know. What does a supporter do? I haven't been adventuring long."

"A supporter carries extra equipment, and harvests magic stones. So the adventurers can focus more on fighting." Lilly explained.

"How about... Meet at the fountain, tomorrow morning." I pointed just down the main street to a huge fountain that decorated the exact centre of town. "I will talk with Bell, and give you our answer then." I held out a hand, "My name is Kodori."

"Lilly is pleased to meet you." She replied, fitting her tiny hand in mine and shaking. "Lilly will see you tomorrow morning then.

Unable to resist, I gave her head a pat after I stood up feeling that she had ears on the top of her head, that twitched at the contact, "Pleased to meet you Lilly." She looked a little embarrassed but didn't shy away.

"Lilly is pleased to meet you too Miss Kodori." She replied and waved at me as I turned and left.

* * *

I waited my turn in Eina's line for a few minutes, but when she looked up and saw me waiting, she quickly dealt with the man in front of her and waved over another representative to take her place for the next visitor. "Kodori, this way please." She said, waving me towards the adviser room that I had taken her lesson in.

After we had entered, and she shut the door, she waved me over to a seat. "You have been busy? How are you and Bell doing in the dungeon?"

"It..." I made sure to gather the right words before speaking, "I was not sure at first. I never had to hunt for food, or kill monsters before." I paused, "But I am fine now." I scratched at my arm, "I get bit a lot."

Eina frowned at me, but didn't offer a harsh reply, instead she said, "As long as you are careful, and prepared. Don't push yourself, or Bell too hard."

"I have never met some one so young, who is... who..." I lost the words I was looking for, But Eina waited patiently for me to continue, "Tries hard... Chases dream... Focused... Bell is amazing, really." And it was true. What ever Bell was trying to accomplish, however timid he was out of the dungeon, when he was fighting, he was always doing his best. Trying to be a hero. Something had lit a fire under his butt, that much I knew.

"Bell is very earnest." She said, "Tries hard, always." She replied with a smile, that dissolved into a blush when I teased her with a raised eyebrow and a little smile. "Ahem!" She brushed off my look with an exaggerated throat clearing, "I have information for you. Ishtar Familia has a Renard among them."

"Ishtar?" I asked, rummaging around my head for the name... A fertility Goddess if memory served. Or something like that.

"The Ishtar Familia is one of the biggest in the city. It runs the... red light district..." She commented, blushing slightly and coughing into her hand quietly, "The guild is not allowed to give much information out of Familia. Members are public knowledge. But locations, ability and the like is not."

I nodded, "That is fine... I will have to visit and ask there, I suppose." I scratched my nose, "I will have to find a way to pay as well..."

Eina looked at me, shocked, but I waved a hand at her, "No, that is not how I will pay, but if this Renard is working, I will have to pay for the time."

She still seemed a little stunned at my candid reply, but didn't try and say anything about it. "Ahem... As for getting bitten in the dungeon... Why not visit the guild shop again?"

"I think I will. I was thinking of making my own, too. But I do not know where to get materials." I mused.

"You know how to make armour?" Eina asked, "For materials, you can visit the artisan area of the city."

"Could I get a map?" I asked.

* * *

I had decided to simply pocket the map for now, and head to the shop on the second floor of the tower. When I arrived, the same dwarf was there, looking bored as he tinkered with a bit of leather. "Oh, you came back. Fighting bare handed still working for you?"

"It is almost the only way I can. Even things I throw break without hurting." I replied as I entered, "I am thinking? No... thinking about?"

"Wondering?" he supplied.

"Wondering, I need more armour. Chain?" I asked.

"Not many young smiths make chain. Takes too long." He replied, "And you would need to be fit for it. Unless you were lucky and found one on the shelf."

"Takes too long?" I questioned. As a hobby, I made some myself. From wire to ring to armour. It did take a while, but I didn't practice at it much.

"Making the rings. Putting it together. Most go to heavy cloth, leather, or plate." He replied.

"How about scale?" I asked.

"Drakes are a little above you right now, I think." He chucked.

"Metal scale then?"

"Who has time to craft one scale at a time?" He retorted.

I blinked at him, mind turning, and smiled a slow smile. "I know a way, very fast. Rings too. Have some paper? Quill?"

* * *

For the next couple of hours, I drew out some simple diagrams of the tools modern day armour makers used to mass produce basic materials. The mandrill was the first. You took some wire, a rod that was as thick as you wanted the ring to be, drilled a hole near one end of the rod, added a crank to that same end, and braced the rod on a a stand. You simply fit one end of the wire into the hole, put the rod on the stand, and turned the crank, holding the wire steady so that when you turned the crank, it would coil around the rod. Use a thin saw on the coil, and you get perfect rings, every time.

This idea wasn't new to the dwarf, but he was surprised I knew it. The metal scales really caught his attention though.

This one could be done two ways. A punch, where you had a thin strip of metal, and a template for the scale. It was essentially a hole punch for paper, but for metal. Press down, and the punch cuts the metal. The second way required more effort to set up. But was much faster in the end. You used a fairly large and heavy wheel, lined with identical punches. As you pull the metal strip through the template, the wheel will turn and cut scales out.

This one he didn't know.

"Lady... I'm going to pretend I didn't see this... But I'll give you the name of the guy who made your armour." He wrote a name down for me on my diagram of the rolling press. "Crozzo." He said. "He's a good kid. Green, but I'd bet you and that little rabbit friend of yours would do well if you did a contract with him."

"Contract?" I asked, carefully putting the paper away inside my shirt.

"Yeah. You agree to only buy armour and weapons from him. And in return, you bring him supply from the dungeon. Crozzo has no sense for names, but he's got talent."

"When I visit the artisan quarter, I will look for him." I said. "Thank you for the advice."

"Yeah, no problem." He waved as I turned and left. "Keep that idea of yours. Sell it to some one."

"I think I will." I replied.

* * *

It was late afternoon as I left, and I decided on visiting the Hostess of Fertility before returning home. The lunch crowd was mostly gone, so it wasn't that busy.

"Oh Kodori!" Chloe greeted me as I entered. "It is good to see you." She bowed to me as she would any customer.

I wouldn't have any of that, so I waited until she straightened up and gave her a hug, empty serving tray and all. "No need to bow. We are friends." I said, letting her go and turning around swiftly, grabbing a Arnya's hand before it could touch my tail. I put her hand on my hip instead and hugged her too. "You too, Arnya."

"Aww, you caught me." She pouted as I let her go. "Are you looking for Bell? He was here a while ago."

"Not really." I admitted, "I was just passing by. I was going to do some shopping before going home.

"Ah Kodori." I heard Mia call out as she left the kitchen, "Remind bell to return that book as soon as he finishes reading it."

"Book?" I asked Chloe.

"Some one left a book here last night. Bell was looking bored so he asked if he could take it home and read it." She replied.

"Hm. Maybe I can read it as well. I am not very good at reading yet." I replied.

* * *

I spent time at the Hostess until the evening crowd started coming in, catching up with the girls while I was there. I was about to pick up food for dinner when I spotted Lilly, her slender figure and white robe making her easy to spot, despite her size. "Oh, hello Lilly." I called out to her. I noticed that her shoulders stiffened as I did, but they relaxed quickly, and she turned to face me.

"Miss Kodori. Aren't you with Master Bell?" She asked, surprise on her face. "He just ran by a little while ago."

He went to the dungeon? By himself? I felt a little cold spot in my gut. "Oh..." I considered what to do, and decided to go after him. "Thank you Lilly, I'll go after him. See you tomorrow."

She looked like she was about to wave, but I was already running.

* * *

Finding Bell wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Thanks to our staying fairly close to the top floors, and Eina's strict lessons, I knew the first three floors more or less by heart now. Most parties were coming back up from the dungeon too, so there were very few monsters about. It wasn't long before I heard something out of place.

Snoring.

I peeked my head into the next room at the end of the tunnel I was following, and saw two figures. One, who's back was to me, was kneeling on the floor. The other, was obviously laying on their back, with their head in the other person's lap. When I entered the room, the one kneeling turned her head to face me.

"You are... Ais?" I asked, remembering the name after a moment. "I saw you at the Hostess of Fertility. With Loki and others."

"Yes." She replied quietly, her head tracking me as I walked around her, and sit across from the one sleeping on her lap. "Well, I found who I was looking for, it seems." I motioned to Bell, "Why is he sleeping here?"

"Mind down." She said, again offering no more words.

"Mind down? What is that?" I looked at Bell. His sleeping face was kind of adorable, I had to admit.

"He used too much magic." She added. "Riviera and I found him here. I stayed."

"Oh. Well, thank you for taking care of him." I said, putting my hands on my knees and bowing to her, "He really admires you, you know."

"urg?" Bell mumbled something before cracking open an eye. Ais looked down at him as he did, and I watched as he pulled his mind together, and put together what was going on. "AHH!" He sat bolt upright, and I grabbed his belt before he could finish getting to his feet and start running.

"Oh no you do not." I said, pulling backwards, my grip unbreakable. He would have to literally drag me or rip his pants off before he got away. I pulled again, dragging him to my side, and nudged the back of his knee with my free elbow.

Ais sat there, her nearly motionless face betraying a little shock, and a hint of a blush at my words a moment ago.

Bell's leg folded up at my nudge, and I sat him down next to me, still holding the back of his pants with one hand. "What do you say?"

He honestly looked like a cornered animal as he looked at me, eyes showing betrayal, then to Ais, his pale face going so red you'd be able to see it from the top of Babel, and after what sounded like a paragraph of random words trying to escape his mouth at once, he finally managed, "Thank you Miss Ais for saving me." Of course, he stammered even that so badly I almost didn't understand it. It didn't help that he ALSO put his forehead to the floor as he said it.

Ais sat there, still a little shocked, but her face relaxed back to being expressionless, and she replied, "You are welcome."

Satisfied that my job as eldest was done, I let go of his belt and put that hand on his back, "Good. We can talk on the way home, Bell." I said in my best 'stern Eina' tone, making him look at me in horror.

* * *

Ais walked with us to the entrance of the tower, before heading a separate way. True to my word, by the time we got home, after some shopping for food, Bell was looking suitably chastised for going to the dungeon alone, without his armour, or dagger, or backpack.

Apparently, when he got home after visiting the Hostess of Fertility he read the book he had gotten. He fell asleep part way through, and when he woke up, he had magic. He ran to the dungeon to try it out, and before he knew it, he was sleeping on Ais's lap.

My logical side was pretty much on vacation now. But Bell was pretty much incapable of lying.

"Just don't do it again. And explain that all to Hestia while I cook dinner." I said as I opened the door to the basement, "Oh Goddess... Bell has a story for you."

* * *

Bell looked like some one had crushed all his dreams by the time Hestia finished talking to him. I felt kind of bad for throwing him under the bus like that, but knowing Bell, he wouldn't ever do it again. I was starting to recognize how Bell saw our Goddess. It was almost literal worship, mixed with what seemed to be a child looking up to a parent.

It kind of made me feel bad for Hestia, who I was starting to think wanted Bell to grow up faster.

"So, now that we have discussed what Bell will never do again." I said after we had finished eating. "Bell, I met some one earlier, a little cat person named Lilly. She offered to be a supporter for us."

"A supporter?" He looked thoughtful, "We could do more if we didn't have to stop to harvest stones." He admitted.

"We can bring her with us tomorrow then. I told her we would meet her at the fountain in the morning." I replied.

"Umm..." Hestia started, sounding, of all things, nervous. We both looked at her, "I have to go do something tomorrow. I might be gone a few days." At our blinking stares, she clarified, though not really, by saying, "Goddess business. Don't worry. Just take care of each other while I'm gone."

That went without saying, so Bell and I simply nodded.

* * *

"Lilly is happy you kept your promise." Lilly stated happily as I waved to her. She was waiting at the fountain next to a truly gigantic backpack. "Hello Master Bell, Miss Kodori." She bowed to us.

"Good morning, Miss Lilly." Bell replied formally.

While the two exchanged pleasantries, I looked at the backpack. It could have easily fit the three of inside of it, with room to spare. "Lilly... Is that yours?"

"Yes!" She replied, easily fitting her arms into the straps. "Lilly is a supporter. She can carry much more than she looks like she should."

A special skill then? I told my logical side to go back to sleep. "All set then?" I asked the other two.

* * *

Many surprises were had that morning and afternoon. First, was that Lilly really could carry that huge bag without visible effort. She was surprised at my fighting style, and how every monster that I fought left behind some teeth. She commented on how I should get bitten by a drake, because their teeth were very valuable.

Lastly, was just how good she was at extracting magic stones. She wore a pair of leather gloves, and used a very sharp hooked knife for extraction, and was usually only a monster or two behind us as we went about business. Things were really going well for us.

Until we went to the fifth floor. I was the first to notice, but not know what I was hearing. Bell was similarly clueless, but Lilly gave a shouted warning. It probably saved me from a world of hurt, as I was directly in the path of what ever it was. From the shadows jumped a giant frog like monster. A second one followed it, followed by a third.

I had just rolled to my feet in time to dodge a long slime covered tongue. My ear felt the wind as it snapped back into the mouth of the offending frog. "Lilly, find cover. Bell, I'll go front."

"FIREBOLT!" Or not, I thought as a lightning wrapped spear of fire slammed into the just opening mouth of another frog.

The frog promptly disintegrated, leaving behind a little shard of magic stone.

"Save that for when you need it." I scolded him, "No sleeping on the job today."

"Yes Ma'am." He replied, and we got to work.

I stayed in front, and kept a careful eye on the way the one eyed frogs moved. They looked heavy and squat, like a dog sized bullfrog. One of them contracted its throat, and I reached out a hand at the same time.

Whip-snap. I had timed it just right, and even with the slime covering its tongue, my hand held the appendage tight. I braced my feet and pulled backwards. "Bell!"

He darted past me just as the frog lifted off the ground, and cut it from the edge of its mouth all the way around to its rear. He didn't stop to admire his knife work, instead rushing the second one. I stood behind him, and when he ducked to the side I caught the second frog's tongue just as I had the first. Without hesitation, Bell opened up that one too.

Lilly handed me a rag helpfully, "You two work well together. Lilly is impressed." She said as she knelt to fish out the stone of the first frog.

Bell and I didn't reply. Instead we gave each other a fist bump.

I was just withdrawing my arm from said fist bump, when my ears caught the slightest of noises. "More work to do." I said, turning towards the oncoming monsters.

* * *

"I need a bath." I declared miserably.

We all did. The first trio of frogs was only the tip of the iceberg. Afterwards there were three more, then some goblins, some lizard monsters, and then more frogs. Once again, I was covered in teethmarks and now frog spit. Bell was a little better. No teethmarks but he had actually had his head inside a frogs mouth at one point, as we were jumped (ha ha...) by a group in the middle of another small mob of goblins. Lilly was the cleanest, but her arms had soaked up some frog spit from just how many she had to clean.

On the bright side, profit was quite good for the day. And we had only used one potion each. Lilly gave the potion a squint eye, and tasted the last drop of the one I had. "These potions are watered." She said firmly. "Lilly saw the colour was off. Lilly also knows the taste is wrong too."

"Oh... Really..." I thought about Nazza, though Bell quickly defended her.

"I'm sure she has her reasons!" He started, "Maybe her recipe is different?"

"I'll talk to her tomorrow." I said, putting my hand on top of Lilly's head and giving it a pat. I just couldn't help myself.

"Lilly is being tickled!" She said, suddenly hiding behind Bell and sticking her tongue out at me. "But if Miss Kodori is going to talk to the potion dealer, it has to be tomorrow. The monster festival is the day after."

"Monster festival?" Bell and I asked in unison.

Lilly was a little shocked at how uninformed we were. "Ganesha Familia is hosting a monster festival. Tomorrow they will be decorating the streets, and the day after, they will show people the monsters they have captured."

It sounded like a travelling circus. I had heard of Ganesha Familia already. Another one of the biggest in the city, the members were often found policing the streets and standing guard. The bored looking guardsman at the gate, I found out later, was part of that Familia as well. I wondered if the Ganesha here was also a God of wisdom and learning, as he was in my old world.

"Well, I suppose we are taking another day or two off." I mumbled. "Oh, let's find a table, we have coins to split."

We found a table near the fountain, and I upended the bag of coin we had gotten in exchange for our collection of magic stones. I quickly counted and divided the piles into three equal parts, rounding up slightly on one pile because we didn't have any change. "For a good first day." I put the slightly larger pile in front of Lilly, with Bell nodding in agreement at my choice. "You kept us going much faster today than any other day so far."

Lilly looked shocked, and a little worried. It made me think of some one who was expecting to get slapped for expecting too much. That look worried me. I'd seen it all too many times back in my old world. "Lilly didn't do that much. I didn't fight at all."

Bell spoke up, "But without you we would have gotten lost. And ambushed. And had to pick magic stones up ourselves. You did a lot of work too."

I nodded with Bell this time, reaching over and grabbing Lilly's wrist. She started to struggle, but I just placed her hand over her share of the money. "Take it. If you really feel bad about it, bring change next time, so we split evenly."

Lilly tried to meet our gazes as she swept the coins into a little pouch, but couldn't quite bring herself to. "Bell? If Hestia hasn't returned by the monster festival, why don't we take Lilly with us to see the event?"

With Lilly not looking up at us, I winked to Bell, who, surprising me for one so young, picked up on my cue instantly, "Yes! That would be fun, don't you think Lilly?"

"Lilly would like that..." She mumbled.

"Good. Meet here, two days, just after sunrise." I said, putting a hand on Lilly's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. "You did well today. See you soon."

* * *

I didn't say anything about Lilly on our way back home. But Bell picked up on my mood. He was sharply observant about some things.

Either that or my ears being flat against the top of my head in irritation were a dead give away.

"What's wrong Miss Kodori?" He asked, "You look angry."

We were just in sight of the ruin of the church, so I stopped and leaned on one of the half standing pillars. "I don't have all the words." I said, "This may sound wrong. Or be wrong." I continued. "Some thing happened to Lilly. Not sure what. But..."

"What do you mean?" He asked, standing across from me, sitting on a stone block.

"There is... Different... Difference? Between shy." I pointed to him, making him look a little embarrassed at being called out on his timid mannerisms, "And..." again my lack of words was biting me. So with a sigh, I made puppets with my hands and hand them talk to each other, "You did good today." "Thank you." I made the first hand slap the second, "But not good enough. No food for you."

The look on Bell's face was complicated, but I think I managed to get my point across. "I hope I am wrong, Bell. Seen that face before. Back home."

"Then we have to be good friends for her, then." He said simply.

Unable to refute his simple answer, I nodded, and ruffled his hair. "You are a good person Bell. Stay that way. Wash hands, cut onions, I shower first."

Blushing a little, he nodded his head, and we went inside.

* * *

The next morning, after Bell and I had breakfast, and finished our morning exercises, we went to visit Nazza. After a brief exchange of greetings, I simply asked outright.

"Are you watering down your potions?"

Bell, unless fighting monsters, was about as non-confrontational as one could get. I on the other hand, considered this a case of bad customer service. She seemed like a good person, so I kept my tone even.

"Oh... How did you find out?" She replied, sounding bored, though her ears and tail twitched in reaction to my question. "They still work, and I sell them at a discount."

Bell was trying to hide inside his own shadow at this point. I suppose he didn't know how to deal with this situation at all. But before I could answer, another voice, this one male, and speaking words I simply understood, spoke up as I heard feet coming down the stairs behind the counter.

"Nazza? Is that true?"

Her usually bored expression became more animated as she admitted, "Yes! You keep giving out free potions, and we are already in debt. I have to do something to make ends meet."

I heard an unmistakable rattle of metal quietly clicking on metal as she clenched her fist under the long sleeve that obscured her right hand.

"You still shouldn't try to cheat our customers." He chastened her. He was quite tall, with dark blue hair and eyes. His face had that divine touch of good looks, and his smile was warm. "I'm sorry she did this. But she is right. We are in a little distress."

I sighed, suddenly wondering how I should deal with this. Nazza had been cheating us, but Bell had told me he had also gotten a few free potions from Miach, Nazza's God. I started speaking English, so I wouldn't be misunderstood by the God.

"Normally, I would be upset. We risk our lives, and have to depend on what we buy to reduce that risk." Bell and Nazza suddenly looked lost as they stopped being able to understand me, but Miach looked troubled. "But, just deal properly with us from now on, and we will have no problems." I gave him the same fighter's salute I had given Takemikazuchi, "Bell and I rely on Nazza, and would like to continue doing so."

"You are lucky, Nazza." Miach said, returning my salute with a smile, "She is willing to overlook your mistake. But you must never try and cheat them again."

His warm smile vanished for a half second, and Nazza looked like some one took away her favourite thing in the world, before he was smiling again. "Yes Lord Miach." She mumbled, droopy dog ears going flat against her head.

"You speak strangely." Miach commented, "I had heard you just arrived in the city from Bell, but I've never heard that language before.

"I am... From a very different place." I replied, putting a hand on Bell's shoulder, "Bell and Hestia have been helping me learn. They are good people." That time I used the common language, making the God smile again.

"Since this happened, why don't I give... ow." Nazza elbowed Miach in the ribs, "Sell you some potions."

* * *

Having dealt with that bit of unpleasantness, I considered what to do with the rest of my day. There was an awful lot of day left, and simply doing nothing with it felt... Kind of pointless.

I chuckled to myself, acknowledging the complete change from my old attitude of 'work is done, sit and do nothing' attitude of my old life.

"Bell?" I said as we reached the door to our home, putting the bag of what would be dinner down.

"Yes Miss Kodori?"

"Defend yourself." I said simply, rushing forward two steps and striking him in the centre of his chest with my open palm and pushing him as hard as I could. Even with the surprise, he had already started to back up and arch his body so that I didn't hit him nearly as hard as I should have.

The impact still sent him back about six meters. Like a champ, he flipped over as soon as his back touched the ground and landed on his feet, sliding to a halt about two more meters after that. He rubbed at his chest where I had struck him.

Since I obtained the _falna_ I hadn't tried fighting an opponent with a real IQ. I'd been able to punch through a goblin's skull, rip the tongue out of one of those frogs, and kick a dog sized lizard in half. I was stronger, faster, and tougher than anyone back 'home' but I was now in a world where that was not only normal, but I was near the bottom.

I wanted to test myself.

"Don't hold back too much Bell." I said, before rushing at him again.

He was fast. Incredibly fast. Strong too. Each time he swung his dagger, I could feel the impact as I blocked his wrist with my forearm right up to the opposite shoulder. But Lunoire and Ryuu were faster.

Even with his advantage in stats, fighting some one stronger than me was normal, and it was soon apparent where this fight was going.

He seemed to know it too after I tagged him again with a strike to the gut. He had half twisted away from that one too, but he took the strike stoically, and suddenly got creative. He brushed my hip with a sudden front kick, and it felt like I got clipped with a hammer. The elbow he threw after that glanced off the top of my shoulder, and my arm went numb for a moment. But when he tried to bring his dagger up, I caught his wrist and stopped the motion cold.

I looked him in the eye, and we relaxed. I let got of his wrist, and we each took a step away from the other. "I see where I am. And where you are." I said, hoping my meaning would translate. He had been fighting nothing but monsters, without fighting an opponent who would think tactically. Where as I was simply weaker. If I had to guess, numerically, I was maybe just over half of his stats. I had never looked at his back while Hestia updated his status, and thus could only guess.

"You are so skilled, Miss Kodori." He said, rubbing his wrist after putting his dagger away. "I am faster, and I think stronger, but you still beat me."

I shook my head, "We fight monsters. They do not really think." I said rubbing some feeling back into my shoulder, "People are... change...changing? No..." I sighed and palmed my forehead.

"Adapt-able." Bell smiled, "I understand."

"Some time before dinner." I said, returning the smile. "Again!"

This time, I slapped his hand just as he drew the dagger, sending it spinning away to clatter uselessly next to the door to the basement.

* * *

After dinner, we took turns rubbing the ointment over each other. We both looked like we had rolled down a hill of rocks. I was better than Bell with bare handed combat, but his huge edge of strength and speed brought him to the level of 'painful if I missed'. We were actually having fun though, just as I was with Ryuu and Lunoire.

Bruising painful fun. But as the saying went, bruise more now, bleed less later.

"I wonder what Hestia would have thought about that." I mused.

To empty air apparently. Bell was already snoring on the couch. Not that I had much energy myself. He was relying more on his stats, leaping and jumping out of the way, and it burned through his endurance quickly. He recovered quickly, but in the middle of a fight, that could be deadly.

I wasn't doing much better. Even with my armoured hands wrists and shins, I was still bruised. I was taking the hits properly, but if Bell were any stronger, I'd have been unable to block as I had been. I lay in bed, thinking in circles.

We got ready for the festival the next morning bright and early. I had woken up before Bell, and was already practising outside when he surfaced. He was dressed in his armour, ready for a normal day in the dungeon, except he didn't bring his backpack. I was similarly prepared, mine and Hestia's 'stern talking to' had made sure that we were always ready.

Lilly was exactly where we hoped she would be. Though she was a little surprised to see us looking ready for battle, and still some what bruised looking from the night before. She didn't question us, but I saw that she wanted to. Again I was unable to resist patting her head, and answered her unasked question. "Bell and I tested each other. Don't worry. Lets have fun today!"

I had already noticed on the way to the fountain, that the city was already decked out with decorations and the beginnings of stalls and blocked off areas for what I guessed were going to be exhibits and the like. I was already detecting the smell of 'festival food' in the air.

They both nodded to me as I put an arm over Bell's shoulders, and a hand on Lilly's.

* * *

Author's notes.

Ah, still here I see. Good good. I must admit I have a confession to make. After doing a little research, and poking notes, and watching an episode or two. I realized I completely messed up the time line of events.

But, since I seem to have a small following of readers (you have no idea how much I would like to thank you all for that.) and no one has complained, I am simply going to take a little more creative liberty, and flex the time line a little.

I also hope that the longer chapters aren't weighing too heavily on anyone. But since no one has sent any comments to me (well, one person has, you know who you are, and you get a thank you.) I will continue as I have been.

Until next time, dear readers.


	9. Chapter 9

Welcome back!

I hope I do not offend anyone with what might look like a horrible re-crow-bar-ing of the story line. As I said in the comments last chapter, (If anyone reads them. Does anyone read them?) I jumbled the main story line a little. Honestly, I'd forgotten some of it. But a helpful wiki later, and I am now working towards at least putting some of those plot points in.

But what is a fanfiction, without a little creative crowbar wielding?

* * *

Chapter 8.

It was early afternoon when my previous vision of Ganesha was shattered. He was a tall slender man with dark tan skin, wearing an elephant mask, and... He seemed like a total idiot. He was however, God of one of the largest most organized Familia in the city, so he couldn't have been a total dolt. I mean... Who would answer a reporter's question with "I AM GANESHA" ? Not just one question, but all of them.

Everyone loved him it seemed. No matter the Familia. Probably because he could also organize the best festivals. Lights, decorations, exhibits, even food were all brought in and sponsored by the Familia.

"Miss Kodori doesn't like wine?" Lilly asked, holding a child sized wooden mug of something deep red. "It isn't too bad."

"Not to my taste." I replied, "Aren't you too young for wine?"

She didn't comment, but her face darkened for an instant, before a food stall caught our attention. Curiouser and curiouser. "Oh, Syr! Why are you here?" The girl running the stall was in fact Syr. "Not by the Hostess?"

"Oh! Kodori. No, we have a stall there too." She said, quickly putting three half sandwiches on a little wooden tray for Bell, Lilly and myself. "You and Bell are getting along well I hope?"

I put a hand on Bell's shoulder, mostly to keep him in place before he could hide behind something or run away, "He is very reliable." But also to tease the both of them, "Has he told you how much he likes your lunches?"

This had the desired effect of making the two of them break down into stammering blushing idiots. I caught Lilly's eye as she looked up at them break down, and gave her a wink. I think her return smile was the first time I'd ever actually seen her smile at all.

I let Bell's shoulder go. "Have you seen the exhibits yet?" I asked Syr, "I've seen a much MUCH smaller... silver back? Before. But some of the others..."

"Only some of them. I won't be able to wander around until a little later." She replied, "You've seen a silver back before?"

"Much smaller." I made a 'this high' motion, that was a bit taller than Lilly. "Still big and strong, but..."

I heard something over the sound of people enjoying themselves. A different pitch than the rest of the background noise. A break in the pattern. Some one had screamed.

Bell had heard it too, and his posture switched from 'having fun' to 'where is the danger'. Just like the rabbit he resembled, except he had the hand not holding his sandwich on the hilt of his dagger. I heard the noise again, followed by a crash of noise, then another, and a third, before some one closer yelled, "THE MONSTERS HAVE ESCAPED!"

"So much for a relaxing day of fun." I said.

"We have to help!" Bell said, starting towards the source of the noise. "Normal townspeople won't stand a chance!"

"Master Bell those monsters are too strong for you." Lilly said, holding Bell's coat sleeve. He shrugged her grip off, eyes determined, and started running. "Miss Kodori, don't let him go."

"Syr, you and Lilly can help guide people away, keep them from running on each other." I gave Lilly's head a pat, "I can't stop him, but I won't let him go alone." And I was off running as well.

* * *

Panic. Panic can do a lot of things to a person. That one moment where you are undecided between fighting, or fleeing. I ran after Bell as fast as I could, just barely keeping his white mop of hair in sight as we ran against the slowly increasing flow of people. I saw Bell's head look left suddenly, and he changed directions. I caught the glint of metal in his hand as he did.

I angled myself and curved my path to meet him, "As a team." I panted as I caught up. "Just like the dungeon."

He slowed and we matched pace, and I spotted what he had. It was about the size of a small car, and had plated skin like an armadillo. I had no idea what it was, but that didn't stop us. We watched as it took a couple of running steps forward and curled up, rolling itself into a ball and demolishing a store front as it slammed into it. Some people screamed as the small two floor shop started to collapse. It pulled itself free of the rubble, and started looking for something else.

Knowing it wouldn't hurt it, I picked up a fist sized bit of cobblestone, skid to a halt and threw it as hard as I could at the thing's head. As usual, the weapon shattered into dust on impact, but I had gotten close enough to one of its eyes that it started pawing at its face and growling. "Bell, get to the people!"

I picked up another rock, and another, throwing as fast as I could find them until the monster, satisfied it could see well enough, focused its eyes on me and started lumbering forward. After a few quick steps it curled up and started rolling.

Panic. Panic can do a lot of things to a person. Seeing something that was basically this world's equivalent to a very angry smart car coming at me, I was at a bit of a loss for what to do about it. So I ran.

I was just barely keeping ahead of it too. It must have had some ability to keep its momentum up while it rolled, because even after about a fifty meters, it hadn't slowed at all. Every breath I took in was used to yell at people to get out of the way, and thankfully, they did. I was however, running out of street and had to make a choice about what to do next really fast.

I got a little closer to the alleyway wall, glancing behind me and seeing how it would react. Predictably, it rumbled on, and slowly adjusted itself to stay directly behind me. I had to time my next action just right...

I jumped suddenly to the far side of the alleyway, slid around on one foot until my other touched the wall, braced, and pushed off against the wall as hard as I could.

I crossed my arms above my head and slammed into the top of the monster as it was about to roll past. My momentum upset its balance just enough that it slammed into the corner wall of the mouth of another street, slamming into the stone with an impact I could feel even in mid air. I could have sworn I had broken something, but as I got to my feet, all my limbs seemed intact and mobile. Both my shoulders felt like they had just been twisted the wrong way, but I seemed fine otherwise.

Lacking a weapon, or the ability to use one, I did the only thing I could to fight the monster. I jumped on it while it was still dazed, pushed it over again, and started slamming my fists into it as fast as I could. It felt like I was punching a telephone book. Its armoured shell absorbed my strikes and did little more than give it something to focus on as it got its legs under itself and stood up again. I tried a few more times to hit a soft spot, but just didn't know enough about the monster to know where to start. It's underside did look softer, but now that it was on its feet again, I couldn't really do much about it.

I backed away a half step as it finally decided it was upright enough to start attacking me. Its legs, though they had sharp digging claws, weren't meant for attacking, but it had a quick neck and jaw, almost like a turtle. I kept as close as I dared, to stop it from rolling at me, but it nearly took my kneecap off with it's first attack.

Trying to think of a way to gain advantage, I pulled off my shirt quickly, and started trying to bait it into biting me again, bringing my leg forward again. It tried biting me again, but this time, I unfurled my shirt and covered its head. With a quick step in, a loop, and a twist, I had entangled its head and loosely tied the shirt under its chin. It might have had a long neck, but unlike a turtle, it didn't seem to be able to pull it back into its body. While it clawed at the shirt, I started kicking at its head as best I could while it flailed its front limbs around. Each kick I landed made the monster growl angrily, but it was hard to tell if I was hurting it, or just making it angry. I started striking at other places too. The side of its neck, its front knees, any place I could think of while I still had time.

With a shredding of fabric, my shirt came free, and the monster turned a bloody eye towards me. I was out of time. But an idea popped into my head.

I jumped back a pace, just out of reach of its mouth, and then jumped up again. Its head followed me, and it lifted its front end, while pushing with its back legs to try and snap me out of the air. Taking a page from Bell's book of dodging, and adding my own notation, I slapped my hands against either side of its head, gripped as best I could, and curled my body so its sharp beak like jaw just missed disemboweling me. I curled my knee under its head, stuck my other leg out so I would land as low to the ground as I could.

And the hard rim of its armoured body came down with full force on the back of its own neck.

With a spasm and a wet pop, its neck broke. My leg was trapped under it, and feeling a bit twisted, and my ass felt like I had landed on a rock. I gave the beast's head a couple of punches, and poked my thumb into its eye, but it was unmoving. I had killed it.

It took a bit of work, and my ankle and knee were definitely twisted, but I wiggled my way out from under it, and pulled a potion from a little pocket on my belt.

"It was down here!" I heard some one yell. "Come on!"

Three people, all in similar armour, and with a small elephant head logo on their breastplates ran down the some what wrecked alleyway. They skidded to a halt next to me and the beast and simply stared at the scene.

"Oh... Anyone have something I can cover myself with?" I asked, realizing that my shirt wasn't the only thing that was shredded. I hadn't dodged the last bite as well as I thought, as my sport bra was missing the fabric that spanned my cleavage. "I need tougher clothing..." I mumbled, sighing and covering myself so I would stop distracting the three men. It was flattering, I suppose, but not the time.

"Oh! Sorry!" The one in the lead said, pulling his eyes off me and undoing the sash at his waist and handing it to me, politely looking away as he did so.

"Thank you. Yes, well... Sort of. I made it kill itself." I said, tying the sash around my bust. "I made it fall on its own neck. I am not strong enough to break its shell. And have no weapon.

"Thank you for cleaning that up for us! Many of the cages broke, and we have been trying to chase them down. No weapons? Get the stone out for her." He motioned to one of the others, and with a sharp 'sir!' he pulled out a hooked knife. "Least we can do for your help. How long have you been adventuring? I haven't seen you around, and Renards are rare in the city."

"About two weeks?" I said, not thinking anything about it, though the three of them looked at me like my tail had split into nine and I was breathing fire. "What?"

"I am very impressed!" He said, taking my hand and shaking it, "You have talent Miss..."

"Kodori." I replied automatically. "I'm sure my partner would have had an easier time... I have to go find him too." The body of the armoured beast dissolved into black dust suddenly, and the guard kneeling next to it stood and handed me a much larger shard than I was used to seeing. "Oh, thank you."

"Again, you did well. Let's go!" The leader said, running back to the road where they had come from.

I stretched out my leg, did a couple of small hops to test it, and ran back to the street I had started from.

* * *

Knowing Bell, he would find trouble and rush forward. He was fixated on being the hero. Wisdom from his grandfather I suppose. So, I did the same. I rushed from street to street, looking for a white haired boy trying to save some one. What I found however, was Hestia. She was running with purpose down the street, a bundle of fabric clutched tightly to her chest.

"Hestia!" I called to her. She turned to look, her eyes relieved, but kept running as if the hounds of hell were on her tail. "Where are you going?" I matched pace with her and followed along side.

"Si... si..." She was out of breath, so I couldn't understand her. "Run!"

Hestia was, in the limited time I'd known her, a person not used to hard work. She couldn't stand for long periods. Couldn't lift very much. Didn't really know how to cook... I was reminded of a shirt I'd seen in the other world.

'I don't run. If you ever see me running, you should run too, because something scary is chasing me.'

With a sinking feeling, I looked behind me. "Silver back." I exclaimed, reaching over and picking Hestia up.

"Put me down! I am not a sack of potatoes!" She protested and instant before squealing, "Run faster!"

I didn't blame her. The silver back I saw in the heavily built cage looked to be about three meters tall. It was sitting down at the time, looking mean and grumpy, so it was hard to tell. It might have been the SAME one that was chasing us now, but I was too busy balancing Hestia over my shoulder to take a second look. "Less snacks for you Ma'am." I said as I turned a corner, trying to lose it.

It seemed determined however, and with a howl that I felt against my back, it turned with us and kept charging. "Are you saying I'm fat?!"

Unable to resist, and needing to keep her still for another turn, I placed a steadying hand on her rear as I turned another sharp corner. "You have some of the nicest curves I have ever seen." I turned again, catching sight of the giant ape about to throw something at us, "But you are heavier that you look."

She squeaked at my grabbing of her rear, and then screamed as the silver back threw what ever it was he was going to throw. "Duck! Turn! Something! AAAAAH!"

That last scream was because I made another sharp turn while ducking low. My feet nearly slid out from under me, but I managed to keep them flat against the cobblestone, and just barely stopped myself from slamming into the wall before I had forward momentum again. But I had screwed up. It was a dead end. "Fuck." I said, with feeling.

"Don't swear!" She said as I put her down, and stood between her and the silver back. It knew we were cornered. The walls were about four floors high, and the lowest window was too high for me to jump, let alone with Hestia on my back.

"Ma'am... If I have to, I will punch a hole in that wall and stuff you through it to keep you safe." I was surprised to not only hear the words coming out of my mouth, but believing them too. "But I'm not sure I can climb through with you. Do you understand me?"

I wasn't sure if it was the _Falna_ on my back, or it really was how I felt. But I was ready to protect Hestia with my life.

She was about to say something, but I stepped away from her hand as it reached for me. Looking up at the beast, I stuck out my middle finger at it, and said, "Come and get it."

It was fast. Much faster than I thought it would be. But I just managed to get out of the way of its first swipe. I was ready for the second, and even the third, but then it used one of its feet to throw a rock at me.

I managed to raise a hand to stop it from slamming into my face, but it still glanced of the top of my skull and upset my balance. Its next attack swatted me aside like I was a bit of paper, and faster than I could think I was suddenly falling out of a wall.

Hestia screamed, I think, but I managed to some how pull myself to my feet and cough out the wet feeling in my throat. I dodged again, though it was more like a controlled falling roll, and again, interposed myself between the beast and Hestia.

"I will not bend." I said to the beast. "I will not break." I continued, crossing my arms over my head and bracing my legs as it brought one of its massive arms down to crush myself and Hestia at the same time. "I will be a wall for the home my Goddess has given me."

It felt like both shoulders, my spine, both knees and both ankles tried to escape through the bottoms of my feet, but after the initial shock, I was still standing, and Hestia was still safe behind me.

"FIREBOLT!"

The silver back was suddenly slammed from behind, the smell of burnt fur filling the air.

"About fucking time, hero." I said, falling forward onto my knees, coughing again and covering the ground with a spatter of blood.

The beast turned away from me, and faced the white haired figure at the end of the alleyway., and instant before dashing towards him.

"Kodori!" I felt Hestia's hand on my back, and then at my belt where my other potion was. I couldn't move, at all, so the little Goddess heaved herself against my side to get me on my back, and poured the potion down my throat.

Instantly, I felt the warm tingle of the potion working itself through me, but my limbs simply didn't want to move. It all felt so distant, like it just didn't matter anymore. I heard another impact of magic, and another scream of pain. An impact. A wall falling in on itself.

"Hestia." I mumbled, even my own voice sounded like it belonged to someone else. "What is that?"

She still had the bundle of cloth held tightly to her chest. "Hephaestus made it for Bell."

I felt the will to move sluggishly move up my arm. I grabbed her wrist, making my Goddess wince in pain, "Then, leave me and get it to him."

I let her go, and felt my heart lurch at the tears in her eyes. I felt like the villain for pushing her away, but unless Bell stopped distracting the silver back, I would be fine. I watched her stand up and dash towards where I heard the combat happening.

* * *

I must have passed out between blinks, because the next thing I knew I was looking up into Hestia's concerned face. The sky above her was darker than I remembered but the walls of the alleyway were the same. I could even feel the craters my feet had made when I blocked the silver back under my calves.

"oh hi." I said, becoming aware of a hand petting my head between my ears. I felt a hand squeeze mine, then lay it on the ground gently. "Bell? Izzat you?"

"She is speaking funny again... But she's okay!" I heard Bell say happily. Tired, but happily.

Turning my eyes to look into Hestia's took a lot of effort for such a small movement. "Help me sit up please?"

Wordlessly She and Bell moved me around so that I was leaning with my back against Hestia, who hugged me around the middle. "Idiot." She mumbled into my back.

* * *

She at least waited until I was able to stand, and walk on my own, before she started to lay into me like she had Bell. I figured I'd deserved it this time. I had messed up with running away, nearly gotten crushed, gotten crushed, and if my guess was right, suffered from Mind Down. The last part made me both happy and frustrated. If I was right, I used my magic. But I also don't know what I did really to make it work.

The item Hephaestus had made for Bell, I saw, was a dagger. Black metal with a fine edge and positively tiny runes scribed into the sides. I recognized the runes themselves as Norse, but that was about the extent of my lore there. Interesting, considering the alternate worlds, but I mentally shrugged at the oddity. As Bell held it out for me to look at, the blade glowed with an inner light that was an almost cold violet.

"How did you convince Hephaestus to make that for you?" I asked, "And... How much did it cost?"

Hestia flinched as if some invisible arrow had pierced her chest. "Umm... *mumblemumble*"

I was too tired to do more than roll my eyes, "No more days off for you." I said, causing her to flinch again.

"Don't worry! I will pay it off myself!" She said proudly, "Even if it takes a hundred years!"

"I wonder what Bell would look like in a hundred years..." I said out loud, "Or myself. I wonder if I'll make nice skeleton."

Hestia looked shocked at me for a moment, but shook her head back and forth rapidly, "Unless you... umm... Die. You will live a long time. Since I gave you the _Falna_."

"Hm, it's true it is a divine gift. That makes sense." Well, as much as anything made sense around here.

"Umm, Miss Kodori" Bell asked, oddly nervous, "What happened to you? You had the Hard Armoured chase you, but..."

He must have been coming down from the adrenalin, and was having a hard time figuring out where to look at me. "Oh. I killed it, eventually. Not before it nearly bit me a few times." I replied, "Is that what it is called? Poor name, but a true one." I said before continuing, "I used my shirt to blind it, but I couldn't break its shell with my fists. Kicking it in the head didn't really work, and it nearly bit my leg off. So I baited it into jumping up at me, then had it fall on its own head."

The look on Bell's face was one of awe, but I mustered the effort to put a hand on his shoulder, "See? We can adapt. That's what sets us apart from them. Afterwards, some of Ganesha Familia ran by. One of them gave me his sash," I motioned towards the white sash keeping me decent enough to stop Bell from having a nosebleed, "and another cut out the stone for me." I fished the stone out from my belt pouch and handed it to Bell, "I might put this next to the first tooth I picked up." I said with as much cheer as I could.

* * *

I was so tired that I fell asleep while Hestia was updating my status. The last thing I recalled before the next morning was taking off what was left of my sport bra and laying on my belly on the bed. Next thing I knew, I was still in bed, half naked, under the covers, and being hugged from behind by Hestia.

For no other person in this world could have been that soft against my back.

"I am not a stuffed animal." I whispered to her sleeping form. Nature was calling and I had to get out of bed without disturbing the sleeping Goddess.

It took some effort, and a few gentle whispers in her ear to make her roll over and return to a deep sleep, but I managed to do my morning ablutions without incident. In the near dark, I could see Bell sleeping like a stone on the couch, his new dagger in a sheath, and being hugged to his chest. He had the silliest smile on his face too. Boys and their toys. Same in any world I supposed.

I had ruined my last shirt and bra it seemed, as I couldn't find any more in my single drawer for my clothing. With a quiet sigh, I tied the sash I was using in place and resolved to go clothes shopping. I was about to head upstairs to the ruin of our 'front lawn' when I saw a bit of paper on the coffee table. With a childish little drawing of a happy looking Hestia, and a much neater printing of my name next to it, I picked up the sheet and turned it over.

Kodori

Power: F 315

Endurance: D 529

Dexterity: G 283

Agility: F 302

Magic: G 202

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats.

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

I nearly dropped the paper when I read the stats in my 'still learning mumbling words to myself' voice. My stats had jumped two letters each with endurance jumping three. I folded up the paper again, using the pen next to it two write 'thank you' next to the little Hestia head. Still stunned, I made sure I had everything and went upstairs to practice.

It was darker than usual, but I suppose since I passed out just after sun down, it was to be expected. I was done my usual warm ups and shadow boxing just as the sun was hinting at it being morning, when I heard the basement door open again.

"Miss Kodori." Bell said, as polite as ever. "You were so tired last night, I'm surprised you are awake."

"Nature." I said simply, lowering myself into a split and grimacing slightly as my knees complained, "Still sore." I said, "How about you?"

"A little. No potions left either." He replied, doing his best at a split in front of me and reaching out his arms.

"Another day off it seems." I said with a shrug, grabbing his arms and pulling him forward to help him stretch, "I really have to get new clothes." He pulled me forward to help me after a moment, "And talk to Naaza, and make sure Lilly is okay." I sighed as we pulled against each other, and stood up, mutually supporting and balancing the other.

"Yes. S-Syr too." He mumbled, "Ready?"

"Go!" I said, throwing the first punch.

* * *

Hestia came upstairs about an hour later, and saw us trying to beat the crap out of each other. We weren't really, but she was alarmed none the less, as we did our level best to strike or pin the other into a 'finishing move'. He was getting better at predicting my strikes, but I was still beating him roughly two out of three.

"I swear..." She said, exasperated at how dishevelled we looked, "You fell asleep before I could tell you, but Hephaestus wants to see you, Kodori. So go wash up and make yourself look at least a little presentable. And you!" She pointed to Bell, "Walk with me to work."

We shrugged at each other, then to Hestia we both said 'Yes Ma'am', earning a half hearted glare from the tiny Goddess.

* * *

Apparently I was expected. It was just after sunrise, with the normal noises of the city just picking up speed, when I reached Babel. A human, with broad shoulders, long coat, and a collection of hammers at his belt greeted me as soon as I got close to the entrance.

"Miss Kodori?" He asked with a voice that sounded like it was used to talking over machinery. "This way please." He continued after I nodded to him.

We took the elevator this time, to the eighth floor. He walked me down a hall with doors at regular intervals along the inside and outside of it, and stopped at one marked with a little gold emblem of a two hammers with a red flame behind them. Without ceremony, he knocked on the door and said loudly, "She's here."

"Come in, thank you." A pleasant female voice replied, "Don't let your fire go out!"

"Yes Ma'am!" He replied, turning the knob of the door, then leaving me standing there.

With a shrug, I opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind me. "Hello?" I said, looking around.

It looked to be a cross between an office, and workshop. To one end, was a desk, like you'd find in any modern day office, to the other was an anvil, furnace, and collection of tools. Sitting behind the desk, was a not quite slender shouldered woman with long red hair and one red eye. The other, and a good part of her face on that side, was covered by a black patch. She looked up at me and stood, smiling slightly at the look on my face. "Some thing strange?" She asked.

"I thought you would be taller." I replied, "But you are the second least strange odd God or Goddess I've met so far."

Her smile remained, but then became a little puzzled, "Second?"

"I met Loki. She was exactly how I'd thought she would be, once I knew who she was."

"And what makes me slightly more strange than her?" She asked.

I felt like I was being tested, but I answered honestly, in English so I wouldn't be misunderstood. "You look more like an artisan, instead of a metal smith. You look too pretty for some one who has a forge in their office." I motioned over my shoulder to her anvil.

She blinked at my candid reply, then laughed. "Hestia wasn't exaggerating about your manner. You really do see us as just another people, don't you?"

"Why wouldn't I? Or rather, shouldn't I?" I said with a smile, "You laugh, cry, stub toes, and sleep just like any one else." I shrugged, "Aside from some odd habits, you divinities are just like us mortals."

"But we are Gods." She replied, looking half serious.

"Who are basically doing a foreign exchange program with us mortals." I retorted, "I've seen Loki pretending to be drunk, high on the success of her Familia. I've seen Takemikazuchi and his perfect calm. My Goddess, is a bit lazy but works hard to help support us. And you, are testing me against what your friend has told you about me." I was feeling a little angry for some reason, so before I continued, I took a deep breath, "If it weren't for that quiet sort of majesty you Gods and Goddesses seem to radiate, you would be like any other mortal. So why wouldn't I see you as just another people?"

"Hestia was right. I do like you." She replied, offering me her hand, "Hephaestus, pleased to meet you."

"Kodori." I replied, shaking her hand. "You wished to see me, O ruler of the forge?"

My sudden switch to a more formal tone actually made her blush a little. "Hestia told me you were cursed."

* * *

"That's... A bit of a problem." She said after I told her what I knew about my curse and some of the details of my situation. Hestia trusted her, but even she would probably never hear the entire story about my past.

"The thought of you making a weapon for me, that I would probably shatter the first time I hit something with it, is actually kind of heart breaking." I said, "It would be like washing a fine painting with acid or something."

"Thought of a shield?"

"Not my style really. And it might shatter if I hit something too hard with it on purpose." I countered, "I'm willing to bet that if my gloves were spiked, they would break too."

"Thrown weapons are no good either?"

"Rocks I throw impact, but dissolve into dust. The dust has more effect than the projectile..." I trailed off and met her eye, "Oh... That might work."

"Smoke bombs? How many do you plan to carry?" She replied, "A good idea, but when you run out..."

"I do know an alchemist. And could mix my own if I knew what the materials were called in this land. I know how to make glass too... Oh, speaking of, here." I took out the bit of paper with my design of a 'scale stamp' on it. "What do you think of this design? Worth anything to you?"

She unfolded the bit of paper, and blinked at it. I watched her bright red eye scan the page, before it widened, "This... How did you come up with this?"

"My old home was... More industrial than this place. Less magic, more machine." I replied carefully. "But, if the Goddess of the forge sees value in it..."

"Sold. What do you want for it?" Her instant response nearly knocked me out of my chair.

I worked my jaw a few times, but couldn't find any words. Covering my sudden case of nerves with a sip of tea, I thought for a long moment before responding, "What is the strongest metal one can obtain without too much trouble around here?"

"Adamant." She replied easily, "It can be found occasionally around level twenty, and some monsters occasionally drop metal trinkets made of the stuff."

"I suppose it is a pain to work with?"

"That's a given, yes."

"I would like you to put a request at the guild for me. I would like enough adamant to fill the space of your anvil." I pointed to the anvil of her workspace. It looked to be a meter long, from pointed horn to squared off end and about a third of that wide.

The look on her face told me I might have gone too far, so I continued, "No, I don't want it all at once, or worked into anything. After seeing what you made for Bell, I know you don't need any more practice. But under suggestion of... Dald, the shop keep on the second floor, I should look for a rookie smith to contract."

"You think in circles." She said, crossing her arms, "So you want who ever you contract with, to make you things from adamant."

"Isn't that how it works? They make things, I find materials." I replied, "I even have a smith in mind." I held up my gauntleted hands, noticing that they were starting to wear a little, "Almost two full weeks of hard use, and they haven't fallen off. Who ever this Crozzo guy is, rookie or not, he makes things tough."

Her scowl softened at the mention of Crozzo, and she changed her posture, uncrossing her arms, "Okay. You make a good point." She tapped her chin, "I will put in the request, and let you know when the request is filled."

"Deal." I put out my hand.

"Deal." And we shook.

* * *

That task done, I walked towards the central square fountain. I was within sight of it, entertaining the thought of trying to invent a flying machine, or a glider, or something really bizarre, when I heard a familiar voice.

"We know you've been going into the dungeon." It was the voice of the curly black haired man who I'd met accosting Syr.

"So, why don't you fork it over? We're Familia after all." That voice came from the sandy haired one.

Just out of sight of the main fountain, I saw them just inside an alleyway, looming over a tiny figure in a white robe.

"Excitement never stops." I mumbled to myself before switching languages before approaching and calling out, "What is it with you two and bothering young ladies?"

The two turned to face me, hands going to weapons. Lilly also looked to me, the look in her eyes a mix of pleading and worry. For me or herself I wasn't sure. "Oh! Look who it is!" Sandy said, mocking, "Shame you're not dressed like the first time you bothered us."

"Back off bitch." I recognized that exact line from the first time I tried a rescue, but couldn't understand the language. "This is Familia business." Curly said threateningly.

With the two focused on me, I thought about my tail, and told it to swish left a few times, trying to signal Lilly. "What sort of Familia acts like thugs towards their own members? Are you some sort of bully? Monsters too scary?"

"Last chance doggy." Curly said, letting go of Lilly's shoulder so he could hold the sheath of his blade. "Back off or we'll see what you have in your pockets too."

"Maybe see if you look the same as back then." Sandy continued, doing the same with his weapon, leaving Lilly unrestrained.

"Aside from a few bite marks, I'm probably the same as you remember." I confessed, flicking my tail again to the left, looking down at Lilly, and winking. "I mean, I can't even grow hair anywhere but my head."

"Ha ha, is that so?" The two took a half step in unison towards me, and Lilly dashed away quietly.

"After we deal with our little problem here, why don't we go some place, and we can see for sure?" Sandy teased.

"What little problem?" I asked, trying to sound innocent.

They both turned around as one, to see that Lilly was long gone. I used that moment to dash away as well, heading towards the fountain as fast as I could, ignoring the two angry shouts behind me.

* * *

Lilly found me a little later as I was following the map in my hand towards the red light district. I was honestly surprised to see her, but was glad all the same.

"Lilly is thankful you did that." She started, tugging my sleeve to pull me into some shadows, "But Lilly wishes you hadn't too."

I knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder, "Please tell me what that was all about?"

I felt her try and shy away from my hand, but she couldn't, not without removing her robe. "Lilly's Familia is broken." She said miserably.

She told me how she was born into the Soma Familia, and more or less abandoned by her parents. She had no talent for being an adventurer so she became a supporter. Soma, the God of the Familia, wanted nothing to do with the Familia itself, and simply grew grapes and made wine.

I knew the legend of this wine already, and could guess the better part of the rest of the story. The wine was so addicting that the Familia members would do anything for another taste of it. Including bully other members of the Familia to get enough money pay for it.

Lilly stopped talking for a moment and started shivering under my hand, "Lilly can't even leave the Familia. Zanis won't let me speak to Lord Soma."

"So, this Zanis person has taken over, because Soma doesn't care for anything but his hobby." I asked, getting a nod, "And because of this, you are trapped, and being taken advantage of." Another nod. "And you hid from them, but now you've been found again." Another nod. "Was there no one else to turn to before this? Does the guild know?"

Lilly shook her head almost violently from side to side, "The guild doesn't care. No one else has cared about Lilly. Lilly hates adventurers!" She started swinging her little fists at me in frustration, "Lilly was going to take advantage of you and Bell!" She said suddenly, "But Lilly can't! Lilly wants to escape!"

Her little fists effect on my bosom would have been amusing in any other situation. But as she yelled her frustrations at me, and preceded to dissolve into sobs of frustration and grief, I tried to calm her down. Eventually I just hugged her tightly and pat her head, trying to get her to sob quietly into my shoulder, instead of potentially attracting more attention than her yelling already had.

"Lilly, I want you to do a couple things for me." I said finally, after her sobs worked themselves down to a quiet sniffle. "First, go to my home, and stay there tonight." Her bloodshot eyes looked into mine, "Bell knows you, and I'm sure Hestia won't mind. Don't leave there without one of us around, okay?"

She nodded sniffling quietly, "The second thing, tell them I'll be a little late tonight. But not because I am visiting the red light district."

She blinked at me in surprise, "Lilly didn't think Miss Kodori was like that."

"Miss Kodori doesn't know what Miss Kodori is like." I replied, "I have to meet some one here, and the guild told me this is where they were."

She gave me a sly look, ruined slightly by her still red eyes, and I shrugged at her. "Lilly understands. Lilly thinks Miss Kodori should get different clothes thought. Miss Kodori is too pretty to walk around there like that."

* * *

Now wearing a plain grey robe that hid just about everything about me, save for a small lump where my tail was, and a small curve where my tightly bound breasts rested, I stepped into the red light district.

* * *

Author's notes

So another chapter done. I do hope my jumbling of events hasn't confused or annoyed any of you, my dear readers. I do hope however, that you keep reading, and discover how I will (eventually) tie these different events together.

Unlike the books, this is done in first person. There are many things going on in the background that our heroine is not aware of. Just keep that in mind, if you feel I am missing things. :)


	10. Chapter 10

Welcome welcome dear readers, to the tenth (technically, 9th+prologue) chapter of my fanfic.

So a word (or two ) of warning. There is a reason I have set this fanfiction to a 'mature' rating. And this chapter is the first really big reason why.

The site forbids (with good reason, considering there is no age gate anywhere, save for the reader's discretion) any graphically written smut. So, -that- won't be in this chapter. Or any. But this is the red light district. So there is bound to be some kind of, to put bluntly, sex happening, somewhere. Behind a wall, the next room, in an alleyway, what ever.

Just a fair warning, that I may cross lines for some. Otherwise, dear reader, please continue reading.

* * *

Chapter 9

Even back in my old world, I'd never really been to a red light district. Sure, I'd been to places where the occasional street walker would attempt to ply their trade, but never part of a city that was essentially JUST for that.

As I proceeded, I noticed an abundance of adventurer types walking about as well. It was only early evening, but I suppose libido follows no real clock. I was almost ignored as I walked, thankfully. I was doing something I'd never done before, and had only a vague sense of how to find who I was looking for.

So, I tried what any smart potential customer would do, when in a place where goods were offered but had little idea where to find them. I asked a question.

But I had to ask the right person first. Already, I had seen a few men, and the occasional woman, take the hand of their opposite, and walk into a nearby building. With my ears, I had heard more than one such encounter not even making it TO the building before the temporary couple decided to begin. The guild had given me three things when Eina handed me the map. The map itself, depicting a small section of Orario as a whole, showing the streets that were classified as part of the red light district, the name of the Familia, Ishtar. And their guild emblem. A naked silhouette of a woman behind a veil.

While looking for that particular emblem, I noticed a predominance of Amazons. A human-like race of all females, who valued strength in a partner, and only ever had female offspring. I couldn't argue that Orario had many strong adventurers in it, and if an Amazon wanted to wait until one found her before settling down, who was I to disagree?

"Acting very shy, aren't we?" A deep but still quite feminine voice asked from off to the side. Turning, I saw an Amazon, with deep brown skin wearing a not quite transparent sash, that was not quite covering everything. "Oh? Such strange eyes."

Well muscled and confident, as well as taller than me by at least 10cm, she approached and lifted a hand to my hood. Her hands had faint but easily discernible callouses on them, telling me she wasn't just a lady of negotiable affection. I also noticed, faintly woven into her heavy veil itself, was the emblem of Ishtar.

I raised my hand to meet hers, and with care, as if admiring the hand itself, (mostly to distract me from admiring the rest of her, with her solid physique and tone) I said, "I am looking, but, for some one else in your Familia."

Then with the same care, I guided her hand under my hood, to the side of my head, then up towards my ears. Even with her hand being so rough, I had to admit, it sent a little shiver down my back. She must have noticed, because she started to brush her fingers over the soft fur over my ears exactly the right way.

"Oh... I see." Her teasing stopped, "Well, as much as I hate being turned down, I know who you're looking for."

I offered my map to her, and she pointed to a particular spot on it. With a wave, we parted ways, and I started towards the indicated spot. I couldn't stop my ears from flicking about, trying to get the warm tingling sensation to go away.

It wasn't much later when I found myself in front of a well appointed building, three floors tall and displaying the Ishtar Famila emblem proudly beside the doorless entrance. The sky was just starting to darken, and I was just ahead of several others heading for the same building.

The inside was just as well appointed. Nice wood floors, solid panelling with brightly woven tapestries, intricate magic stone lamps that gave the entire lobby a perfect lighting.

And the near dozen women standing in a neat line as I entered, presenting themselves for their guests.

I tried very hard to look through them as quickly as possible, but each one was an beauty in her own right. Amazons still dominated the lineup, each firm and athletically perfect in form, without losing any femininity. Two of them, looking to be sisters though one was albino, the other a night black, were softer around the edges, but with the way they clung to each other...

All of them had an air of expectation, all of them seemed to want to be here, on display.

Except one. Dressed in a red kimono, sash tied at the front, was a short blond haired Renard, who's liquid green eyes tried to look anywhere but the door. Unlike most of the others, she was also short. Almost tiny. Maybe a few centimetres taller than Hestia, if you didn't count her pointed ears, which were a little bigger than mine.

The Madam spotted my hesitation, and cleared her throat quietly, "Quite the choice, isn't it? But, as you are first through the door, please, go ahead."

Still wearing my robe, I nodded, took a steadying breath, and stepped towards the Renard girl. The Madam behind me chuckled and said, "Good choice, do enjoy your stay."

She looked up just in time to spot me reaching for her, and bowed formally in front of me. "I look forward to serving you, sir. This way." The line sounded practised, almost unnatural.

Trying to relax her, I let her lead me towards the stairs at the back, placing nearly all of my valis down on the counter marked 'pay here', and said to her in my best Japanese, "Osakini dozo." 'After you'.

She replied quietly with, "Kochiradesu." 'This way'.

She led me to a room on the third floor, decorated in a distinct Japanese style. Tatami mats, low table, rice paper partition with a thin but soft looking red futon behind it. Upon entering, she knelt by the door, waited for me to pass, then slid it closed. She then started speaking rapidly in Japanese, or this world's near equivalent, to which I held up my hands in surrender, saying, "Sukoshi wakaru. Gomen." I understand little, sorry. "Forgive me." I said now in the local language, "I was testing a theory."

"Oh..." She sounded a little disappointed, "I thought..."

It was then I removed my hood and sat down at the table. I waved to the seat across from me saying, "Please, come sit. I have questions."

She waved at a magic stone lamp as she stepped over to the table, brightening the room slightly. "I arrived in the city not long ago. But I knew nothing of what I am." I started. I tried to measure her reaction, but her face was passive.

"So you aren't from the east? If big sister would like tea?" She asked, motioning to a small clay teapot that sat atop an equally small magic stone stove.

I nodded, and continued, noting how her ears were turned towards me, even as she turned her back slightly to pour the water. "I became an adventurer, and I am doing well, I think... But my status says I have magic. And that is common to us Renard. But I can only guess what that means, or how to use it."

She gathered the teapot, and set it on a tray, bringing it and two cups with her to sit next to me. Dutifully, she poured, using a bamboo tea whisk and everything to prepare the tea. "It is true." She started, offering me a cup, before taking the other and mixing. "All Renards have magic. Like Elves. What does your status say? If I may ask?"

Feeling warmer now, I undid my robe and laid it next to me. I felt a little self conscience, oddly, at how the other girl was looking at me. "Some thing about boosting my own stats." I replied, having been told by Eina how most adventurers hide their stats from others.

"Do you know the words to your spell?" She asked, sipping her tea and letting out a tiny happy sigh.

"No..." I sipped my own tea, mimicking her happy sigh. "This is very good."

She gave me a small, but genuine smile, "You have to find your words. Maybe make them yourself? Our magic is personal, unlike the Elves, who call for their magic, asking spirits for aid."

I considered her answer, and resolved to experiment with it when I returned home. My logical side was telling me it was impossible, but my creative side pointed out I had in fact used my magic, at least twice, else my magic stat would not have gone up.

"Miss is very pretty." My companion said suddenly. "Black haired Renard are rare. More so than the noble ones, like myself." I focused on her, making her inch away slightly, "Do you only have one tail?"

I blinked at the question, reaching around for my tail, which actually swished once to get away from me, before I caught hold of it, running my hand down its length with a shiver, "Just one... umm..."

She shifted herself to sit beside me now, taking hold of my tail and fetching a brush from inside her kimono. The same tingle that my ears had just stopped feeling started again near the base of my spine as she started brushing. "It's Kodori, not Miss..."

"Sanjouno Haruhime." She replied with a little bow, brushing my tail expertly, "Ma'am Kodori should take better care of her tail. It is very important to us Renard."

I turned, towards the table, so my back was to her, and relaxed my body on top of it. "And sensitive..." I mumbled, "It took nearly a week of some one brushing my tail for me, before I stopped freezing in place when some one else touched it." I sighed as her brush and fingers undid some of the knots that had formed in my fur. "You are very good at that, Hime-chan." I added the honorific, confident that it would mean something to her.

"Kodori-sama is kind to say so." She replied.

I felt her hands leave my tail, then slide up my back. Warm with perfectly trimmed fingernails, they found the knot that kept the sash binding my breasts, and with a twist undid the knot. Her work on my tail had relaxed me to the point where I only really reacted when the air hit my now bare skin. "Um..." I started, turning myself around.

"If those are all your questions?" She asked, taking hold of my hand, and holding it over the knot on her sash.

Her offer was clear, her hand merely touching mine. "I still have a few more..." I replied, giving the knot on her sash a little twist.

* * *

"Excuse me si..." The door to the room slid open.

The look on my face must have frightened her, despite being an Amazon, in her own house, and being much taller than me. I glared as best I could at her as she opened the door, feeling the hair on my ears prickle and my tail poof out.

She must have put together why I was glaring at her quickly, as she seemed to take no offense. Instead, she entered the room quietly, and knelt next to me.

Hime and I had spent the rest of the time answering many of the more personal questions I'd had since coming to inhabit this body. I had no idea how to handle myself in such a way, and had had no real opportunity to do so. I did however, have my old life to draw on for how to handle some one else. Our efforts had left most of my curiosity satisfied, and my partner sleeping naked in my arms, drooling slightly from the corner of her mouth.

Gently, both not to wake her, and because my body had felt lazy and quite satisfied, I transferred the blond Renard to the Matron's arms, and got dressed. The Matron watched me with amused eyes as I took the time to fold Hime's discarded kimono and place it carefully on the table. She gave me a little wave as I fastened my robe and put up the hood. I couldn't help but to kneel down again, brush the hair out of Hime's face, and give the Matron a pat on the shoulder in thanks.

* * *

"Where have YOU been?" Hestia asked the instant I closed the door of our basement home. Giving the room a quick scan, I spotted Lilly curled up at one end of our couch, looking miserable.

Lilly gave me the tiniest little smile as our eyes met. It was only then that I replied to Hestia, "Following a lead on the Renard the guild told me about." I put a hand on Hestia's head and gently pet her hair, "It was very information... inform... informative? Yes. Thank you for letting Lilly stay."

Lilly's smile widened slightly, though she sunk down further into the corner of the couch to hide it from the others. "She told us everything. We could get into a lot of trouble with Soma Familia for this." Her tone wasn't angry, just matter of fact.

"I know. But she is a friend." I said, "I owe Mia."

Hestia looked confused, and so did Bell. "What do you mean?" Bell asked.

"Mia took me in, no questions asked, no pressure to leave, when I arrived with nothing but the fur on my tail at her door with Syr." I replied with a shrug. "That sort of kindness must be passed on." I took off my robe with a shrug, and hung it with my pack on a peg near the door. "I would fail as a person for not offering a hand to some one in need." I sat down next to Lilly, not quite close enough for our hips to touch, despite it being empty otherwise. "Besides, she's tiny, knows how to take care of herself, and is cute. Can we keep her? Please?" My tail, out of sight of the other two, swept over and rested against Lilly's side. I winked at her when she glanced at me.

Her eyes widened, and I blinked at her in confusion. Hestia looked at the two of us, and asked with her best 'you are doomed' voice. "Why is there lipstick on your face?

* * *

That night, I slept on the floor in a spare blanket, while Bell took the couch, and Lilly slept with Hestia.

* * *

Hestia was still glaring little daggers at me, but was at least no longer using her 'you are doomed' voice, as she talked to the three of us the next morning. "I am going to talk to the guild about Soma Familia. You three be careful in the dungeon today. And come straight home after!" She pointed at me accusingly.

I gave her my very best 'I'm sorry' puppy face, but my tail was swishing behind me with the memory of the previous day.

"Yes Lady Hestia." Bell said, oblivious, or at least, trying to forget the conversation from last night. "I made sure to get everything we needed for today. With Lilly we should have no problems at all. Right?"

I nodded, putting a hand on Lilly's shoulder, Bell doing the same, trying to perk her up a little. She was still looking a little down, but at least looked up at us both.

* * *

The three of us had made it to the fifth floor without any real problem. With me on the front, Bell in the middle, and Lilly bringing up the rear, we had settled into a smooth routine of 'Kodori distracts, Bell strikes, Lilly cleans up.' Lilly had perked up some more, Bell and I had let her into our little duet without any complaints, and she was fitting right in. Having heard what she told me, Bell didn't judge, simply accepted and offered his hand, like I had.

If I had a friend like Bell in the other world, I might not have turned into a recluse. His moral compass was like a beacon. Lilly felt it too, she showed none of her reserve when working with us.

It was around the seventh floor that we started running into problems. Lilly had warned us, at the stairs down to the seventh floor, that this was where the killer ants started to appear. As the name suggested, they were big ants. What made them dangerous, was their tendency to call more of their brethren from near by, some times even making them spawn from the walls spontaneously.

Understandably, we took our time. Just as we had on my first day, we scouted any new room we came across, did a head count of how many and what was in the room, then started fighting with a clear escape route in mind should things go wrong.

Lilly hadn't been exaggerating with her warning. We had let one of the ants live for too long, and it had started to clack its mandibles and wave its abdomen around in a sort of dance. Instantly, from down the hall, more of them started to approach.

The ants themselves weren't too hard to beat individually. But the room was slowly filling, and we were running out of room to keep them from surrounding us.

"Fall back." I said simply, slamming my fist into the skull of an ant, shattering the chitin. With a practiced 'fighting retreat' Bell and I started fighting shoulder to shoulder, and Lilly backed up behind us. We were only a few paces from the tunnel when I heard a familiar laugh.

"Oh? What's this? Lilly and the naked bitch? The white haired boy too?" It was the curly haired man. I glanced behind us, and saw him at room entrance. Beside him was the sandy haired one, laughing at our current predicament. "I wonder if anyone will notice you're gone." He laughed, and I felt the rumble of more feet through the soles of my boots. "I mean, we just happen to have brought more ants with us than we could handle."

"You shouldn't have interfered, Renard." The sandy haired man said menacingly, before taking a small white ball from his belt and throwing it against the floor between the entrance we were aiming for, and another tunnel at the side of the room. "Have fun!"

I watched the ants avoid the smoke produced by the broken white ball, though they seemed otherwise unaffected by it. Curly and Sandy ran into the room, through the smoke, and out the far tunnel, leaving Bell, Lilly and myself with even more ants than we had before.

"Bell, handle the exit." I said, "Lilly, between us. Do you have a mind potion?"

"Yes!" She replied, her little feet shifting to get between Bell and I.

"Get it ready." I said, quickly trying to think up some words to go with my magic.

I tried to focus, to get rid of the excess sounds. Ignore Bell, ignore Lilly. They knew their jobs, and that is all I needed to know. I pushed an ant into another, my logical mind rebelling at me trying to use anything but my own limbs to survive.

But that wasn't the point. I had more than my own limbs. I had _falna_ I had _magic_.

My creative mind told me I already knew some words. I spoke it in English, as I clenched my fists so hard I felt my nails cut into the leather palms of my gauntlets.

"I may bend. But I will never break." I said, letting out the rest of my breath, slamming a foot into an ant before sucking in another lungful of air, "I will stand as a wall, for the home my Goddess has given me. Skin... of... STONE!"

I let out the rest of my second breath, and started attacking again in earnest. Punches, kicks, even the occasional grab followed by a knee or elbow, I felt the magic burning within me, and though the ants clawed and bit, their sharp mandibles and pointed legs left nothing but the shallowest of cuts or punctures. Individually they were nothing special, so I started focusing on them, one at a time. Picking one up, breaking it over my knee or swinging it against another ant, then turning on another. I kept mindful of my Lilly, who was still behind me, though closer to Bell now, but otherwise, I simply kept slaughtering as many ants as I could, as quickly as possible.

There were only a couple left by the time I felt myself wearing down. My magic had given me a titanic boost of endurance. I hadn't abandoned my defense entirely, so while I felt bruised, all of my wounds were superficial at best.

Bell had cleared the tunnel, and moved to switch with me. I knelt next to Lilly and took the potion she handed me, drinking it down.

The healing potion felt like a warm tingle that hit the belly and spread outwards. A mind potion felt like breathing in mint and an spike of adrenaline all at once. "Miss Kodori was amazing." Lilly commented as I shook my head to try and clear it of the sudden frosted feeling in my nose.

"Miss Kodori is an idiot." I corrected, standing and examining my body for any injuries I didn't feel. Bell was panting hard, but he had just jammed his dagger through the skull of the last ant. "If that hadn't worked..."

"But it did work." Bell huffed a couple more times before relaxing slightly. He accepted a potion from Lilly and drank it unquestioningly. He had the same reaction I did, inhaling through his nose sharply before shaking his head to clear the sudden chill feeling out of it. "And it was amazing." He said, "It was like your skin was made of metal."

I winced as my hands found what were basically foot long paper cuts all over my body. "It was how I held on against the silver back. But I knew what I was aiming for before I tried it this time." Lilly offered me a healing potion this time, but I shook my head, "I'm not bleeding, and I can still move fine. Save it for later." I looked at the carnage we had wrought, and smiled, "Another successful payday. Those jerks near..."

I was interrupted by a terrified scream, coming from the direction the two thugs had fled. "Was that..." Bell asked, looking at Lilly then myself.

"Bell, help Lilly. I'll go." I said, dashing towards the danger, like an idiot.

* * *

Another scream, this one in frustration, then pain. The ring of metal against stone, another gasping cry. As I got closer, the frustration and pain became worse, until finally, as I rounded the last curve in the tunnel, I saw the black haired man fighting... A... I wasn't sure. It looked human-like, with the same sort of shape as any other person, but its -form- was wispy, shadow-like.

I could see why the man was frustrated. He swing, but the monster seemed to bend its very shape around the weapon until it passed through harmlessly.

About the only thing that seemed totally solid were its hands. Long bladed fingers like short knives, at the end of longer than human arms. The black haired man would block these easily enough, with a high metallic keening noise, but the second strike would come lightning fast, leaving deep gashes in his armour, or bloody cuts on his skin.

"Stop staring! HELP!" He called out to me as I assessed the situation. "That bastard pushed me in front of this thing and ran!"

I had been quiet enough so his yell alerted the monster to my presence. With a sudden twisting of its body, something that looked like a head turned towards me. Seeing an opening, he tried to flee, but the instant he started to back away, the monster struck again, both bladed arms darting out and piercing his armour and flesh. The monster didn't move, content to simply look at me and let the black haired thug slide off its bladed fingers to fall to the floor.

"I was going to give him a stern talking to later, you know." I said to the monster, setting my stance and getting ready to defend myself. I let my ears do a quick rotation, listening for anything else that might be close enough to join with this shadow monster, but heard nothing. "Let's see if you are faster than Bell."

I opened up with three quick steps forward, lifting my feet up just enough to clear the ground, making me seem like I was almost gliding across the floor. I felt the wind of bladed hand just miss my ear as I ducked its first swing, and felt the back of one of its blade like fingernails tickle my ribs as I curved my body away from its other hand.

In return, I tried to crowd it backwards. Using my knees and elbows to push against what I hoped were its legs and torso. After watching curly fight it, I wanted a better idea of what this thing's shape was. My knees and shins brushed up against it, my elbows grazed its torso, and my hands kept interfering with its swings, making the bladed arms flail uselessly above me.

Frustrated at my passive aggressive style, it lunged backwards with what sounded like a hiss of steam escaping from a hot pipe, then lunged again, both of its arms pointed forward and straight like spears.

With a half step to the side and forward, I used both hands to grab just behind one of its collection of blades. Unable to slip away, even with its charge, and with the arm totally straight, I finished my step forward, adding my forward momentum against its own.

With a ghostly wet pop, its own arm came off at the shoulder.

The scream of pain it emitted made my ears hurt, but in the instant it drew back from me, I grabbed its shoulder, easily discernible with what ever it used for blood spurting out of it, and drove it into the wall behind it. It managed to get its other hand up, but it couldn't stop me from driving my metal forearm guard into its mouth, popping its head like a rotten fruit.

Bell and Lilly came around the corner a few moments later, to find me trying to get my arm guard off. "What happened?" Bell asked, looking around, though Lilly answered.

"Miss Kodori killed a war shadow." She said with a hint of awe, before noticing my arm was bleeding badly. "Oh no! Here drink a potion!"

"Is that what they are called?" I replied, finally popping the straps off the bit of armour and looking at my arm properly. "I hit it in the face. But its fingers were in the way. They are really sharp... Thank you." The last was to Lilly as I took the potion, sprinkled a little onto the three deep cuts in my arm, then downed the rest. "I seem to have a full collection of sharp fingernails though..." I picked up the pulled off arm and held up my bracer, which still had the bladed nails wedged into it. "Shame about him though." I motioned with my head to the fallen thug. "Said something about the other running off and leaving him behind."

Lilly didn't comment, but the look in her eyes was cold. I put my least dirty hand on the top of her head gently for a moment. "Lilly sees that he doesn't have any pouches."

Bell and I looked at the dead adventurer, noticing the same, "Maybe the other one took his belt too? I see belt loops, but no belt." Bell commented, reaching a hand up to close the dead man's eyes. "We should stop today, and bring him up with us."

Lilly turned away in disgust, though Bell's back was turned and he didn't see. I sighed and replied, "I need some new armour any how. Here, I'll carry him." I knelt down and Bell tossed his arms over my shoulders.

* * *

I had trouble sleeping that night. Not being an idiot, I knew exactly why too. But, reason and emotion were warring inside my head, and thus I laid in bed, crying quietly, picturing the look on black haired man's face as the war shadow killed him. Could I have saved him? Should I have at least tried?

Back in my old life, I had a few family members pass. But I wasn't close to them. My father told me my grandmother passed, and I'd simply said, 'that's too bad.' Grandfather had been even less of an impact, being someone I'd met maybe twice. Uncles, aunts, I was simply informed, offered token condolences, and moved on.

Here in this world, I'd killed monsters. They were simply a workplace hazard, in the way of living through the day and getting paid. But aside from the war shadow, silver back, and the occasional goblin, none of the monsters I'd fought showed anything like a real intelligence. But Curly. He was a person. A total jerk, who bullied Lilly made lewd comments about me, and basically seemed to contribute nothing but misery to those around him.

But, he was a person. Who's eyes went dim and cold as the war shadow stabbed him, and let him bleed out on the floor.

I felt Hestia move behind me, and give me a hug. Petting my head like a child. She said nothing, simply offering her comfort until the warmth of her kindness pushed the vision of those cold dying eyes from my mind.

* * *

The next day, as we gathered our things in preparation for another day in the dungeon, our Goddess didn't even ask if I was alright. She simply took my hand and waited for me to squeeze it back, before letting go with a bright smile.

"Be careful out there today. I the guild should contact me about the Soma Familia." She said, "From what I was told, they are already one step away from getting fined by the guild for the members getting out of line."

"Maybe if that happens, Soma will free Lilly!" Bell said hopefully.

Lilly said nothing, but looked hopeful as we left our basement home.

* * *

Our hopes were crushed not even half way to the dungeon. Waiting at the fountain, stood a tall lean looking man with a long face and square rimmed glasses. I felt Lilly grab a bit of my shirt and move behind me as she caught sight of him.

"That is Zanis." She said quietly, voice fearful, "He is Lord Soma's captain, and level two."

He didn't look that impressive, but neither did I, and I had pulled the arm off a monster and broken a fifty kilogram insect over my knee just yesterday. Zanis also had some others around him. Each of them had the same emblem on them some where. A cup with crescent moon around it. The blond haired man was there too.

"Lilly!" Zanis, for all his frail looking frame, had a good voice on him. One that commanded attention. "Your Familia misses you." he continued, looking at Bell and I. "We would like it very much if you came home now."

Lilly hid behind me, and Bell and I stood in front of her without hesitation. "So she can be left behind? I hope the guild returned the personal effects of the man he," I pointed to Sandy, "Left to die, yesterday."

"A tragedy, all too common in the dungeon." Zanis replied, the rest of them smiling wickedly, "Now, unless Lilly comes home with us, Soma Familia will have to consider that Hestia Familia has taken her against her will." His smile darkened, "It would be terrible if a Familia with only two members were to suddenly commit such a crime. Soma Familia would have to seek compensation for such an act."

I hated politics. I hated bullies. In the modern world, you only had to be in charge to use one or the other to make some one miserable. He was doing both. I was about to protest, and so was Bell, but Lilly pulled both our shirts at the same time. "Lilly will go." She said, eyes red. Both of use looked at her and she said quietly, "If Lilly doesn't go, Miss Kodori and Master Bell will be in trouble. They might kill you, and tell the guild you were holding Lilly captive."

"We will come for you Lilly." Bell whispered, looking at me.

"We promise." I said.

As Lilly stepped away from us, I looked first at the sandy haired man, then to Zanis. Zanis himself seemed as cool and arrogant as when the conversation started, but the sandy haired man started to shiver on the spot. Bell, in a rare moment of assertiveness, nudged me in the ribs, breaking me out of my angry glare for an instant.

"Miss Kodori, your eyes were glowing." He said worriedly, "Lilly is right, we can't act now."

I nodded to him, taking a breath to calm myself down a little, though I still looked at Zanis as he put a hand on Lilly's shoulder and as one, the group of them started walking away. "Bell. No dungeon today." I said to him. "If he thinks we are a small Familia, who can't do anything, then we have to become a small Familia, who can do everything."

"Yes, Miss Kodori." He said, looking up at me, red eyes fierce, and as angry as I'd ever seen them.

"Go tell Hestia the news. I will be at the Hostess of Fertility. Bring her there and we will talk."

* * *

As usual, my welcome at the Hostess was warm. Ryuu gave me a smile from the back while she washed dishes, Syr gave me her brightest smile and welcoming bow. Both Chloe and Arnya grabbed my hands and pulled me to a table to sit down.

I stopped them from bringing me to a seat, letting go of their hands and walking towards Mia. Chloe knew something was wrong, Arnya caught on a moment later, and Ryuu came out of the kitchen to see why the other two suddenly stopped being so cheerful.

"Mia. I need advice." I started. She took one look at me, put the mug she was washing down in front of me, and filled it with my favourite juice.

Hestia entered the Hostess without Bell. This surprised me, but when I asked, she huffed at me like I already knew. Chloe brought some food for us, and a drink for Hestia, and I asked again.

"Bell told me what happened." She started, angrily attacking a drumstick, "And then he saw Loki's girl, Ais whatchamawhozit." I raised my eyebrow at her and waited for her to continue. "He asked her to help him train. Right there! In front of everyone! Idiot boy! What are you looking at?"

I tactfully lowered my eyebrow and replied, "I am going to stay here a few days."

She looked at me with sad eyes, but I continued, "I asked Mia for advice. And permission. I am going to train with the only other bare hand fighter I know." Her look didn't let up.

So I looked her in the eyes, taking a deep breath, and letting myself feel the anger I was holding just under the surface out a little. The effect was instant, and my Goddess flinched back from me, "I made a promise. To her, and to Bell." I let out the rest of my breath, "If I let Lilly go, I will be betraying not only that promise," Here I switched to English, "But myself, old and new."

She put her hand on mine, and said with a sad smile, "Promise me too then."

With care, I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed the tiny knuckles on her hand, "I promise."

"Let me update your status before I go?" She asked, blushing slightly as I let her hand go.

I simply nodded to her, taking her upstairs to my old room.

* * *

There we have it, oh readers, another chapter done.

If we look at the time line, as posted by the Wiki, we have bits of book two and three coming to a sort of mix. I would like to think that I have managed to keep the time line more or less intact too.

I do hope you continue reading, and that the story keeps you entertained.

Until then.


	11. Chapter 11

So the reader returns!

If you are reading this, I am pleased that my narrative hasn't chased you off. If you aren't reading this, well, it's not important then, is it?

Do continue on dear reader. We have much to see.

* * *

Chapter 10.

Again, I was thrown back by a perfectly timed counter. Now that I had _falna_ Luniore wasn't holding back nearly as much as when I was a mere mortal. As I pulled myself to my feet, body sore, bones feeling like they were grinding against one another, she frowned at me.

"Why are you holding back?" She asked, approaching and helping me dust myself off.

"I'm..." I was about to protest, but I considered the all the fighting we had done since my arrival yesterday. I was fighting as I usually did. I kept mindful of range. I pulled my arms and legs back quickly to avoid grapples and holds, or, followed through quickly to string my attacks along. I kept my combinations random, but simple, to confuse my opponent, and not myself. "I am? How?"

My sparring partner smiled at me, probably because I seemed to think seriously about her lessons. Her happy go lucky personality hid a strict teacher, and she hated off the cuff answers that were more emotion than logic. "Here. Try this."

She made sure I was steady on my feet, before stepping back, crouching, and then springing up into the air like a rocket. From about ten meters up, she smiled down on me, perfectly balanced on the point of a sloped roof. I blinked up at her while she waved at me to try.

So, after a few deep knee bends to make sure my legs wouldn't suddenly fold up on me, I mimicked her movement.

I blinked, and found myself looking at the ground far below. I saw Luniore looking up at me, the main street next to the Hostess of Fertility, and the peaks of a few other buildings, before I was suddenly descending. I think I might have screamed in panic, but my adrenalin was spiking so hard that I lost control of myself.

Like a damsel in distress, Luniore caught me before I hit the ground. All at once I felt the last two or so seconds catch up on me, and I started shivering.

She sat me down against a wall, and I closed my eyes while my brain simply processed everything. I had seen Bell dodge like an acrobat, leaping over his opponent to land behind them, or drop down on them to strike. I had watched Ryuu and her nearly invisible swordsmanship. I myself was strong enough to carry a forty kilogram woman while running at full speed, and keeping perfect balance.

It was one thing to see it done, and quite another to do it yourself. I opened my eyes and looked up at my sparring partner. With a smile, she offered her hand and pulled me to my feet.

"No more fighting today. You need to work on how to move your body." She leaned forward, looking me right in the eyes, before poking me in the nose, "You're it."

She promptly hopped back once, twice, and then performed the same crouching jump, leaping up to the same roof as before. I blinked at her, looking up at her smiling face, before taking a deep breath, running forward two steps, and jumping up after her. Again, I catapulted into the air, nearly hitting the overhang of the roof on my way past, and then almost losing my balance when I landed.

I slid down the roof about half way before stopping myself, let out the breath I had been holding, and looked up at Luniore. She gave me a bright smile, a brief round of applause, then turned around, gave her rear a pat to taunt me, and started running along the roof, leaping across the gap to the next expertly.

Bracing my feet and getting a quick feel for the slope, I ran after her, leaping into the air towards her.

And overshooting my goal. By an entire rooftop. And a little bit.

The result was that after I cleared her rooftop, I passed over her head, and didn't quite make the next roof. I hit the edge of next roof gut first, folding up like a wet noodle, sticking there for a moment while I tried to recover my breath, I then slide down and just barely caught the edge of the roof with my hand. This time, I hadn't panicked. So I pulled myself up with my one hand, balanced myself on the roof, and faced Luniore again. With another smile, she ran a few paces away from me, and hopped over to the next roof, waiting for me to follow.

* * *

We had spent from nearly noon to sunset like that. Running, jumping, falling off, getting up, apologizing for Kodori shaped marks in the walls and rooftops. And not once did I catch her. Not that I really expected to, but the tiny little competitive voice in me was a little disappointed none-the-less. But I realized, as we ate dinner together, while Luniore told embarrassing stories about just how terrible I was at roof top tag, that my logical mind had accepted (grudgingly) that I was not only capable of this 'super human' parkour, but that it was fun. By the end of chase, I had felt that I'd gotten a handle on how to use my new abilities to move around.

"I think you get it now, right?" She asked, grinning at me from across the table, "But I have to apologize."

"Oh? Why?" I blinked at her, puzzled, "For what?"

"You weren't holding back." She replied with a smile, "You just didn't know better."

* * *

After getting cleaned up and working until closing, I went up to my room to do my customary stretches before bed. Mia had left the place exactly as I'd left it, and it felt like visiting my favourite relative's house for a sleep over.

I heard Ryuu just before she tapped at my door. "Come in."

"Luniore is proud of you." She said as she entered, "You did well today." She sat on my bed, while I finished one last stretch before pulling the chair over and sitting opposite her. "You wanted to learn about magic?"

I nodded, "The guild found another Renard in the city, and after talking to her, and testing out a theory in the dungeon, I think I can use it easily enough. But..." I thought about the words, then continued, "It is like a candle. Lit, or out. No middle ground."

"And before? When you talked to Hestia?" She asked, "You were glowing then. Angry."

I nodded, "That, I'm not sure about. But yes, I've done that too." I thought about how Bell told me I was glowing, while looking at Zanis. Or later, when my Goddess looked terrified of me. "I feel very bad about that."

"Even for Elves, our magic can be... Coloured by emotion. For us, who call on spirits, it is different. Calling a spirit of..." She hesitated, "I am not sure if you know the word. Ifrit."

"Spirit of fire." I replied, smiling slightly, "Some words are there from my old home."

She nodded then continued, "Calling for the fire of Ifrit, and being angry, can help. Fire and rage are similar. But one can easily lose control. Being calm, and calling for the healing of Undine, can help, but being angry, and trying to heal, may make the attempt fail.

"When I first used my magic, I was protecting my Goddess. I shielded her from a direct strike from the silver back at the monster festival. It felt like every bone in my body wanted to break, but I held on." I chuckled, "And suffered mind down right after."

She nodded, "Your magic is of the body. I can not use such magic myself, but maybe I can help you focus yours." She smiled slightly as I nodded. "Turn the chair around, face the mirror, look into it."

I did as she asked, sitting down in front of the full length mirror and looking at myself, and Ryuu behind me. "Hm." I looked at my face, my pointed ears, making them flick first one way then the other. "I've worked hard on how to control my body." I said, now swishing my tail on command, not just because I was pleased with something.

"Good. Now, close your eyes." She was looking over my shoulder, and only continued once I had closed my liquid gold coloured eyes. "Remember when you arrived." She had heard my story, as had the others, now that I knew enough language to tell it, "Remember the sandy haired man."

My forehead wrinkled up as I did, my ears laying flat to my skull. "Remember when he and the other man led those ants to you."

I pictured the sight of his laughing face a moment before he and the black haired man ran past. I felt the tip of my tail flick angrily left and right in short swishes.

"Remember when he and Zanis took Lilly away."

I had guessed where she was going with this, and I had the image in my mind already. The smug faces, the lack of any kind of remorse at the mention of the black haired man dieing in the dungeon. The arrogance of their walk as they led Lilly away.

I felt rage. Rage of the blackest sort. Rage that nearly led me to kill some one in my former life before a good friend and reason held me back.

I heard the chair slide against the floor roughly as I stood up and looked in the mirror.

I had an aura of vibrant, malignant, purple. It simultaneously radiated and dripped off of my body like boiling liquid that had been spilled over a table. My tail seemed longer, swishing back and forth like cat's on the hunt. But my eyes... Slit in the middle like a cat's, the molten gold surface of my eyes were spit in the middle by a wide black iris, and the face that held them was twisted in rage.

Then Ryuu tapped me on the back of the head.

* * *

I woke up just as the sun was starting to brighten my room. Surprisingly, my head felt fine. The image of myself, body almost literally burning with rage, face twisted in hate... That hurt. Not physically, but mentally. I had not just lost control of my emotions, but I felt myself doing it. Guided part way by Ryuu, I myself took the last step and was a half second from leaping out the window to try and force Zanis and the rest of Soma Familia to hand Lilly over.

I got out of bed, and proceeded to dress for a day of work. I had looked directly at what Bell meant by 'your eyes are glowing' and what had made my Goddess shrink back in fear. But, head clear of that anger, I realized I felt what was going on behind it. The ebb and flow, dip and surge of my internal energy, my magic.

I faced the mirror, closed my eyes, and pictured a cage. Locked inside this cage was the coal of anger I still felt. I reached out a hand, not quite touching the bars of this cage, imagined the heat coming off it of, and opened my eyes.

I caught sight of a red glow around my body, but it winked out an instant later. With a smile, I finished getting dressed and went down to help the cook prepare for the morning rush.

* * *

That afternoon, my training partner was Ryuu. Mia still had a business to run, so I could only monopolize so much of her workers time, after all.

My mind unfettered from its previous notion of how things used to work, I tried out what I had learned yesterday. And I got my ass kicked almost as bad as my first sparring match with her. I had expected that honestly. I was sacrificing control for speed, or efficiency for unpredictability. Ryuu was far ahead of me in skill, not to mention stats, and when ever I got a little too creative, she punished me for it.

But as the day wound down to dusk, I had gained more control, refined my new movements nearly to the point of them feeling natural in combat. It was like I was a kid again, hitting the sandbag with a jump kick and landing perfectly for the first time.

After dinner, the dinner rush, and cleanup, Ryuu continued my magic lessons.

This time, instead of trying to draw out my emotions however...

"I want you to push my hand." She said, standing two paces away from me in my room. "Try what you did yesterday, without the anger. Think of something else." With that, she braced her feet in a long stance and held out a hand, palm up as if trying to tell an oncoming car to stop.

I positioned myself properly and put my palm against hers. We curled out fingers together, and she gave me a nod.

First I leaned forward, bracing my feet like hers, only I was using my back leg to push instead of simply brace. It was like I was pushing against a mountain. Her body was simply immovable. Next, I put my free hand behind my clasped one, and pushed more, trying to take a step forward with all my might, feeling that nearly intangible barrier of going from 'normal' strength to ' _fanla_ ' might.

I saw her smiling at me in her tiny reserved way, feeling the warmth of her palm against mine. It was then I felt something, like something was behind... or woven into... brushing the surface... of my _falna_. I relaxed slightly, trying to feel the rising energy of my magic, then pushed forward again. It was a similar feeling to when I fought the ants, my magic rushing out of my centre and pushing itself to just under the surface of my skin, holding the wall of the fortress that was my body.

This time, with complete calm, I let the magic settle to my feet like mist. With a shout, I opened my eyes, looked directly into Ryuu's and imagined the stored potential at my feet surging up and forward, taking me with it.

I wasn't sure what happened next. In one instant, my determination and focus jumped through my body, straight forward into my clasped hand, and towards Ryuu.

The next, I was laying on top of her, in the hallway, my face buried in her bosom, hand still holding hers.

"Kodori." I heard Mia's voice from somewhere to my right. "I don't mind you staying here to train, especially since you help with the work." I heard her foot tapping the floor, "But if you are going to do things after hours, could you keep it down? Other people sleep here too."

I looked up from where my face was resting, into the slightly blushing face of Ryuu. I gently untangled my fingers from hers, rolled off of her carefully, and stood up, helping her up off the floor as well. "Yes Ma'am." I replied meekly.

"Good. And fix the door tomorrow." Mia continued.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Good. Now get to sleep. Plenty to do tomorrow." She gave us both a pat on the shoulder, and walked past us to her room.

I waited until she closed the door before giving Ryuu a smile, "I didn't even use words that time."

"Maybe when you find the words, it will be stronger." She replied, "I was surprised."

"Me too." I replied, lifting the door up and leaning it against the wall, examining the hinges. "Good, just nailed in..." I thought of another idea I could sell, and filed it away under 'rainy day chat with Hephaestus'. Turning back to Ryuu and bowing I said, "Until tomorrow."

"Until tomorrow."

* * *

Day three of my training dawned wet and miserable. It had been the first hard rain since my arrival in the city, and it made my morning spar with Luniore far more interesting than I wanted. She still led me around in a game of rooftop tag, doing a full circuit of the district, from the Hostess to the wall and back again along the opposite side of the street. And I only fell once this time too.

The morning patrons laughed at the story of the fox eared girl falling off of the meat shop roof, just missing a waggon, getting nibbled on by a rather large draft horse, and then being carried back to the Hostess looking like a half drown kitten with a cow lick in her hair from the horse.

I took the teasing stoically, figuring I'd earn my lumps now, and not later when it might get me killed, but still, it was a little more interesting than I'd wanted before my morning tea.

It was still raining when the afternoon crowd came through, and I was at the door looking at the driving rain hit the cobblestones when a half familiar pair of amazons ran inside, laughing and shaking off the rain as they did so.

"Welcome back to the Hostess of Fertility." I greeted them.

"Oh! We thought you quit. When was the last time we saw you... Tione?" The, um, less endowed of the two sisters asked the other.

"Wasn't it at the party, Tiona? Tying Bete to the rafters was funny." The other laughed.

I nodded, smiling, "He deserved it. Here for lunch?" I motioned to one of the smaller empty tables.

"Oh, weren't you unable to speak then?" Tione asked, "And yes he did. He's a strong fighter, but lacks..."

"Anything resembling social grace." Tiona finished, heading to the table. "Yes, I remember, you were just learning the language then. Joined a Familia yet?"

I nodded, standing next to the table, "Yes, Hestia Familia. What would you two like?"

"Isn't Ais training that white haired boy? You would think they were planning on eloping with all the time they've spent together the last two days." Tione said, making the other bat her shoulder, "What it's true! Having to deflect Loki from finding out is getting annoying."

"You know Ais is clueless when it comes to that." Tiona replied, "Always so serious, but I think it's good for her to socialize with others. Oh, soup please." She said to me.

"Me too!"

We exchanged a little more small talk after I fetched their orders. I hadn't realized it but I hearing news about Bell made me feel a little better.

* * *

That evening, due to the rain, I trained with both Lunoire and Ryuu. The exercise, was that we were pretending I was fighting in a hallway, and they would alternate. One would dart forward, make a few attacks that I would have to parry or avoid, and then they would switch, all while keeping within the invisible lines marked by some butter knives we had stuck between the cobblestones.

It was about an hour into the exercise, just as the gloomy sky was darkening that I tried something. I waited until it was Ryuu's turn to attack, her wooden sword was much easier to defend against since the distance the weapon had to travel gave me that instant longer to dodge or parry it.

Then I took a deep breath, imagining that I was feeding the air to the little ember of magic I kept inside me. I let the breath out, then inhaled again, stoking that inner fire some more. Ryuu made one last stab at me, then darted backwards, letting Lunoire with her gloved fists past her. I had less time here, her punches and kicks fast and solid, leaving no room for error or distraction.

But I had started that ember within me burning. I had to stop feeding it as I wove about, but I could feel it start to bubble within me, like it was just under my skin.

I was slowly giving ground down the imaginary hallway, and I could see one of the butter knives out of the corner of my eye, just as Lunoire sprung backwards. It was now or never.

Like the night before I pushed the energy in my body forward as my back foot kicked off the ground. But instead of a blind rush, my eyes were open, and suddenly my hands were latched onto Lunoire's shoulder and under her upper arm, and before she could get over her surprise, I had lifted her a little off the ground and used her body to foil Ryuu's first thrust at me as she moved to switch places.

I still couldn't stick the landing though, and by the time my momentum had bled off, I was laying on top of Lunoire, looking into her eyes as my elbows and knees stopped me from making her into a landing pad. Quickly looking to first one side, then the other, I saw that our heads and shoulders were past their end of the imagined hallway.

"Ha." I said to my downed trainer. Standing up and offering her a hand.

Ryuu ruined my moment of triumph by tapping my rear with her sword, making the three of us laugh.

"How... Wait... What did you do?" Lunoire asked, dusting off her uniform as best she could.

"Ryuu helped me with my magic, you helped me with my movement... I simply did both at once." I replied proudly. "Oh..." I lowered my voice a little, "I also have a little gift from the _falna_ too."

"Well... You broke through." Ryuu stated, collecting the knives, "But you still need to work on control."

I nodded, "Yes ma'am." I bowed to her, then to Lunoire. "But I think I might be able to work my magic and fight at the same time. Maybe... There is one more thing I would like to try, but I'd have to hit something... I fought a monster, a 'hard armoured', during the monster festival."

They both nodded, so I continued, "I made it kill itself, but that is because I couldn't hit it hard enough to hurt it."

I told them how I had fought it, and how I made it break its own neck. Lunoire nodded afterwards then said, "Without a weapon, it would be tough. Most bare hand fighters have spikes or blades on their armour for that kind of thing though."

"I can't use anything as a weapon. A tool yes, but that is all." I replied, "I might be able to crack their shells now, but what if I can't? I have one more thing I need to try, but I don't want to use a live target for my first attempt."

They both nodded, and together we resolved to look for a solution tomorrow. For now though we got out of the rain and called it a night.

* * *

"Miss Kodori!" I heard Bell's voice from the door just as we were getting ready for the lunch rush. "I'm glad you are here."

"Oh, Bell, good to see you're still alive." I chuckled, waving him over. I took a moment to make sure my uniform ribbon was straight then asked, "What brings you? Three days left, right?"

He shook his head and he grabbed one of my hands, his grip desperate, "I heard from Miss Nazza, that some of Soma Familia are planning to go to the dungeon. If they take Lilly she might get left behind. They look to be heading out tomorrow morning."

"And if they don't we might have a better chance... Oh I see." I tapped his shoulder with my fist and smiled, "Then let's both go home today and plan. But first." I turned around and spotted the girl I was looking for. "Syr! Bell is here!"

Bell's desperation quickly dissolved into 'stuttering idiot' at my call for Syr, and I used that moment to slip away to talk to Mia, Ryuu and Luniore in turn.

"So, it looks like tomorrow, instead of three more days." I said finally to my two teachers.

"It's a good thing I found what you were looking for. It just arrived too." Luniore said with a grin, "I remember the first time I wanted to test myself too. This should be just perfect for you."

"After lunch then? Mia was giving me... that look..." I said ominously.

Turning back, I saw Bell trying to talk to Syr and managing to keep his stuttering under control, and went to rescue him. "Now Bell, are you bothering this young lady?" I asked, patting Syr on the shoulder and tugging her closer to me protectively, "If so, I'm going to have to ask you to stay for lunch."

Syr giggled, and Bell blushed even harder, but he nodded and found himself a seat. I went to the door to greet people and met the lunch rush with a smile on my face.

* * *

Bell followed us to the back yard of the Hostess after the rush was over, and what was waiting there surprised me. There, still on a cart, was a small collection of chopped tree, and one very big stump.

"I asked a friend of mine on the way home last night to set aside some of his bigger pieces of lumber. The stump is a bonus." Lunoire said with a grin, hopping over to the cart and patting the one and a half meter wide stump fondly. "When I wanted to see just how hard I could hit something, without it being the person next to me, I used this!"

To demonstrate she picked up a bit of lumber, this one only about twenty centimetres across. With a flourish she placed it on the ground, standing straight up, and with a sharp violent motion punched the top of it with a "YA!" that made my ears ring.

The log piece shattered into bits, big and small, clattering and skittering across the cobblestone of the back lot.

"Now you try. You too if you want, Mister Bell." She said cheerfully.

I was honestly a little hesitant. Lunoire had a huge gap in stats in her favour. I could only guess how much stronger she was, but I knew it was still a very wide gap from where I was on the adventurer food chain. Punching something like a log to splinters, without hurting yourself seemed far fetched, even considering all I'd seen so far.

But, if I didn't stop doubting myself, I'd never evolve. So, I picked up a bit of wood, placed it on the ground, took a deep breath, and with a shout slammed my fist into it without a care on how much it might hurt.

With a dry snap, pain lanced up my arm. I jumped to my feet, holding my hand and clamping my jaw shut to stop from crying out. After a moment of shaking my hand, as if trying to shoo the pain away, I looked at the damage.

It was simply a bit of split skin over my middle knuckle. The skin around it as well as the index and ring finger knuckles were looking and feeling bruised, but after a few openings and closings of my hand, it seemed like nothing was broken. I wasn't even bleeding.

The wood however was cracked almost all the way through. I had managed to leave a near perfect knuckle imprint in the top and send three long cracks almost all the way down its thirty centimetre length.

The others all clapped in their own ways, making me feel a little warm and fuzzy despite my being totally overshadowed by Lunoire.

Bell chose a bit of log for himself, drew his dagger and very quickly, almost faster than my eye could see, made it into very flat boards. Each piece was perfectly straight and the same thickness as the others too. Like he was cutting a carrot instead of wood.

"So what did you want to try?" Ryuu asked me quietly, motioning to the big stump.

"Help me lay this on its side..." I replied. After the four of us got it off the cart and put it on its flattest side, we used bits of wood to stop it from rolling. "I think I'm going to use some words for my next one."

Ryuu smiled and Lunoire cheered. Bell just looked a little confused. "Remember when we were fighting those ants?" Bell nodded, "Unlike your spell, mine needs words to reach full power... I think... I have used it without words a few times, but turning my skin into armour needed words I think."

Ryuu and Lunoire stood behing the stump to either side to brace it. "This should be good, right Ryuu?"

"Yes. Remember the emotion you attach to your spell with alter it." Ryuu reminded me.

I stood in front of the stump, put my fist against it, then took three wide steps backward. Taking a deep breath, I widened my stance as I had when I was pushing against Ryuu, and imagined the little caged ember I had inside me.

"I am the hand of my Goddess." Breath in, feed the ember, "I carry Her hope," The ember in my mind's eye turned blue, cold and pure, "I deliver Her wrath." I felt the magic inside me start to move through me, every heart beat making it spread a little further, I took one last breath, "None shall ignore Her judgement! And I pass it now!" I shouted out the last breath, my back foot springing forward, my right fist extending as my body surged forth on a wave of enhanced strength boosted further by my inner magic, "GUILTY!"

It was as if the air itself was trying to stop my sudden rush forward. My fist, clad in ice blue flame slammed into the centre of the stump. With a noise like a cannon going off, the stump shattered, breaking into pieces no bigger than my fist. My ears popped painfully, and I tumbled, rolling forward gracelessly until I slammed into the far wall with a crash and clatter of body and wood.

Upside down, ears ringing, uniform ripped, and bleeding from my nose, I looked at the empty space between Ryuu and Lunoire. I pointed, my shoulder feeling twisted, elbow feeling sprained, and said, "Ha!" before I felt the beginnings of mind down sinking in.

* * *

A strong cup of tea and two potions later found me sitting at a table with all the girls and Bell cheering at my success. Or at least, cheering at my not failing. I was pretty sure Ryuu had said my arm was broken or at least fractured, and my shoulder was dislocated. I had also started to suffer mind down right after I hit the stump. Both my sparring partners gave me a short lecture on control and pacing myself, and I agreed with them. Throwing everything into a single attack might be dramatic, but unless you finished the job, you were probably dead.

And I certainly didn't believe in suicide.

"Thank you everyone, for your help again." I said, raising my tea cup, "If all goes well, Bell and I will bring another regular into your fine... es...establish...Aha, establishment!"

They all raised their various drinking containers and cheered. To Mia, still minding the bar and rolling her eyes at us good naturedly, I said, "And hopefully, I get to pass along the kindness you showed me. Rescuing some one, not because I stand to gain anything, but because it is the decent thing to do."

She gave me a smile that told me I had her blessing. I'd almost forgotten what my mother's smile was like, and seeing a similar smile from Mia, made my eyes sting.

"And yes. Bell and I will sweep up the mess in the back lot before we leave." I said, trying to cover up my nostalgia.

* * *

After sweeping up and saying our farewells, Bell and I headed to Hestia's part time job. "I'm impressed Bell." I said, holding up the two planks I'd kept from his lumber chopping demonstration. "Your dagger control is... Almost perfect."

I held up the two planks, one was almost imperceptibly wider than the other. Bell blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Ais was very strict." He mumbled.

"Oh? Did you enjoy your training time with her?" I put a little hint of childish inflection in my voice, making his pale face go almost bright red, "Did she give you another lap pillow when you passed out from not taking a break?"

I could almost imagine steam coming from his ears at this point.

So I stopped my teasing and put a hand on his shoulder, "Bell, you are a good person. Having some one like Ais train you, and some of her other guild members cover for her, says a lot about what they think of you."

"What? Really?" His blush faded as he looked up at me.

"Girls love to gossip." I nodded sagely, though I did feel a little guilty saying it myself, "I think Ais considers you a friend, and her friends are okay with it, even though you are different Familia." I let his shoulder go and looked ahead, spotting the shop Hestia sold her potato snacks from, "Grow, Bell, but do not change."

"Huh?" He seemed confused, but I shrugged at him, so instead he looked ahead as well and spotted our tiny Goddess speaking to Takemikazuchi. "Lady Hestia!" He jumped up a little and waved at her to get her attention.

The two divinities turned to face us, Hestia waving excitedly back, Takemikazuchi simply smiling his perfectly serene smile.

"I thought you were going to be away a week?" Hestia said, gathering us both up for a hug, an impressive feat for someone who was so tiny. "I am happy to see you though. How did it go? And why is your uniform all ripped?"

I was still wearing my ripped uniform from the Hostess, but I skipped the explanation of that by asking, "Good news, and bad news." I put a hand on Hestia's shoulder, and looked to the other God first, "Takemikazuchi-sama." I felt like I had to greet the other god, out of politeness, "Kon'nichiwa."

His smile lifted a tiny bit, and he gave me a small bow. I looked down at my Goddess and continued, "What news do you want first?"

Hestia's face drooped a little, and she answered, "Bad."

"Soma Familia is planning a trip to the dungeon tomorrow. From what Bell's heard at least. They bought up some supplies and for such a money loving guild, that gives the rumour a little more... re...reliability? No... Credibility! Yes, so, I agreed with him to cut our training short."

Her face fell a little more, turning into a frown, Takemikazuchi's smile vanished as well, "And the good news?"

"Bell and I trained very hard, and have returned to receive our Goddess's blessing. And cook dinner." I smiled and bowed, giving Bell a nudge.

Perceptive as always, he bowed too and said, "We look forward to your blessing, Lady Hestia!" A little clumsy with words, but perceptive.

"Such good children you have, Hestia." Takemikazuchi said, his smile returning, "I bow to your good fortune. Maybe that is why your potato puffs sell out so much faster than mine..."

I rolled my eyes, still bowing to Hestia, and thus out of sight of the other God. I heard our Goddess laugh and felt her hand on my head, right between my ears. The contact made something inside me want to flop over and get a belly rub or something. "You have done well. Meet me back home, and have dinner ready."

Bell and I turned our heads to face each other slightly and we both grinned, "Yes, Lady Hestia." We both replied. She hadn't tried to use this as an excuse to skip work either.

* * *

After dinner, I let Bell get his update first. Hestia's exclamation of surprise made my ears stand up straight, "Bell, this is... Wow... Training with that Ais whatchamacallher really helped." Her sentence had become more grudging as it went on.

"She was very strict. And I trained to exhaustion many times." He admitted, though he smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "I still have so far to go before I am even half of what she is."

The admiration in his voice was clear as crystal. It was almost frightening when I thought about it. Though, from what her friends had said about her, Ais was good people. At least Bell wasn't looking up to some one like Bete. That loud mouthed werewolf.

"Your turn Kodori!" Hestia said, waving me over once Bell put his shirt back on.

I had changed out of my poor abused uniform and into a recently bought t-shirt. I waited until Bell was turned away, working on the dishes, before tugging it off and laying on the bed. Hestia undid the sash that the Ganesha man had given me to cover up, that I was still using to keep my breasts bound. I shivered as the air hit my bare skin.

"Hestia?" I said quietly, in English, "I would like to talk to you after. Outside."

She gave the top of my head a pat, making my tail swish happily a couple of times before I could tell it to stop. I felt the cool wet touch of her fingertip touch my back and trace lines across it, bringing out the tingle of her blessing as it mixed with my accumulated experiences. Heat seemed to build just under the skin of my back, before cooling down sharply, like a sprinkle of water on a hot pan.

"This is... Oh my... You have been training, both of you. You... oh..." I felt Hestia fall on my back and hug me, before she sat back up, tied my binding back in place, and got off of me. Wordlessly, she handed me the paper she had used to 'photocopy' my status, tears of pride at the corner of her eyes.

Kodori

Power: D 583

Endurance: A 807

Dexterity: E 459

Agility: D 541

Magic: C 660

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats.

-Home of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant natural armour.

-Judgement of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant increased strength.

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

Kitsune's Rage

Grants a boost in strength.

May lose control.

Again I used my 'learning to read mumble', looking over my new stats and magic. There it was, in plain text. What I had learned was clearly printed, not just on my back, but my very soul. The words that went with my magic, were like a prayer to Her, Hestia, my Goddess.

"Of course..." I spoke quietly, a little embarrassed, "Without you, I would still be just a silly fox working in a bar, trying to learn how to speak. Why wouldn't my magic be a dedication to you, Hestia?" I reached out and pet her soft hair, "Let's go outside a moment." Then to Bell, I raised my voice a little and said, "Bell, you too. But stay inside until you get a knock, okay?"

"Oh... Yes Miss Kodori." He quickly dried his hands and the three of us went upstairs.

Hestia gave a little wave to Bell and closed the door leading outside. She faced me, and put her hands on her hips, "So, what's so important?" Her voice was curious, not accusing.

I spoke in English, loud enough for her to hear, but still quietly. "I want you to hear something, and see something." I stood two good paces from her, so she could see me clearly in the fading daylight. "You have done so much for me, I'm not sure you can ever know how thankful I am." I took a deep breath, imagining the caged ember I held within, "During my training, I discovered that last ability, and drew it out. It's a piece of my old life, that I brought here. It's something I wish I could have left behind, honestly."

"Then you wouldn't be you." She said, quoting the same line from so many 'lets be friends' cartoons I'd watched back home.

"No, I wouldn't, but of all the things I brought with me, and all the things I left behind, this part I truly hate about myself. Before I promised you I'd work hard and rescue Lilly, you saw something, and it scared you." I sighed, the ember inside me cooling slightly. I took another breath to fan it again, then continued, "It was... Anger. Not just anger at what Lilly is going through, but anger at myself for being so... Useless. Look at me, understand."

I let the ember glow hot. I fuelled it with the anger of my impotence against Zanis and the injustice against Lilly. At my inability to do well in my old life. My mediocrity of my old self at being unable to get past my fears. At all of the impotent anger I felt at the schoolyard bullies I could do nothing against because no matter how much I wanted to, I was too weak to do anything but take their teasing and abuse. It was childish, it was immature, but now it was truly dangerous.

Because now, I was NOT weak. I was not incapable.

I opened my eyes to look at Hestia. Her body was backed against the door, her legs were shaking, her hands trembling. But she was looking at me. I could see the glow radiating off my body reflected in her clear blue eyes. "Call Bell." I said finally, my voice slow and strained, the magic inside me feeling like a twisting snake, a monster in a cage just big enough to hold it.

She tapped on the door, a little fitfully, but she overcame her moment of fear and stepped away from the door to let it open. Promptly, Bell opened it and stepped outside, his body switching from 'taking a step outside' to 'jump in front of some one and protect them' in the space of a single heartbeat. The two of them looked at me, Hestia putting a hand on Bell's arm, making him relax slightly.

"Bell." I said, "If you ever see me like this, and I am about to do something stupid. Promise, swear! You will do something to stop me."

"What..." He looked at me, confused, they both did.

"It's the last part of her new status." Hestia said, reaching out to me and taking hold of my hand. It felt like ice against my skin, and the rage I was letting myself feel recoiled away from it like a separate living thing.

"Promise me Bell." I repeated, "I am old enough to know where this comes from, and what it means if I let it run free. There are things in the world I hate, just like anyone else, but there is no such thing as justice without reason. If I ever lose myself to this." I motioned to myself with my free hand, feeling the ember of my magic losing to the cool touch of my Goddess, "I won't be thinking of anything good. I will not be fighting for a good cause. I will be fighting just to fight. Neither of us is like that." I closed my eyes and imagined the cage again, locking the anger away, "I've been given a second chance, I don't want to ruin it by doing something I can't take back."

"I promise." Bell said, taking hold of my other hand. I drew them both into a brief hug and pushed them both back to arms length.

"Thank you both. Now let's go plan for tomorrow." I said with a smile.

* * *

Author's notes.

I hope I have not bored any of you, with what amounts to yet another bout of self (re?)discovery for our hero. I promise, the next chapter will be far more exciting, or at the very least less heavy on the emotional scale.

I think... As a writer, I am reaching a point where the character is starting to become more 'real'. Where the 'world' and 'self' are matching up, and the old reality is now almost totally overshadowed by the new.

Until next time, dear readers.


	12. Chapter 12

Not much to say here this time. Let the words speak for themselves. :)

* * *

Chapter 11

We both woke very early, gave our still sleeping Goddess a pat on the head for luck, and left for Soma Familia's main building.

Bell informed me of what he had discovered about them as we walked, making sure I at least had an idea of what we might be facing. Due to the popularity of Soma's wine, the main building and their joined warehouses actually had guard towers. The Familia members were usually too lazy to bother with them, more concerned with making money for another taste of their God's wine, but we were two people against how ever many people they had.

"I hope they co-operate." Bell said.

"Me too." I smiled slightly as we gave each other a fist bump, and simply walked up to the front door.

My eyes and ears told me one of the bigger buildings was meant for boiling liquid. A distillery or some such. With fragrant wood smoke and something fruity being carried by the morning breeze. The second of the bigger buildings was dark and quiet, making me think of a warehouse or the like, maybe living quarters. The smallest of the three, looking more like a three floor shop was where I heard the muffled clank of metal and swearing. It was here where we walked. Upon reaching the iron bound wooden door, I drew back my hand, and knocked.

The sounds of metal and swearing stopped all at once, and I heard footsteps approach the door. It was the sandy haired man who opened it.

He was about to say something rude, by the look in his face, but I talked over him, "We are here to negotiate for Lilly's release from the Soma Familia." I said clearly, making him blink.

"Oh look. It's the naked bitch and the little rabbit. Hey Zanis! You owe me. They're here." He turned around to speak to someone inside.

"So I do. Fine." The door opened and Zanis stood in front of us now, the sandy haired man backing up behind the taller man, "I thought I made myself clear. Lilly is ours. Lord Soma is far too busy to listen to some one who makes no money, and thus, Lilly will stay with our Familia until she does."

"Let me speak on her behalf." I replied, feeling the hair on my tail start to poof out in annoyance.

"No. Soma does not want to be disturbed by such... Riff raff." Zanis smiled darkly, "If you continue to bother us, we will consider it to be an aggressive act by your Familia."

"Aggressive such as your Familia mugging people, leaving people to die in the dungeon, and holding Familia members against their will." Bell spoke this time, his youthful sense of justice unable to hold back any longer.

Zanis surprised us both by quickly reaching out past me and slapping Bell sharply across the face. "You overstep your bounds Boy. You have n...urk..."

His words cut off as I took hold of his still outstretched right wrist with my right hand, and squeezed with all my strength. "Remember. You struck first." I said to him, hoping I could land a sucker punch before he reacted. I stepped back one step tugging him along and tried for a left hook into his ribs.

I knew he was level two. But the speed that he reacted, and the ease that he was able to brush off my punch was astounding. I managed to land my punch, slamming him into the wall next to the door, but it didn't even wind him. He tugged his arm back, my hand still holding his wrist, and returned the favour, slamming a fist into my gut.

I let go of his wrist on reflex, dropping to the ground like a sack and holding my middle. Behind me, Bell jumped at him and I could hear the ring of metal on metal. "I suppose a lesson is in order. I will deal with this one."

I was trying to get my breath back, when some one grabbed my hair and lifted me off my feet. The sandy haired one, and the three from before stood in front of me, while I dangled in the air over the steps of the front door.

"So, the bitch needs a lesson." He said smugly, "Just as pathetic as when we first met." He punched me in the gut again, but it didn't hurt nearly as much. "Maybe before we make you disappear into the dungeon, we can have some fun with you." He punched me again, but I had mostly recovered from Zanis's attack and was able to call on a little of my magic to toughen myself. The others behind him laughed as I heard Bell cry out in pain, and then look at me hungrily as Sandy reached for my chest and started to grope me.

Again, that feeling of disgust filled me at his touch. I turned my eyes down to him and focused on his jaw. My hands had been holding the hand in my hair, not just to stop him from twisting me around painfully, but to steady myself. Now that I was steady, I took his moment of distraction grabbed his wrist like I had with Zanis, and kicked forward as hard as I could. He was ready for it, letting go of my hair and dropping me to the step below. He wasn't, however, ready for his hand to not come free of my grip. Unbalanced, my foot connected with his chest and he fell forward as I stepped back.

But I still didn't let go. With a twist I forced him further off balance and he fell face first to the cobbles. I didn't posture, I didn't threaten. I simply held his arm straight back, put my foot on his back, and twisted very hard. With a wet snap, both his elbow and shoulder dislocated and his wrist broke.

I looked back to Bell and Zanis, seeing that the taller man was in much better shape than Bell. "Switch!" I yelled at him, leaving the three at the door in the dust as I kicked off towards Zanis's back.

Zanis snorted in contempt as he turned and dodged my charging punch, slapping my back with the flat of his free hand and sending me to the ground in an uncontrolled forward slide. I saw Bell's feet hop away, then heard them dash towards the door as I slapped my hands against the ground to pop me into the air and back on my feet. Lunoire's lessons on using my enhanced strength to do this sort of thing saved my life, as I saw Zanis's sword, a double edged longsword, wedged into the surface of a cobblestone where I had just been laying.

"Oh, maybe you will be more entertaining." He rubbed his wrist, the one I had grabbed, with his free hand. "I believe I owe you for touching me."

I didn't answer. Instead of talking, I took a deep breath. This man was certainly more powerful than me. But after fighting with Ryuu and Lunoire, I knew he wasn't more skilled. I edged forward with small light footed hops, hoping to lure him into striking. His weapon had reach, but I could use that extra time to parry. He had strength, but all I needed to do was tap the tip of his blade to sap all of that power away from his strikes.

"Oh, you're much smarter than I thought." He said after a few exchanges, my remaining arm guard actually smoking from blocking his last thrust. "You know you can't win." He thrust again, then again, suddenly flicking the tip of his blade across.

I drew back out of range, holding my cheek, then looking at the blood on my palm.

"I have all day to cut you to pieces you know." He mocked.

Still I said nothing, using every breath he used taunting, to feed another breath to the slowly building fire inside of me. He came at me next, and I used every trick I had learned fighting Ryuu to keep myself from getting stabbed. Now, each time I blocked or slipped aside, he would add a little flourish to his strike and give me yet another cut. I was able to keep anything vital away from his blade, but at this rate I would simply bleed out before giving up. I looked over Zanis's shoulder , spotting Bell fighting against one of the others, though he had three bodies around him on the ground.

"Don't." Zanis said, stepping forward and nearly stabbing me in the eye. "Look." He stabbed again, just over my shoulder then brought his blade down, cutting the top of my shoulder badly, "Aw..."

I had grabbed the blade. "Shut..." I felt him try and tug the sword free, but my grip was unbreakable, immovable. "Up." I slammed my other hand into his ribs again.

This time, he wasn't ready. This time, I had used my magic and anger to fuel the strike. His sword cut a bit more into my shoulder, but he let it go as my strike sent him rolling across the road and into a wall. I took hold of his sword and watched him stand back up, coughing and spitting a red glob onto the ground. I looked him in the eye, lifted his sword and brought it down on my arm guard. His face went into a rage as his weapon shattered against it.

"We want to speak to Lord Soma." I repeated, tossing the sword hilt aside.

I heard Bell's opponent gurgle and fall to the floor. I glanced over to see his last dance partner curled up into a ball, holding his groin.

"Even with what ever trick you just used..." He said, pulling out a dagger from under his coat. "I'll simply burn you to ashes!"

The blade of the dagger suddenly glowed red hot, and with a sweep of his arm, Zanis launched a roaring ball of fire at me. I felt time slow down, as the fireball seemed to grow bigger and bigger, until I felt my breath being sucked away by the heat.

My breath was literally stolen from me as something crashed into my side, and I brought to the ground roughly. I think I screamed, smelling burnt hair and fabric, feeling my shoulder protest, my hip scrape itself raw. I heard laughter above it all.

Opening an eye, I spotted a patch of white hair and felt a heavy weight against my body. Bell had thrown himself into me. I could see that nearly his entire back was smoking. "Bell?" I coughed, using my good hand to shake him.

His shoulder felt like pie crust. But he coughed once and nodded against my chest. "You're *cough* safe."

"Drink a potion, hurry..." I said, pushing him off of me and getting to my feet, watching as Zanis looked at his red glowing dagger, then to us. I quickly grabbed a potion of my own, accidentally swallowing the little cork in my rush to drink it. "Bell, don't move. I will protect you."

Zanis laughed as he heard me say that. "Protect him? How! I will burn you to ashes and show your precious Lilly the remains!" He raised the dagger again.

I took a step forward, "I will not bend, I will not break." I said, pulling the flames from my own magic, to ready it against the oncoming fire, "I will be a wall for the home my Goddess has given me!"

Again I watched, eyes squinted, arms crossed in front of me, as Zanis's fireball got closer, and bigger, hotter and brighter. I finished my chant, yelling it in defiance at the incoming inferno. "Skin of Stone!"

Again, I screamed until the heat from the fire devoured the air around me. I felt my skin heat up, blister, then blacken. I closed my eyes to keep them from burning in the heat. My ears, flattened to my skull, felt like some one was chewing on them.

Then my skin felt suddenly cold. The early morning air rushing in to fill the void left by the heat of the fire. Distantly, I thought I could hear something shattering like glass. I tried opening my eyes, but couldn't.

* * *

I wasn't sure how much time had passed. But my next sensation was something that tasted like cherries being poured into my mouth. My throat wasn't working, but who ever had poured it into my mouth plugged my nose and tilted my head back. I tried coughing as some of the liquid went down the wrong way, but couldn't.

"That's... A surprise." I heard a rough voice say. "You might want to look away lad." The voice said again, and I felt something wet and icy touch my chest. I heard some one vomit, and that same voice say, "If yer gonna be sick, go help with the fire." I heard some one leave the room.

"Miss Kodori?" I heard Bell's voice in my ear. "Can you hear me?"

"Maybe she can, maybe she can't." The rough voice replied for me, more liquid being poured down my throat, though this time I managed to swallow on my own. I felt the distant tingle of it healing me. "But she probably can't move much. Tch... Boy, over there, get that blanket."

"Humph." I heard some one else say. "Why are you bothering to help Chandra?" It sounded like Zanis, though it also sounded like he was speaking through some missing teeth.

"Because, you" contrary to popular belief, I hadn't learned all the bad words first, but I knew the tone of some one else swearing, no matter the language, "have been running the guild into the ground, and it was about time some one put you in your place. I don't get paid enough to deal with your shit, and now, all of the Soma Familia brewers, you know, the ones who do all the actual work, are going to tell the guild you were the one who nearly set the rest of the block on fire." I felt another splash of cold over my chest and then my hips, "Now, shut up a'fore I knock out the rest of your teeth."

I manged to open one eye just enough to see a dimly lit ceiling. "Miss Kodori!" I spotted a bit of Bell's unmistakeable white hair. "Mr. Chandra!"

"Oh, awake then." I heard the sound of shuffling feet, and a weather beaten bearded face popped into view. "Just relax. No women about, or I'd have one of them doing this. After the potions do their work, you're going to need one mighty big scrubbing. I'm just making sure you're healing under all the..." He stumbled on his words a moment, "Well, it was bad."

I tried to say something, but managed only a slightly more forceful wheeze. I watched as a big hand moved a wet cloth to my lips and cold water dribbled into my mouth. A moment later, it felt like some one was brushing plaster off of my cheeks. My mouth could move again. "is...k." I said. "ell."

Bell's face popped into view, "Yes Miss Kodori?"

"illy." I replied, "go." I watched his face as he showed his uncertainty, "is...k." I repeated.

"Go lad." the other, Chandra, said, "She could use a friend. Upstairs, down the hall, small room at the end."

"Traitor." Zanis mumbled, spitting.

Chandra waited until Bell's footsteps were gone, "Zanis, you are lucky he didn't kill you." I felt more brushing against my neck arms and shoulders, "These potions are from your private reserve, just so you know."

I felt a little more liquid enter my mouth, and went back to sleep.

* * *

Again I woke, this time to just cool water filling my mouth. The hand on my chin was smaller this time though. I thought I heard crying as well. I tried opening an eye, then had to shut it again as the light in the room was much brighter this time. I tried to say something, but only managed a mumble.

"Miss Kodori..." It was Lilly's voice, "Lilly is sorry!" A tiny head rested against my arm. I felt something, a blanket, over my entire body now, making me think I'd been mostly cleaned at least.

With a twitch, I tried to move my arm, and instead managed to push Lilly away. Reflexively, I closed my hand on the first thing that brushed it, and heard a squeak of surprise. For all she could carry, Lilly was like a feather. I felt my arm wake up a little more, and I gave a gentle tug on what ever bit of fabric I was holding. "s'ok." I mumbled, slowly flailing my arm about and hugging her head to my side. With her warmth against me, my body started waking up in earnest. I was probably naked under the sheet, and bald. "where?"

She sobbed a little against my side, so I rubbed her back and asked again. She finally answered, "Still at the Soma Familia home. Master Bell is talking to the guild. Zanis was taken away. Mister Chandra is talking to the guild too. Master Bell freed Lilly, then asked me to come here to help."

I nodded, then mumbled, "help sit..."

She helped me sit up, and gave me a damp cloth to get the last of the soot in my eyes off. Cautiously, I ran a hand over my head, feeling only the beginnings of hair on it. Potions only replaced living tissue after all. My ears were thankfully still there, though similarly peach fuzzy. My tail, oddly, was simply sooty. I wondered if it was because it was directly behind me, literally, that the fire hadn't burnt it. "more water?"

Lilly handed me a mug and I took a mouthful, gargling it in my mouth weakly, nearly choking on it, but managing to get a little more of the burnt feeling out of my throat. "Thank you." I pet her head, noticing that she didn't have ears. "Hey.." I ruffled her hair until she started to protest.

"Lilly has magic too..." She mumbled, "To disguise Lilly. Lilly can look like anyone about the same size. Lilly's magic is called Cinder-ella."

I hugged her again, and looked around the room. Bits of what looked like my armour were on a desk in the corner, the leather gone and some of the metal partially melted. "Now I really do need new armour." I said, putting my hand on Lilly's shoulder, "Help me stand?"

She did her best to help me stand, and looked up at me, "Now what is Miss Kodori going to do?"

I looked down at myself, down each arm, my hands, legs, hips, everywhere my eyes could reach with a bit of twisting. I was filthy. Covered in soot, water, potion, and dead skin. Even after Lilly cleaned me up, I was still a mess. I was also naked and bald. The latter annoying me far more than the former. My life in the city so far had been a long string of wardrobe destruction, but my hair was something I actually liked, even from my old life.

"What I came here to do." I folded up the blanket and wrapped it around myself, not caring that it was also covered in some of the remnants of my burnt skin and what ever else. "Come on, you." I held a hand out to her, and started walking, leaning on everything I could on the way.

To my surprise, I found my favourite guild employee Eina on the third floor, talking to Chandra. Now that I could see him clearly, my initial care taker was a dwarf, dressed in a tough looking overall and purple stained shirt. Both of them stopped talking as I reached the top of the stairs.

"Kodori!" Eina spotted me and both her and the dwarf came over to help Lilly. "You shouldn't be moving! Even after all those potions, you need your rest!"

"Lady is right." Chandra said, walking off a moment and coming back with a chair. "Surprised you aren't dead, and more so that you can move."

I sat in the chair, unable to resist the others gently pushing at me. I put my hand on Chandra's head and gave the rough hair a pat. "Thank you, first." I said, "But, work to do. I will talk to Lord Soma."

"So will I." Eina added, making Chandra frown, "The Soma Familia has broken many of the laws keeping the Familia's in line. They must be answered for."

"I know, I know." Chandra replied, "Really lady, I do. Zanis ran roughshod over most of the Familia since he took the captain's spot. But that's not the issue. Soma just..." He sighed, "Look. I joined the Familia because I like to brew. But I still bathe, eat, sleep, and rut like a normal person. Lord Soma... Doesn't care. You can talk to him, but I doubt you'll get more than a 'some one else deal with it' from him."

"Apathy. I can deal with that. Lilly? Come on. Help me over there." I turned to Eina, putting a hand on her shoulder and holding on for support until I got steady again. My body felt like I had just come off a bad fever. "Please, get Bell?"

She nodded to me, gave the dwarf a dirty look, then went downstairs. "Miss Kodori doesn't have to do this. Lilly doesn't..."

"Miss Kodori," I said, cutting her off quietly, "Wants to do this. Then go home and shower. A lot."

She giggled despite the situation, and worked the latch on the last door in the hallway. My nose, still a little numb from probably getting melted off my face, perked up at the fresh smell of soil and grapes coming from the room beyond. The room itself was small, but filled with perfectly tended potted plants with vines of grapes strung over latticework. Aside from one east facing window, the room was lit by lamps, and a massive sunroof. I also noticed the sun was well over the wall, making it a little before noon.

"I said, I didn't want to be bothered." A quiet listless voice said as we entered, floorboards creaking slightly under our weight. "Who are you?"

He was almost as tall as I was, with long messy black hair with bangs that nearly covered his eyes. His clothes, a dirt spotted white smock and pants, were functional but plain. "Lord Soma, Lilly would like to leave your Familia." I said, trying very hard to be as polite as I could. I gave Lilly a pat on the back to push her ahead of me, so that Soma could look at her clearly.

He simply shrugged, "Like any spoiled child who wants to run away when they don't get what they want." He sighed, "You children are all the same." He turned away and started tending to a vine of grapes.

"I remember you." He continued, tracing a finger under a leaf, sniffing at a nearby grape, then pruning it with a small set of shears. "Your mother and father, so desperate for another taste of my wine, offering you to me, and then never returning from the dungeon." Snip, "Only lusting after another drop of my creation, not appreciating what went into making it." Snip, "You had your taste of it before." Snip, "But now you want to leave because you haven't gotten another." He snipped one last bit off the vine, and tossed the handful of clippings into a pot of soil in the corner of the room.

"Lilly doesn't want your wine." She said in return, making Soma pause in his work. "All it ever brought Lilly was pain. From Lilly's parents, from the Familia, Lilly just wants to leave."

Bell chose that moment to enter, though he stopped at the doorway first, looked inside, then quietly joined Lilly and I, putting a hand on her other shoulder.

"Oh?" Soma said, turning around, looking at the three of us now. "If that is the case. Prove it. Prove that you are not just another foolish child, lusting after my masterwork, like all the others." He stepped over to the only window in the room and picked up a clear glass bottle from the sill. I had to squint to make sure, but the liquid inside was almost perfectly clear. Had I not seen it slosh around with the motion of him picking it up, I'd have thought it empty. With equal care, he took a stone cup from a shelf and poured a little of the liquid into it. "Go ahead. If you don't want any more after this, then I will let you go."

Before Lilly accepted the offered cup, I felt her start to tremble. It was as if she was experiencing her own personal earthquake, her tiny body was shivering so badly. Bell must have noticed too, because we both gave her little shoulders a squeeze. "Lilly." I said, "Be strong, we aren't going anywhere."

We both gave her a little nudge forward, and let go of her. I put my hand on Bell's shoulder and leaned on him. With one last look at us, Lilly accepted the cup, and downed its contents.

Bell and I watched, as she started shivering again, falling to her knees, then her side, curling up into a ball and moaning. I honestly thought she had just drank a cup of heroine or some thing, her reaction was so strong. I was about to step forward, but Soma looked at me, his dead black eyes boring into mine.

On the floor, she laughed, cried, giggled, and then relaxed, uncurling and laying on her back, eyes looking up at the ceiling emptily. No spark of awareness in them. He chest rose and fell, but nothing else.

"And so, another foolish child..." He stopped, as Lilly started sobbing again, quietly, reaching a hand out and gripping the bottom of his pant leg feebly.

"Please." Her voice sounded like she had been with me in the fire, "Let Lilly go? Lilly has friends now. Miss Kodori, Master Bell, they tried so hard for Lilly."

I felt a tear slide down my face, making Bell look up at me when it hit his shoulder. Even like that, she clawed her way back, to pay a debt of friendship. Soma was equally shocked, looking at the tiny hand clutching his pant leg weakly. He knelt down, and very gently detached her hand and held it. "Very well."

I gave Bell a push to go help Lilly, and leaned against the wall to support myself. Lilly hugged Bell tightly, making Soma smile slightly at the sight. He turned to me, and looked at the bottle in his hand. I held up a hand before he could ask and said, "I much prefer berry wine, or sake." That made him frown, so I added, "I'm sure you could make some if you tried."

His face returned to the listless neutrality of before, but he said, "I have learned much today. A little more won't hurt... Chandra? Let the guild representative in."

* * *

I don't really remember getting home. My body was exhausted from my use of magic, getting burned and being magically healed. Potions didn't restore blood, just healed the body. Lilly had stayed behind with Eina, mostly as a witness against Zanis, and Bell and I had been let go, but told to stay at home until the guild talked to us.

I was honestly perfectly happy with that. Even with Hestia panicking over Bell and I, and just how badly we had both been hurt. I hadn't gotten a chance to look until Soma's room, but he had lost a good deal of the clothes off his back. I had lost much more, and our Goddess was absolutely horrified at the loss of my hair. More so than even I was.

"Maybe Nazza will have something for it?" Bell tried, "Please calm down, I don't think she can breath."

For all my stats, I couldn't resist my Goddess's over protective hugs. She suddenly let go, and I almost fell over. Bell caught me, and used that moment to deflect any further lecturing by saying something like "We are all tired, let's just rest for today."

Hestia told Bell to do some chores, before she dragged me into the shower room. I didn't even try to argue that I could at least shower myself, lest she get even more angry with me than she already was. As she scrubbed, and the water running off me got cleaner and cleaner, I heard her crying softly above me, as I sat at the bottom of the little shower stall. Slowly, I got to my knees in front of her, mostly so I could look at her face unobstructed, "Please don't cry?" I said, feeling her hands rub at my fuzzy scalp.

"I worry so much." She said with a sniffle, "You go out and come home. Each time you get hurt. And today..." She hugged my head, "I was so worried when I saw the fire. I know risk is part of what being an adventurer is, but..."

Still feeling weak, I reached around and hugged my Goddess. "Before, I never believed in any sort of divinity." Slowly, I let go, and held on to her shoulders to help me stand, "I couldn't believe in a being that was supposed to be all loving, and all powerful, who let all the pain and suffering in the world happen." This time, I hugged her, reaching behind her to turn the water off. "But then, I come here. Where the Gods and Goddesses give us the power to fix those problems for ourselves. Not everyone does. But Bell and I. We do." I gave her a towel, and got my own, "And today, we fixed a problem. You might worry, and that is okay." I smiled at her, "But when we come home, at the end of the day, know, that we were out there, for you. Trying to fix a problem. Okay?"

"Okay." She mumbled, still looking for all the world like a child, unsure of what to do with herself.

"Good."

* * *

I wasn't present at the ceremony to transfer Lilly from Soma to Hestia Familia. But I heard it was a pretty boring affair. Instead, on threat of being tied to the bed with just enough rope to reach the bathroom, I was told I was to stay indoors and rest. Considering I was now down to one pair of boxers for a wardrobe, unless I wanted to go out wearing Bell's shirt, or my grey robe, my only clothing option was a torn up uniform for the Hostess of Fertility. So, I spent about half of the next day, laying on the couch, in my grey robe and boxers, reading a book Hestia had laying about. Now that I thought about it, this was my first truly idle day. No dungeon, no morning exercises (Hestia had refused to let me go) no one to rescue. It actually made me a little nervous. I couldn't put my finger on why, but it did.

Thankfully, before I started thinking about leaving and going outside to do something, the door opened, admitting Bell, who quickly found some where else to look, due to me wearing my robe and underwear and nothing else. Hestia, who gave me a wave, a smile, and a pat on the head for not leaving.

And Lilly. Who entered our home, as if for the first time, as if the floor was made of eggshell.

"Welcome home, Lilly." I greeted her, not waving, to keep my robe from opening.

She looked at the three of us, smiling brightly even as her eyes teared up. "I'm home." She said, before coming to us for a group hug.

* * *

Authors notes.

I hope, dear readers I was not too graphic with my words this day. Being a burn victim is on my top ten of things to never be, and the scene itself gave me a little pause. Lilly is now part of the merry band, and thus it is time to move on.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

Lilly proved herself adept at improvisation, making me a functional shirt from what scraps were left of the Hostess of Fertility uniform I had. This was a good thing, as I needed to go shopping for any number of things before I could go adventuring again. No belt, no clothes, no armour, I was almost as bad off as I was when I first arrived.

After waking up the next day, not quite as early as usual, I put on my improvised clothes, my grey cloak, and did my morning exercises as usual. Lilly had left after stitching my clothes to go to her last home, a small shop someplace, owned by a Gnome.

The air over my near bald head felt odd. I hadn't found a mirror to take a good look at myself in, but I was a little afraid to. Chandra, the dwarf from Soma Familia, said it had been bad. I'd seen pictures before, back home, of burn victims. Fire safety horror stories they tell older kids to try and teach them respect of fire. Potions or not, I was a little worried.

"Wow." I stopped in mid step at the sudden voice. I turned to spot Nazza, "Lilly wasn't joking when she mentioned your hair. Eyebrows too? Ears?" She shivered.

As she got closer, she held up a little stone jar, "Put a little of this on later, and wash it off an hour later."

"Oh, thank you." I said eyeing the little jar suspiciously, "I did not know you made house calls?"

"Not usually. But since you and Bell are such good customers..." She paused, "I also have a favour to ask."

Bell chose that moment to come join me for morning exercises. "Oh! Miss Nazza!"

We all sat down while Nazza explained herself. "Lord Miach and I are really close to something big... A dual potion that restores both mind and body." She spoke in hushed tones. "But we need to go out of town for one of the ingredients, and I was hoping to get help from Hestia Familia."

"Out of town? How far?" Bell asked.

"Should be a day there, then a day back. Depending on weather." She replied.

"Aren't you an adventurer too?" I asked, "I heard you had the alchemist ability too. That means at least level two." Eina had mentioned something about crafters always being better with the falna related skill from belonging to a Familia.

Nazza looked away, her visible hand touching the forearm her single long sleeve covered. "I'm... no good at hunting monsters anymore." She replied, drawing her sleeve up a little, revealing silver fingertips, before covering her hand again, "It's why our Familia is in such debt. I lost my arm to a monster, and Lord Miach bought me a replacement. It works like it used to, but I just... Can't hunt monsters anymore."

I felt bad for asking, so I gave her knee a pat and looked to Bell, "Bell would be happy to help. Take Hestia with you and make a trip of it."

Bell blinked at me, going red and stuttering a moment until I gave his shoulder a light punch, "I have to do shopping, and replace my armour, so I'd be kind of useless as I am now." I replied, "Maybe even take Lilly along. She looks like she could use the fresh air."

"Are you sure?" Bell asked, "Would I be enough to help, Miss Nazza?"

"Sure. I just have to finalize some things and we can be on the road almost immediately." She replied.

We all looked up as Hestia came through the door, holding a heavy looking sac and nearly in tears. "The guild still fined us for yesterday." She sobbed, giving Bell and I an evil look. "I have to bring this to the guild headquarters."

"We have something that might cheer you up then." I said, "Nazza?"

Nazza re-told her plan to Hestia, making her mood perk up a little.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" She asked me after.

"Things to do, gear to replace, people to talk to." I replied, "I'll walk you to the guild house in the mean time."

* * *

Hestia and I met Lilly at the central fountain, and she walked with us to the guild hall. She smiled, a bright happy smile, when I offered her the invitation to Nazza's little field trip, but frowned that I wasn't going. I gave her head a pat, and found that she had ears again.

"You said you liked them." She mumbled.

"I'll let you pet mine, when I have fur on them again." I replied, gently teasing her ears. "Go enjoy your time outside the city." I looked at Hestia, who was frowning slightly, "And get along." I said to my Goddess, who pouted at me.

"I should update your status before I go." She replied, still sulking. "You had a busy day yesterday."

"As my Goddess wishes." I replied, "I'll asks Eina if we can use the consultation room."

* * *

After Hestia paid off her fine, her mood ruined again from having to give up basically everything we had set aside from our dungeon crawling and her part time job, I asked to chat with Eina, and if it would be okay for her to be there when I got my status updated. She said that all things Familia related, aside from names, were kept in strictest confidence, and that she would be honoured to be present. Lilly was also there, as I wiggled out of the shirt she had made, and Hestia poked her finger with quill.

Hestia drew her finger over my back, the four of us breathing the only sound I could hear in the little private room. Again, I felt the tingle of my 'excilia' mixing with Goddess's blood, and the little flash of heat rising out of me to surface on my back. I heard first Hestia, then the other two, gasp as the blank paper was touched to my back and revealed to them.

"Umm." I started, suddenly feeling a little chilly.

"This..." Eina started, the paper rattling behind me.

"Can I put my shirt on yet?" I asked. Hearing the paper rattle more.

"Lilly wants to see!" A rattle later, "Ohhhhh..."

"Hey no peeking!" Hestia said, the paper crinkling as she snatched it away.

I gave up and put my shirt back on, wiggling my torso around a little to get it to settle properly on my shoulders and bust. Yep, still not teasing a woman about her wardrobe ever again.

"Kodori... What exactly happened since your last update?" Eina finally asked, snatching the paper from the two others and handing it to me once my hands were free.

"Well... I fought with that twit Zanis, and that other guy with the sandy hair." I replied, running a hand over my fuzzy skull. "I didn't even beat him. But I stopped him from cooking Bell and I with that dagger..."

"Magic sword..." Lilly and Eina said at the same time. They looked at each other, but Lilly looked to the floor first.

"Lilly had that dagger first. Lilly had it for emergencies. It was stolen from Lilly by one of the other members of Soma Familia." She explained. I couldn't resist patting her head and fuzzy ears to show her I didn't mind.

"It's okay Lilly." I looked to Eina, "Magic sword? A sword that uses magic?"

"Yes." She smiled faintly as Lilly started to squirm in her chair trying not to giggle. "Some very skilled smiths can put magic into a weapon or item. The ability is very rare, and the price for them is very high. They break after a few uses, though. The metal unable to hold the power any longer." She paused, then her eyes went wide, "You stood IN FRONT of a magic sword?!"

"Twice." I said, backing away from the suddenly angry Eina, making Lilly squeak in surprise as I hugged her like a teddy bear.

"lilly can't breath."

"Are you insane?! You stood in front of a magic sword, and let it hit you?!" She yelled at me. Even Hestia was backed against the nearest wall.

"I didn't know better?" I countered weakly, loosening my grip on poor Lilly, making her gasp for air. "If I hadn't, Bell would have died." I set Lilly down and continued, "I had one chance to try and let us both survive, and I took it." I shrugged, my initial fright at seeing my consultant enraged wearing off, "He pushed me out of the way of the first blast. And I protected him while he drank a potion. I would have been too slow to carry him, and he was too hurt to carry me."

Eina sighed, crossing her arms and sitting down, the paper in her hands fluttering loosely, "Here." She handed it to me.

Kodori

Power: D 583 - B 701

Endurance: A 807 - S 956

Dexterity: E 459 - D513

Agility: D 541 - C 634

Magic: C 660 - S 943

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats and magic resistance.

-Home of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant natural armour.

-Judgement of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant increased strength.

Boost is greater in the defence of others.

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

Kitsune's Rage

Grants a boost in strength.

May lose control.

I looked at the paper, noting the difference and scratching my chin. "This is... The second time in a row their has been a change to my magic." I mumbled, "And that jump in stats again..."

"How are you advancing so fast?" Eina asked bluntly, the other two recovering their seats.

"I can guess." I replied, looking at the other two, "You two should hurry, Nazza will want to leave soon."

I gave them both a pat on the shoulder and got one in return as they left. Eina waited patiently, still frowning slightly, but held her peace until the door had closed again. "So?"

"It started when you gave me the information on the other Renard." I replied, "She, a wonderful young lady, gave me a hint on how to use my magic." Eina nodded, blushing slightly, remembering that said young lady worked in the red light district, "After, I went to the Hostess, and trained with them there." She nodded again. "As well, every day." I rubbed my scalp, "Almost every day, Bell and I spar in the morning, and if we have time after a dungeon run, again when we get home."

Eina nodded firmly, "So you have basically been training with far more experienced people, as well as with your rival, and taking stupid risks."

"Be fair." I countered, not letting her angry gaze fluster me this time. "I am not from around here. My old life had none of what Orario has. My only other encounter with magic is Bell and his Firebolt." I smiled, "I wonder what it would feel like to get hit by it.." He had never used it against me in our training, saying that if he missed we would have to fix what ever it hit.

Eina's frown changed to a scowl, "See? Stupid risks!" She thumped the desk with her fist to punctuate her comment.

I reached over and put a hand on her fist, "You told me that to level, I would have to do something even the Gods themselves would notice. In other words, be a hero." I let her hand go, "So that's what I'm doing. I'm testing myself, constantly. So is Bell. I have never seen someone as driven and at the same time, so critical of himself."

"I've heard him mention that a few times." She sighed, "He's chasing after the back of some one he thinks he will never reach."

"And I am trying to follow him. In my own way. I'm older, so my way of looking at it is different." I laughed, "I'm not going to explain it to Bell though."

She sighed again, then did her 'to business' cough into her hand, "Ahem. So, was there anything else?"

"Yes. I am looking to upgrade my things. As well go past floor ten, when Bell gets back. With Lilly as our supporter, and not having to worry about Soma Familia trying to collect her again, I think we will do well." I watched Eina's expression settle down as I talked about the usual stuff.

"Before you go down that far. I want you to get a few things." She replied, writing some things down.

* * *

I spent a good part of the rest of the day hunting for supplies. I returned to the bargain bin shop on the second floor, chatting with the old dwarf there while I put together another pair of non-spiky gauntlets and simple shin guards. He didn't know what to say when I told him the last set had almost literally melted off of me.

He pointed me to another shop, where I managed to barter down the price of three salamander wool cloaks. Said to be almost totally fireproof, it was one of the, and I quote, 'most essential pieces of armour after floor ten', on the list of things Eina had written down for me. Nearly flat broke again, I managed to get some spare clothes for myself again, as well as a few other bits and bobs that I knew our humble home was in need of. I also picked up a simple knife, used by supporters for cutting out the magic stone of monsters. It was literally at the bottom of a barrel in the rookie shop, and covered in rust when I found it, so I got it for almost nothing.

After getting all of it back home and putting it away, I got dressed in proper clothing and headed back out. I hadn't had much chance to just... Explore. It wasn't the biggest city I'd ever been in, but it was still a very big place, and I'd seen almost none of it.

It was then, as I walked down a side street, that I could have sworn I felt a pair of eyes on my back. I had been basically walking from store to store, noticing as they got further and further apart. Eventually it became purely residential, with most of the shutters drawn and windows closed. It looked vaguely familiar, until I realized, I had come to the exact spot I had arrived in the city.

Then an arrow slammed into a cobblestone, the back of the metal head just barely visible after sinking into the rock. I wasn't even aware that I dodged it either. My body simply reacted to the faint whistle of it a moment before I stopped and shifted to one side. I put my back to the nearest wall and looked up from where the arrow had come from. Four figures, dressed in dark form concealing robes. One of them held a bow, with another arrow set on the string.

Silently, as one, the other three jumped down, forming a semi-circle around me. I held my spot, looking at the profiles of each of them. All were a little shorter than me, and as they drew their weapons, I looked for a way out.

Three swords and one bow against myself. Luckily, I never left home without my armour on, provided I actually owned any, so I wasn't totally defenceless. I still didn't like the odds. I took a long deep breath, then another, letting it out slowly.

The archer made the first move, the bow and string tightening with a quiet creak and instant before the 'snap' of the fired shot. I didn't guess on where they were aiming, so I ducked left towards the shortest of the three, hearing the arrow crack into the wall behind me. I stopped half way, seeing the three move in as one, and pushed back with my lead foot, springing me towards the one on the right. I saw that one start an upward cut, but I punched downwards with my armoured fist, slamming my knuckles into theirs, hearing a collection of pops from their sword hand, as my shoulder slammed into them. I heard the sword clatter to the ground as the man, from the sound of the scream he made, and I tumbled together to the ground.

I landed with my back on him, and I used the same trick I had used to escape Zanis, except I slammed a hand and elbow against the guy under me instead, earning another cry of pain from him as I levered myself to my feet again. I had no time to get my proper footing however, as the two others had stepped over their downed companion and started alternating swings and stabs with their short swords.

I was just getting into a rhythm of a fighting retreat when the archer let loose again. This time I saw the arrow fly, and managed to dodge, but one of my two opponents punched me in the chest.

And I hardly felt it.

I mean... It hurt, but it was as if I had run into something vaguely fist shaped, instead of being punched. The force of the blow still sent me sliding backwards, nearly pushing me off my feet, letting the other one step in and draw a line across my bicep with their sword. I hopped back a little further, suddenly letting out a laugh.

The two swordsmen paused, as I looked at my arm, the cut on it no worse than an oddly placed paper cut. I had started this fight with my inner magic warmed up, and it was starting to really show. I took their hesitation, and used it to take another deep breath. Behind the two I was facing, the one whose hand I had broken was getting up, bringing a potion to his lips.

I let my magic seep into my skin, my muscles, watching the four of them, settling into a fighting stance, turning a fist up to them, and giving them a wave forward.

The archer let loose an arrow, my ears and eyes hearing its release and tracking its motion. I crouched low, my feet staying flat on the ground, letting the arrow pass over head. As I started my dodge however, the others took a step back, and jumped up to the roof tops. As I recovered my stance, the four of them faded away in four different directions.

I waited, listening, for ten long breaths. Hearing nothing, seeing nothing, I let myself relax, letting the tension out of my body slowly, before I started back towards the main street.

* * *

For the rest of the night I wondered what the hell that was all about. Aside from the cry of pain, none of them made a sound. There were four of them, all dressed the same, all hiding their identities, and with the way they had surrounded me, they knew what they were doing. It might be a little egotistical, but it felt as if they were after me, specifically.

Grumbling, I pushed those thoughts aside, finished my simple meal, and went to apply some of that salve Nazza had given me.

* * *

The big bed felt cold and empty without Hestia in it. The whole place felt kind of empty without Bell and Hestia around. It was kind of odd really. Before coming here, I'd spent about five years living on my own, in my little apartment, not really caring how empty it was. Now, after less than a month of living with people again, I found it difficult to imagine living without them.

Then again, before coming here, I wouldn't have prayed to anything. Or thought of Gods and Goddesses being real.

* * *

When I woke up the next day, I was surprised to find that I had hair again. Not a little either. Nazza's hair tonic had caused my hair to grow to just above my shoulders. Even my eyebrows had grown back in. Thankfully, I found a pair of scissors, and they didn't break when I cut my bangs.

As usual I started my morning with a bit of exercise. I was just starting on some shadowboxing outside when I heard some footsteps approach.

"I'd heard rumour that there was another Renard in the city, but I wouldn't have believed it until just now." He might have been a little taller than me, with wheat blond hair and oddly orange eyes. He looked almost like he was walking off the set of a wild west movie or some such.

"To what do I owe this honour, Lord...?" I asked in English, with a not quite formal voice. His speech was perfectly understandable too, like Hestia or Takemikazuchi.

"Oh, another true rumour." He replied, doffing his hat and sketching a bow that was like my tone of voice, 'not quite formal'. "She speaks in a language only the Gods understand." He saw that I was unimpressed by his bow, but when I offered a hand for him to shake, he accepted it, "Hermes. A pleasure."

"Kodori." I replied, noting that for his playful demeanour, he had a good handshake. "Let me guess... Delivering a message?"

"Mostly." He replied with a hint of mystery.

"Then you are now the third least strange divinity I know now." I replied with my best (not very good really) mysterious smile of my own. "Tea? Or are you in a rush? How about your companion?"

His eyes widened a little when I said that, "Oh, sharp. How did you know? Asfi?"

I watched as a severe looking lady stepped out from behind a pillar. About as tall as Bell, her blue hair framed a serious face, with blue eyes behind rectangle glasses. "You're a God. Walking around alone isn't something Gods often do." I replied, not actually having known some one was there, but the only two gods I had ever seen alone, outside of their own home, were Hestia and Takemikazuchi.

"True true. Kodori, this is Asfi, my second in command." He said with a smile.

"Greetings." She said simply, her tone formal, almost cold.

"A pleasure." I replied, "So, message?"

"Well, two actually. Soma wanted to see you." He rummaged in a pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. He handed it over.

Unfolding it, I had to catch a small coin that fell out. On the inside of the paper was a messy scrawl of writing that said, "Buy something for me." I mumbled out loud. My ears perked up as I realized what he meant.

"Annnnnnd." He handed me a second bit of paper. This one was a neatly folded square.

I noted a small wax seal of Hephaestus Familia's sigil on it before I peeled it off and unfolded it. First was a message, saying simply, "Come see me. H." And second was a small map, with the word 'Crozzo' written on it, with a little red dot on a house in the middle of the map.

"Well, going to be an interesting day then." I said, smiling to myself. "Thank you, Lord Hermes. Was there anything else?"

"Actually, yes. But... Asfi? Can you understand her?" I had been speaking English to him again without realizing. Asfi frowned and shook her head. "Curious. Now, I've been almost everywhere, and I've never heard that language before."

"I'm not really surprised." I replied, in the local language. "I speak the other one to the various divinities so I am not misunderstood."

He frowned at me, making me think is lack of knowledge, and my unwillingness to give a hint of information to him seeming to bother him. "Well, my curiosity is satisfied. I don't suppose you've seen the other Renard?"

He smiled as a felt my face go a little red. "Yes, we had a talk about some things. Very informative." I at least managed to say that without stuttering.

"Good good. You should see her again some time soon. She could use a friend. One that isn't paid by the hour." He replied, earning the most terrifying frown I'd ever seen, from Asfi. He didn't flinch from her, but he did from me, as I felt my ears twitch forward and my tail poof out as I felt a moment of aggression. I quickly calmed myself, but he was already fanning himself with his hat, "Sensitive topic, sorry."

Asfi herself was surprised at Hermes's reaction as well, but said nothing. "I will visit some time soon then, regardless. If you see her, ask her to arrange some time off."

"I'll do that." He replied, turning his back to me and putting his hat back on, "What's next Asfi dear?"

I watched them leave, and went back to my routine. It was still too early to go visiting people, so I figured I'd have time.

* * *

Hephaestus was at her desk, looking a little out of place doing paperwork. A broad shouldered Amazon had seen me to the door and let me in, announcing me simply as 'that fox is here.' I suppose, with only one or two other Renards in the city, she would know exactly who 'that fox' would be.

"Ah, good. Give a moment." Hephaestus said, not looking up from her paperwork. She drew a few lines on it with a quill, stamped it, then set it aside. "For being so laid back, Hermes can certainly deliver." She looked up, stood, and offered her hand.

"Apparently." I shook her hand and sat after she did. "So what did you need?"

"Well, your order is being filled, slowly. Not many people bother with material gathering." I nodded and shrugged, expecting that. "And about that machine you drew out... I had one of my best people try and design it, and I have to say, its amazing." She smiled brightly at me, and I felt almost the same as when Hestia smiled at me.

"That's good. Maybe the more flexible armour, with less gaps, could save more lives." I smiled then said, "I figure it might be pretty popular when you can mass produce it."

She nodded, pointing to her anvil. Next to it was a small leather bag. "Take that to Welf." She said, "Welf Crozzo." She corrected. "Too bad I have all this paperwork. I'd love to see the look on his face when you give it to him."

"Call it a signing bonus." I said with a smile. "Wonder if he knows how to make patterned steel..."

"What?"

I clapped my hand to my forehead and started explaining.

* * *

"Me and my big mouth." I mumbled, the small bag of raw adamant over my shoulder. She knew what I was talking about when I had explained it. Folding metal on itself and then etching it with a mild acid to bring out the pattern hidden by the folding. For the next hour we had basically compared notes on old techniques verses modern short cuts. Oddly, for the first time since my arrival, I kind of missed the internet.

* * *

The map led me to a much more rural section of town. Most of the buildings were single floor and of simple construction. Wood walls, hay or clay roofs. The bare minimum for keeping the weather out. Humming to myself while I listened to the various sounds of hammering, grinding and other such creative noises, I followed the map until I was standing outside of a small Japanese styled wood shack. It had a small stone chimney, glassless windows and a thatch roof. I compared the location to my map, and circled the little hut for the entrance. Black smoke was coming from the chimney and I could hear hammering from within. This Welf person was home.

There was a tiny mud room, with a little step up to a nice solid wood floor. Exactly how a Japanese home was designed. Quietly, I took off my boots, the only thing that had survived all of the other disasters my wardrobe had suffered, and stepped up onto the wood floor.

My first impressing of the fairly tall red haired man at the forge was 'focused'. If he had noticed me enter, he showed no sign. Instead, he was concentrating on everything he was doing. One hand worked a wooden box bellows, feeding air into the coal furnace, while the other hand held a bit of metal bar in the fire with a pair of tongs. His grey-blue eyes squinted against the heat, watching the metal heat up and change colour. Something changed in the metal, I knew not what, but he pulled it from the furnace smoothly and picked up a hammer.

I watched as he hammered the bar of metal flat, drawing the metal out easily, lengthening the bar while narrowing it. Before the metal's colour could cool too far, he put it back into the fire to heat again. It was only then that he turned to face me.

"Need something miss... Oh..." He must have actually taken a good look at me.

I myself still wasn't really good with this kind of attention. To my former self I'd make me into a stuttering idiot too. "Kodori." I knelt on the floor and offered my hand. "Welf Crozzo?"

My looks may have flustered him, but his handshake was solid. "Yes. Can I help you?"

"Yes, but I have some time, tend to that first." I nodded to the metal in the fire, "Don't let it get too hot."

I had only taken very basic metal working. A pair of day long classes that taught me how to make a wall hook, and a basic knife. From the way Welf moved and how he handled a hammer, I was less than an amateur. But I wanted to make a good first impression, and not let new business ruin old business.

He gave me a quick smile, then turned back to his work. I watched as he hammered out what looked like a diamond shaped fencing blade. Heavier than something from back home, but more solid, for some one with super strength. When he finally quenched the blade, in what smelled like oil, not water, and looked down the length to make sure it hadn't warped at all, he turned to me, and placed the blade blank down onto a mat.

"Thank you. Now how can I help you?" He had recovered from his initial look at me, and was all business.

"To be blunt." I said, "I'd like to enter into a contract with you. On behalf of my other Familia member too."

"I don't make magic swords." He said, frowning, starting to turn away.

"I can't use weapons." I replied. I wondered if I had hit a sore spot some how, "But I my partner and I have used a lot of your armour."

His anger was switched instantly to surprise, "Really? You mean that stuff I left at the rookie store sold? Where is it? How did it do?"

"Well, mine lasted until it was melted off of me." I replied, my body shivering despite being next to a forge. "The chest plate is actually still being used by Bell. He and I like your design. It's solid, functional, and light."

His anger was completely gone now, replaced with a kid like joy at having his work complimented. "You really liked it? Really?"

I raised my hands in surrender, "Yes really. That's why Bell and I wanted to enter a contract with you."

He offered me lunch while we discussed what the contract would entail. He seemed a little down on himself for only being level one, and not having the metalwork skill. But after a little reassurance, we got back on track. If he could accompany Bell, Lilly and I into the dungeon, and be supplied with materials that dropped, he would basically work for the group of us freely. The last part surprised me, but after a moment of thinking, it made sense. He would get a share of the magic stone profit, the materials that dropped, and gain exillia towards leveling.

"As a signing bonus." I said, after we shook on it, "Something for when you feel confident enough to make something of it. I put the bag in front of him. His eyes boggled at it, and before he could ask, I answered, "Yes I'm sure. No you can't hug me."

He laughed and raised his hands in surrender this time. "Fine fine. Something you said before, you can't use weapons?"

I gave him a brief explanation and a demonstration with a scrap bit of metal.

He watched the bit of metal turn to dust as I swung it against his anvil. "That's rough. But you can punch things just fine?"

"I suspect, that if the gauntlets were spiked or sharp in any way, they'd break too." I replied, "But I can attack things with my armour. And can use knives and forks on food. If I use something as a tool, I have no problem."

"Hm. Fine. I'll work with that in mind."

"Good. I suspect that we will be heading into the dungeon tomorrow. So meet us at the fountain if you want to join us. I'll let my group know."

"See you tomorrow then." Again we shook, and I left.

* * *

I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to find a very specific thing. For a city this size, I was surprised how hard it was. But when I did, I had to barter with a home owner for it. Using the coin given to me by Soma, I traded with the home owner and then made my way to Soma Familia's headquarters.

I was given a very cold greeting by the person who answered the door, and told very firmly to piss off. With a shrug, I went to the adjoining building, the one with the fragrant wood smoke coming out of the chimneys, and was greeted by the dwarf Chandra.

We shared greetings, handshakes, comments, and even a taste of one of the beers they were brewing. He laughed at the face I made, and then escorted me to Soma's garden room. His greeting was some what strained, but then I handed him what I had bought.

A small strawberry bush.

The lady I had bought it from even gave me the soil it had been in, and a proper little clay pot. And while I was no expert, it looked healthy.

"I've looked around you know." I said, as he took the pot and examined it critically, "and the 'failures' you sell are held in very high regard." He snorted, sounding like I had just insulted him, "I'm sure that when you make something of this, you'll make others happy too."

"I will take your advice to heart." He said, still sounding cold, but sincere, "Is that all?"

"Yes, Lord Soma." I replied, "Thank you."

* * *

I was just finishing a small carving on a block of wood when Hestia Bell and Lilly returned. Carefully, I put the block down and stood, giving them my best butler bow. "Welcome home."

* * *

So ends another chapter. A little eventful, if not exceptionally exciting.

Until next time, good readers.


	14. Chapter 14

Welcome back!

Aside from introducing Welf early, not much is exceptionally different on the time line. A few other small changes have also happened, but only people who have read the books would have a clue. :)

The party only stops, when the healer is dead and we've run out of potions.

* * *

Chapter 13

As usual, Bell and I sparred in the early morning chill. I was having an easier time following his movements, but I couldn't keep up with him. My enhanced toughness made up for my lack of speed, but I knew that it wouldn't always be the case. I would have to find another edge soon, or I simply wouldn't be able to keep up with Bell enough to remain an effective sparring partner.

Even though we were planning on going to the dungeon, I started to draw on my magic to boost my speed, and was just able to keep up with him by the time the sun peeked over the wall, ending our sparring session.

"Bell, you're amazing." I said, shaking out the tingles in my limbs from the magic adrenalin. "I'm going to have to work even harder to keep up.

"You're amazing too, Miss Kodori!" He said with his usual mix of humility and sincerity, "It felt like I was hitting an wall when I punched you." He shook his hand out for emphasis.

I rubbed my side where he had landed his only really solid strike, feeling a little tender. "Still hurt a little. Shall we go?"

* * *

I was kind of funny, seeing Welf and Lilly waiting on opposite sides of the fountain. Welf was watching the sunrise creep over the wall, while Lilly was sitting down, her pack resting beside her. Being familiar with Welf, Bell and I split off, his white hair bobbing as he walked towards Lilly, and I to the smith.

He had an impressive looking broad sword resting over one shoulder. The blade was fairly long and wide, making me think of a titanic carving knife. Welf himself was dressed in sort of black half kimono shirt and tough looking pants and boots. I wondered why more people didn't wear armour, but didn't think on it too hard.

"Welf." I called out, his eyes turning towards me and widening slightly. As usual I had put on my armoured gauntlets and arm guards, as well as plated shin guards. But I was also wearing what I felt was proper clothing. Our style of shirt matched, though mine was 'Hostess of Fertility' green. And I wore black pants to go with them. Black goes with everything.

"Looking good." He replied, picking up a small backpack from the ground and shouldering it, "You had a partner?"

"Other side of the fountain, getting our supporter." I replied, walking around, "Let's get you introduced."

A brief introduction later, and we were off to the dungeon. I walked ahead a little with Lilly, while Welf and Bell talked shop. I let them have their space, figuring that Bell knew what he wanted, and didn't need my input.

"What do you carry in that anyhow? It's huge." I asked Lilly.

By the time she had finished telling me, we had walked to the tower. She would have put an entire boy scout group to shame with all of the things in that giant backpack. It made me even more confident about our upcoming trip.

"Oh?" Welf stopped just before we were about to take the path down to the first floor, head turning and feet stopping to read a poster that looked like a wanted sign. "Warning to all adventurers, several out of place monsters have been witnessed near the upper floors. Do not engage unless you are confident in your chances. A hunting quest has been issued." He read aloud, "Huh."

"Well, let's be careful then." I said, practising my reading skills on the poster myself, trying not to mumble the words too loudly. "Wonder if they have a printing press..." I murmured in English.

"What was that?" Welf asked, shrugging when I shook my head to brush it off. "Yeah, let's just be careful. We all know the upper floors pretty well right?" We all nodded, "So if there is a problem, we run. Easy right?"

* * *

We didn't linger on the upper floors long. I had handed out the salamander wool cloaks to Bell and Lilly, and Welf had one ready in his little pack, so if we wanted to travel down even further, we could. I was pleased at how light it was, the weird fabric not tangling around my arms as I did a little shadow boxing.

"Wish we had these a few days ago." I said, nudging Bell.

"Yeah." He replied, rolling his shoulders.

* * *

It was around the middle of floor eight when we really started to notice the monsters. Having only an animal like intelligence, meant that weaker monsters usually didn't bother attacking stronger adventurers or parties. Though, the bigger the monster, the more territorial it was, and would usually attack, no matter the perceived strength of the trespasser.

The first real challenge we encountered was a pair of those hard armoured beasts. These were slightly larger than the one I had fought, but proved to be much easier.

Bell led the encounter with a firebolt. Welf got his first surprise of the day when the white haired boy just called out his spell with no chant, and scorched a line into the side of one of them. Seasoned veteran that he was, he didn't question it, just got ready and took his place to assist Bell. Welf also proved himself with that great sword of his, wedging it between the armoured plates of the monster with a single sideways swing, leaving it open for Bell to find a soft spot with his dagger.

All the while that was happening, I was playing tag with the other. Once I saw that the two of them were well into handling the first one, I stopped distracting the second, and started my own offence. Like I had with the first one, I dodged to the side and tipped it over by striking the top as it spun.

Unlike last time, I simply spun on my back leg and gave it a roundhouse kick with as much strength as I could. My kick made it roll crazily, breaking its curled up shape and making it slam into a wall near where we had entered the room.

I got in close so it wouldn't try rolling up again, and started dodging its beak like mouth and digging claws while kicking it every time it missed me.

I waited until I had hopped back just right, both feet lining up just so, before springing forward and slamming my fist into the shell just above its head. It felt like the wood log I had cracked, except this time, I split the shell, my hand plunging into the monsters body.

It flailed about desperately, its head slamming into the side of my leg, a claw scraping against my shin guard, before I found what I was looking for, and ripped the magic stone free. With a gasp, the monster dissolved into black powder, thankfully taking the gunk I had just had my arm in with it.

Bell clapped, Welf gave me an impressed whistle, and Lilly put the stone I handed to her in her giant pack. I was rather pleased with myself, and the others. We had handled something that Eina had warned us against, hardly breaking a sweat. So after a quick discussion, we headed further down.

I'd never been past the seventh until today, but with the four of us, working together and carefully, we managed to reach the tenth without using any of our supplies. As we descended the ramp to the tenth, I noticed something very odd.

It was more like an open space than a dungeon, with petrified trees springing up from the landscape here and there. A thick mist clung to the floor, obscuring the floor almost completely and thinning out as it got to just above me knees.

"This is..." I mumbled, looking around like a tourist, looking up at the oddly high ceiling.

"Miss Kodori and Master Bell? This is your first time here?" Lilly asked, her white robe blending in with the mist until only her head and shoulders were really visible.

"Down here," Welf started, "You have to worry about orcs and bats. Occasionally imps too."

"Wonderful." I sighed, "I can't even throw things without them breaking uselessly. Does anyone have a bow?"

"I can use my magic." Bell said, without a hint of pride. "Lilly?"

"Lilly has this." She pulled a little crossbow from her robe, it didn't look very strong, but she sounded confident enough.

"Plenty of rocks around." Welf answered, "I've got a pretty good arm, if I do say so myself."

"Good enough." I said. "I suppose I could just jump after them if I had to." We all nodded to each other, and started to walk away from the entry to the floor above.

* * *

"These are orcs?" I asked, looking at a group of five humanoid pig faced monsters wearing nothing but scraps of leather around its hips. I frowned as two of them each grabbed a petrified tree and simply plucked it out of the ground, making it into a large and crude club. "They are huge."

"Take it easy girl." Welf said, standing beside me, "They swing hard, but aren't very fast. The trees are like stone, so if you can punch through a hard armoured, you should be able to break those too."

I felt my tail twitch at him calling me 'girl' in such an easy tone. But I took in the advice from some one who knew what he was talking about. Ego has no room on the battlefield. "You've got the reach, go after that one. I'll try to keep those ones occupied, Bell? Last one yours?"

"I think I can." He replied with his usual humility.

"Lilly? Keep an eye out." I said to her, giving her a thumbs up.

"Lilly is ready." She replied seriously.

I picked up a loose rock from the ground, tossed it lightly from hand to hand, and then gave it my best overhand throw. With my new strength, I could have easily doubled the world record for 'fastest ball thrown' back home, but for all its speed, it simply tapped the nearest orc on the side of the head and exploded like a handful of chalk. As one they all looked towards us, then started stomping towards us with hostile purpose.

Welf Bell and I dashed forward to meet them, veering off as we got closer to our intended targets. Welf and his club wielding opponent slammed together with the sound of metal on stone, the orc's club shattering in a spray of rock a moment later. I lost track of Bell as he started to dart and weave around his opponent's much heavier weapon, his long metal dagger glinting in the dim light. As I got to the first of the three weaponless orcs, I did a few quick sliding steps, braced my front foot, ducked under his first punch, and gave the monster's closest knee my best right hook.

I felt the impact all the way to my left shoulder as my fist connected. The knee itself seemed to explode under the orc's skin, and I was able to follow through with my punch instead of stopping cold and probably breaking my arm. It screamed in pain as it fell, a long porcine squoink noise that hurt my ears.

Undeterred by their now falling comrade, the other two closed on me, forcing me to hop and twist around grasping hands and swinging fists. I was thankful they were built like humans, saving me the trouble on how to figure out how they would move. Welf was right, they were slow, but strong, and after dealing with people much faster than myself I was able to dodge freely.

Until something like broken glass being scrubbed against a blackboard assaulted my ears. I think I heard some one yell 'bats', but I was now stumbling around trying not to get squashed by two angry orcs. The sudden noise had completely thrown my balance off and the slow orcs were catching up to me.

I stumbled out of the way of a fist, managed to lean past a shuffling kick before the noise simply clicked off. I caught sight of a blue shape falling out of the air, and Lilly holding one side of her head and the little hand crossbow.

One of the orcs tagged me with a meaty fist before I could catch my balance again, and I ended up rolling along the floor a few times before popping up to my feet and facing them again.

And then the noise happened again. Ears still ringing from the first one, I managed to fight through the noise, but only enough so I didn't get hit again. Frustrated, I bit my lip until I tasted blood, focused on the sharp pain instead of the ringing one, and tried to block it all out by getting angry at it. I dodged again, slamming my shin angrily into the side of one of the orcs feet, tripping it and making it tumble forward. I hopped onto its back and brought my heel down on the back of its neck, not pausing to see if I'd killed it, and rolled to the side. I was lucky I hadn't stopped, as I watched a stone tree pass through where I'd been an instant ago.

Growling, I got to my feet again, kicked the head of the downed orc, then jumped at the third one. It had picked up a tree and was getting ready for another swing. I did a forward roll under the swing, and as soon as my feet touched the ground again, I straightened them as hard as I could and launched myself at the orc, driving the heel of my hand into its chin with a straight armed strike. As my jump carried me past it, I watched its head twist around, and heard the snap, even over the high pitched noise.

I didn't celebrate after I landed. I looked for what ever was making the noise, and saw the two boys dealing with a small flock of large bat monsters. Bell was being his acrobatic self and timing his jumps with Welf, who was throwing rocks. He was indeed a good shot, but the bats were pretty agile. But when he did miss, Bell was already in the air, cutting the bat out of the sky. Lilly was also timing her shots, shooting as fast as she could reload. I couldn't really hear anything over the occasional new screech and the already vicious ringing in my ears, so I keep lookout. The orcs were all down, the one I had first hit had its head mostly cut off by what was probably Welf's great sword, and the others were wounded enough to certainly not be getting up again. I checked myself for injuries while I watched, thinking the bruise on my shoulder wouldn't hamper movement.

"..." I heard something, but couldn't make out the words. Some one tugged my sleeve by my elbow, "..." I looked down to see Lilly, who offered me a potion. She tapped her ear and offered the potion again when I shook my head.

So I drank the potion. And all at once, my hearing restored itself. It was like taking my head out from under a pillow and surfacing from under water.

I looked over to Welf, who was casually tossing a handful of stones up and down with one hand and pointed, "We are making a sound proof helmet later!" I said, making him jump a little as if I had actually poked him. "That was the most awful thing I have had happen to me." I looked to Bell and repeated myself, "Most, awful!" Bell flinched at that, scratching the back of his head nervously.

Even getting cooked by the fire, I at least saw it coming, and tried to do something about it. That noise was like being next to a fog horn you didn't know was there.

I felt a vibration in the floor, and turned to see more orcs stomping towards us. My knuckles popped as I curled my hands into fists.

* * *

"Wow." Welf commented later, as we sat near the tenth floor entrance. "Remind me never to get you angry."

The ringing in my ears had just died down again from the most recent encounter. The three of them were sitting across from me as we made ready for lunch. I felt like I was getting teased, but we had been fighting on and off for about four hours now, and those bats had finally set me off to the point of drawing on my magic. Bell had to tell me I was glowing again before I had calmed down enough to stop ripping wings off of every bat I had managed to grab.

I realized that they were indeed teasing me, so I played along, trying to restore the mood of the party by pouting as comically as I could.

"So you actually stood in the way of a magic sword?" Welf asked at some point after we had eaten.

"Bats still worse." I said, though I rubbed a hand through my shortened hair. "Aside from the missing clothing, at least." I gave Lilly the lightest of punches to the shoulder, "It was for the best cause though."

Our party's mood restored, Lilly grabbed her shoulder and fainted against Bell, who blushed amazingly as Lilly said, "Master Bell, save me from the scary fox."

"Yes, save her, or I will carry her away and pet her ears! Mwahaha..."

Welf was laughing at us, slapping his knee.

"Alright alright." I said after a moment, "Should we con... What was that?"

As one, we all stopped laughing and looked around, there it was again, a vibration in the floor that I felt go right up to my knee. Through the mist, I spotted what looked like a torchlight, an instant before it got bigger, and much brighter. Welf, facing me, saw the look on my face and turned around quickly, "Drake!" He yelled, an instant before something in the distance roared like an bus sized lion.

He spin around and tackled me to the ground, hands reaching behind me and grabbing a corner of the salamander cloak I was wearing, I saw Lilly cling to Bell, the little palum girl grabbing her own salamander cloak and Bell's at the same time, wrapping them both up, before Welf obscured my vision with my own cloak.

The heat passed over head, and it felt like my partially exposed legs were exposed to a blowtorch before I could curl up properly under my cloak with Welf. The instant the heat passed, he flipped the cloak off of us, and shoved me as hard as he could. I rolled with it, catching a glimpse of him frantically pulling his own cloak out of his pack. I bounced to my feet as fast as I could, and nearly fell when my leg faltered under my weight. My boots, a gift from Mia, were charred black, and one of my pant legs had been burned in a few places, my skin feeling blistered. "Now what?" I yelled as Bell and Lilly got to their feet and split apart, trying not to line up with Welf and I.

The drake lumbered out of the mist. It was at least as tall as an orc, with a body as long as a bus, with a tail that swept back and forth angrily. Huge and scaly, mouth full of fire, I felt my scalp itch as I broke into a cold sweat. I shook my head angrily, yelling again, "Well?"

"FIREBOLT!" Bell answered, his lightning encased lance of fire slamming into the shoulder of the drake, making it flinch and growl, but not much else. It turned away from Welf, the closest, and looked at Bell, hand still outstretched, "FIREBOLT!"

Welf shook his head, his face looking how I felt, afraid. Admiring the crazy white haired kid, but afraid. "We can't kill it!" He yelled over the drake as the second firebolt made it roar at us. "Our cloaks won't stop a direct hit! It's body can boil water instantly! My sword won't scratch it!"

Welf didn't run, but he didn't get closer. The long neck of the drake tracked Bell as a third firebolt crashed into it. It took a deep breath, its body behind the shoulders and its belly near the ground glowing red hot.

We all got out of the way, the burning stream of fire scorching the ground and partially melting a stone tree that was caught in its path. "It has its weaknesses!" I said, pointing to the still red hot spots on its scales, "The red spots! They have to be thinner to light up like that. Thin metal heats faster!"

Bell let out a few more firebolts as Welf and I got closer. I felt like an idiot, like I had when I chased after the now dead Soma Familia member. But this time I had a plan. Sort of. "Watch out for the tail!" I yelled at Welf as the drake curled its body first one way then the other.

I realized an instant too late that I should have taken my own advice. The second shake of its rear was followed by its body curling the other way, sending its tail lashing like a snapped cable towards me. I couldn't jump it, so I desperately curled my arms in towards my chest, arm guards out, feet braced, and pushed as much of my magic to the surface of my skin as I could.

Had I not been superhumanly tough, I'd likely have left nothing but a pair of boots behind. As it was, I was lifted into the air, and sent backwards in a crazy twisting spiral that left both arms numb, ribs screaming in pain, and my back feeling scraped raw when I came to a stop some where past where Bell was throwing out firebolts. I coughed once, tasting blood, ribs feeling jagged against my sides.

A little hand entered my vision and all but forced a potion past my teeth and down my throat. I heard the rush of displaced air, and my brave little supporter covered us both with her cloak. "Lilly thinks we should run!" She said into my ear over the roar of flames as they past nearby.

"It will probably just follow us." I coughed again, but the potion had done its work and I was breathing without feeling anything sharp inside. I pushed away from Lilly as gently as I could and faced the drake again. "Give me one of those new potions." I said, holding out a hand, "A mind potion too."

I took the potions in hand, still watching the battle. Bell was panting hard, running sideways and bringing a mind potion to his lips. Welf was almost in the drake's face, taking swings at its nose when it tried to bite him. I could see a long slash on the drake's flank where one of those red hot spots on it was. It looked like it was bleeding lava.

"Hey Lilly." I said, watching Welf cut another line into the drake, "When we get back, I'll let you pet my ears." I smiled at her and ran back towards the drake, downing the dual potion and taking a deep breath as the double rush of healing tingles and mint rushed through me.

Welf was suddenly batted aside, even though he managed to interpose his sword, he was launched into the air as a great clawed foot swept him away. Bell spotted me, and ran towards Welf to help him recover, "Be careful!" He yelled as I ran past.

"Hit it in the chin." I said in reply. "I am the hand of my Goddess!" I yelled, downing the second potion before breathing in again. "I carry Her hope!" I downed my own mind potion, watching as the drake focused on me. I could see my arms glowing as I ran forward, "I deliver Her wrath!" I saw the beast breath in, the cuts where Welf had slashed the thinner scales spurting a sudden gout of lava like blood, "None shall ignore Her judgement! And I pass it now!"

I saw the flames in its mouth, and I almost faltered, imagining the sudden rush of fire cooking me alive. I felt my magic surge wildly, untamed within, but a sudden lance of red shot past me and slammed the drake low on the mouth, pointing its head suddenly downwards. Bell had just returned the favour, and I raged at myself for even thinking of running away. "GUILTY!" I yelled, at myself, and the drake, throwing my magic down to my feet, and towards my arm, my blazing purple fist crashing into the top of the drake's skull, an instant before a deafening boom split the air around me.

* * *

".., ..e's w.. .p." some one mumbled.

".hat ..s .ra.y." Some one else muttered.

I cracked open an eye, seeing the misty ceiling of the tenth floor and some white hair just to my right. I started to move, but felt a lancing pain in my right arm, nearly screaming at its suddenness.

"Whoa!" Welf said, putting a hand on my left shoulder, "You nearly tore your own arm off. Just lay back a moment."

I didn't resist the push and settled back down. "What..." I started, "It's dead?"

"Miss Lilly is working on it right now." Bell said, putting something in my mouth. It tasted like leather, "Bite that. Mr. Welf? Hold her down?"

'Oh crap.' Was about all I could think before I bite down on the leather and felt new pain explode inside my arm. I did my best to push myself back into the ground, to not struggle, as Bell set my arm. Three times.

Blinded by tears I looked up at Welf, who lifted off my shoulders and took what ever it was out of my mouth. "We can't give you any more potions until that is looked at. Or it might heal badly." He explained, "Worst is over though."

"Lilly needs help!" our supporter said, calmly. "Lilly is too short!"

"I'll go, Bell, you talk to her." Welf said, giving me a light tap on the shoulder and moving away.

Bell nodded in agreement, "Miss Kodori is amazing. But Lady Hestia is going to be mad." He said, making my heart sink. "When you hit the Drake, you broke its skull. But your arm..." He moved over a little, and put his hand under my head, then very carefully lifted a bit.

My eyes teared over as more pain crawled under the skin of my arm. After I was mostly sitting up, I looked down at it. They had cut off my gauntlet and forearm guard, and the sleeve of my shirt. They were in a neat pile to the side. My arm itself looked like something had broken through from underneath in no less than three places. I didn't dare try and twist my arm to see if there were more, but I thought I could feel them.

"Yes... She is going to be pretty mad." I said, trying to make light of the situation, "Guess this is it for the day. Do you think that is the monster they were talking about?"

"I don't know." Bell replied. "Here, slowly..." He got around to my left and helped me to my feet. "See?" He pointed at the beast, as it lay on the floor.

Body as long as a bus, tail as long as its body. Neck about half as long as either, and topped with a veritable forest of dagger long teeth. The drake was dead, its head caved as if the hammer of Thor had taken offence.

Or the fist of Hestia.

"Welf made sure, I see." I said, pointing with my chin at Welf's great sword sticking out from behind the dragon's skull, right where I'd imagine the brain to be.

"Yes. It was still moving a little after you hit it. He just wanted to make sure." Bell replied, letting me walk on my own, but staying within arms reach of me as we walked over. "Miss Lilly? Mr. Welf?"

"How are we going to get this all back upstairs?" Welf complained, "Teeth, hide, claws... I've never heard of anyone getting so much out of a drake before.

"Lilly did want to see one bite me." I commented, making Lilly blush and look away from me. "Well too bad." I used my good hand to pat her head, "You had a couple of hiding blankets? We can wash or replace them later. If we really must, we should just leave what we can't take behind."

"Are you kidding?" Welf asked. I could almost see the smiths eyes change into sparkles of lust for the materials, "The things we could make of this..."

"Yes yes." I replied, wincing as I almost used my broken arm to wave at him. "Lets hurry then. I'll yell if I see anything."

* * *

I insisted on carrying something, so Welf loaded my small pack with all of the small little back teeth that we could pry out of the drake before it finally dissolved. Lilly's massive bag was almost bursting, and both Bell and Welf had make shift bags made from dungeon floor coloured cloth that Lilly had said were used for hiding under.

"Those new potions Nazza gave us work really well." I commented, "When she makes enough to start selling them more openly, I'm sure she will pay off her Familia's debts easily."

"So that's what you drank." Welf commented. "It didn't look right for a healing potion, or a mind potion." He laughed, "You had that, and two mind potions?"

"Until recently, I would mind down when I used my magic." I replied, "I didn't want to pass out if I didn't kill it." I sighed, "I did anyway, but at least it died."

"No kidding. You really hit that drake hard."

We were about half way back, moving from the sixth floor to the fifth, when I felt something weird. It was almost like a change in pressure, like some one opening a door out of hearing range.

And Welf was suddenly swatted away with a great metallic clang.

I felt something hot sliding down my side, and my legs gave out. A great horned bull head filling my vision before I flopped onto my back, fresh pain lancing up my arm.

"FIREBOLT!" Flame filled my vision this time, the bull head staggering away before Welf gasped out, "Minotaur!"

Something told me not to move. I heard Bell yell, Lilly scream, and Welf swear. A clash of metal, the bellow of something not quite animal, not quite human.

"Lilly! Bandage!" Welf said, I a strong hand grabbing my left hand and pulling me along the floor. "Bell! Hold it off!"

I convulsed as something touched my side, lighting up my nerves from my left heel to my right ear. "Lilly, get help, give me that. You know the way up best. She's going into shock! Water water..."

A hand covered my nose and mouth, and some one poured water onto my face. I shook my head and blinked rapidly to clear my vision, but a hand kept me from getting up. "Bell is keeping it busy." Welf said into my ear, "Bastard nearly cut me in half, and got you across the side. Bite."

Mind simply taking things in, I tasted leather again and bit down, then something cold splashed over my side. I heard fabric rip, and Welf swear again. Going more for speed, he pressed something against my side, and started looping a bandage around my middle. Bell was fighting, his distinct style of hit and run unmistakeable even if I could only listen. He was pulling out all the stops to keep the minotaur at bay.

"You owe me a drink after this lady." Welf said to me, tying the bandage, "Come on, say something."

Realizing suddenly, that he was talking to me, I said, "Ow."

"It's a start, sit up, slowly! Put pressure here." Hand moving on automatic, I pressed down where he put my hand. I was a little worried that I could hardly feel it. "Bastard..." Welf cursed. I looked at his sword, seeing that the blade had been cracked.

"Can you help him?" I asked, my voice sounding like some one else was speaking.

"I can try." He said, "But I can hardly stand right now. And my sword won't last."

The minotaur was huge. Almost as tall as an orc, it was basically a walking bull, with muscles that would outclass even the best body builders back home. It was swinging a huge sword too. The blade itself was probably longer than I was tall, and the edge of its great blade was chipped and abused. I noticed absently that there was blood dripping off the tip.

Bell was panting hard, his body and clothes torn and bloody. I watched as he defended himself and while he blocked the blow, he was sent flying into a wall, his chest plate falling off of him as the front cracked and the straps could no longer hold it in place.

"Here!" I heard Lilly. "Please! Save Master Bell!"

"Oh... Hello." I said, feeling like I should be waving, but deciding not to. "Ais! Hello! Welf! That's Ais. She's with Loki Familia."

Welf was crouched near my foot, on one knee and using his sword to support himself. He waved weakly. "Sorry, she's in shock." He said, voice strained, "Could you please help?"

Everyone from the Loki Familia party was there. I felt my tail wag happily as the severe looking elf walked over to me before she knelt and put a hand on my head. "Your name is... Riviera, right? Syr from the Hostess told me. Oh, that tingles."

I couldn't stop myself from chattering. My days dormant logical side was yelling and screaming for me to shut up, but the rest of me was holding its metaphoric hands over its ears going 'lalala I can't hear you.'.

"She's in shock... Who set this?" A pause as she lightly touched my arm, making me shiver. "Good work. Here. Hold still, then hold her still." I liked her voice. It reminded me of my favourite teacher back in grade school.

"What are we just going to watch? You think he can beat it?" I heard some one ask just before Welf hugged me tightly around the shoulders.

"Hey, I said no hugging." I giggled, an instant before my arm felt like some one had put a porcupine inside of it. Welf hugged me tighter as I struggled, and a hand held mine, and I couldn't help but squeeze as hard as I could.

"Done babysitting yet Riviera?" That arrogant voice said again. "What's all this stuff anyhow."

I looked over to see Bete nudge a drake tooth with his boot.

"Open your hand." I heard my favourite teacher say into my ear. Not wanting to disappoint her, I did. "Close it again?" Again, I obeyed, closing my hand on something that felt like a ball. "As hard as you can?" Still watching Bete complain, but not really hearing him, I squeezed down with as much strength as I could, hearing something crack. "Good, relax."

I felt a hand on my forehead, "Help her up." Welf got under my left arm and helped me stand. Once satisfied I wouldn't pass out or fall over, he moved his hands away, but I could feel his body heat next to me. "Give her a little time, her head will clear."

"Thank you teacher." I said, smiling at Riviera, making her frown but not angrily.

"Thanks. Are you going to help?" Welf said, helping me walk towards the others who were standing out of reach of Bell and the minotaur.

"He doesn't want it." Ais said, hand on her sword, a long rapier.

I looked over to where Bell was fighting. Be was even worse looking now. All that was left of his clothing was his black undershirt and pants. His long dagger was broken and discarded off in the corner, and he was holding his Hestia dagger firmly in his right hand. Both of them were breathing heavily, the huge minotaur's breath steaming in the cool dungeon air.

"You can do it Bell! Think circles around that beast!" I yelled out, Welf holding my shoulder so I wouldn't jump up and down.

"Is this fox stupid or something?" I heard Bete say, "What's up with her?"

"She killed a drake earlier." Welf said, turning to face him.

"Her? A drake? Bullshit!" Bete spat.

"Lilly saw it too. Miss Kodori punched it." Lilly defended me.

"Ha! What idiot punches a drake?" Bete snorted.

I was too busy, or at least, my mind was too focused and underpowered, to take in more than the fight before me. The two combatants had taken about thirty seconds to simply stare at each other after I yelled my encouragement at Bell. Both shouting, they rushed at one another. I saw the minotaur swing that massive sword sideways, looking to cleave Bell in half, but Bell dropped both knees, sliding like some dagger wielding rock star across a stage, catching his balance just as the sword swung over his head, and jamming the Hestia knife into the minotaur's wrist. Dark blood sprayed from the wound as his momentum and the dagger's keen edge opened the beast right to the elbow, the giant sword falling from numb fingers.

It only went down hill for the monster from there. Heartened by his fist truly solid strike, Bell spun and cut the beast along the back of its knee. He twisted away from a clumsy sweep of its mangled arm, and rolled, picking up the fallen great sword with his free hand.

Using its good leg, the minotaur tried to gore Bell with its horns, but Bell met the horn with a great one handed overhead swing of the huge blade, smashing against one of its horns and cutting it clean off its head. It roared as the blade followed through and gouged into its shoulder.

"Holy... Shit." Bete said.

I had apparently drifted slightly over, and only really noticed when I was standing next to Ais. "Hey Ais." I said, once I did notice.

"Hm?" Her eyes were still on the fight, the tension in her body making me think of a coiled spring, even though it looked like she was standing still.

"Thank you for helping Bell." I said, "You're the second best thing to cross his path."

Behind me, I heard the other elf, Lefiya, I think her name was, gasp and grumble quietly at me.

Ahead of me I watched as Bell had the great blade shatter and leave bloody shards behind as he cut into the minotaur again. He threw what was left at the beast, creating an opening for him to cut into its belly. It screamed, surprisingly high pitched for something so big, as Bell crammed his hand into the wound and shouted.

"FIREBOLT!" It screamed again, its body expanding slightly, its chest glowing, "FIREBOLT!" Bell yelled again, flame bursting out of the minotaur's shoulder and some of the the cuts on its chest. "FIREEEEEEEBOLT!"

The minotaur simply exploded. Its upper body bubbled like some bizarre marshmallow, before it simply let out the flame Bell had forced into it, vanishing into black mist, leaving behind a magic stone, that clinked to the floor, loud in the sudden silence.

* * *

Welf told me later, that I was jumping up and down like a very happy idiot at that point, but I didn't really remember.

Those from Loki Familia helped the four of us gather up our scattered loot, and escorted our broken party back to the surface, before doing what ever it was they were going to do, and heading back into the dungeon. Eina was just happening by when Welf took the poster we had passed on the way in down, ripping it into little bits with a grin.

Understandably, she was a little upset at our appearance. I was covered in blood. Bell was covered in blood with no armour on and almost no shirt. Welf's sword was a lost cause, the blade having been cracked half way through. Lilly's hood and the front of her robe was bloody, and her giant back pack had scorch marks all over it, though it was still able to hold everything.

We didn't have to say we were all idiots who almost got ourselves killed. Our appearance told that tale loud and clear.

I surprised everyone, by apparently giving the very angry guild employee a giant hug, and telling her that she was really adorable when she was mad, and lessons in dungeon survival should be given an award.

Welf also told me that later, though I didn't remember that either.

* * *

I don't remember how we got everything home. I think, Lilly and Welf took what they could to his workshop for storage. Bell helped me home, as I (Bell told me this one) was singing in English some song that sounded really heroic. I was probably very tired and suffering from blood loss and shock still.

I do remember, however, part of a conversation.

"I remembered." He said, smiling up at me. His red eyes just as honest and clear as always, even though he looked like he had fallen through a very tall tree. "You did the same thing to me once."

"Hm?" I was holding his shoulder for support, just in case my legs gave out, or I started to drift sideways (again.)

"You ducked under my arm and hit my elbow. Then tripped me from behind." He replied.

"Oh!" I did recall that. He had tried to swing his dagger at my chest, but I ducked and swept out his legs, "See? Bruise now, win later."

"Kodori is very wise." He replied with that smile again.

I wanted to disagree, but I couldn't, not in front of that smile. "I try." I said instead, "And I'm glad you're there to help me when I'm not so wise."

I couldn't remember much past that, though the fog suddenly cleared when a bucket of ice water splashed against my naked side.

"Bwah?" my most coherent sentence of the hour I'm sure.

My face was suddenly filled with divine anger, as Hestia grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me as hard as she could. I'm sure the words 'idiot' and 'stupid' and 'grounded for the rest of your life' were in there some where, but I let her rant at me as much as she wanted.

I was all those things, after all.

Eventually, she calmed down, and she gave me a hug. As I did last time, I pet her hair until she stopped sniffling, and then pushed her away gently.

"I already owe Lilly an ear pet." I said, "So today, I will wash your hair."

I couldn't apologize for what I had done today. It was something I had to do. Or at least try. I didn't want to worry my Goddess, but that was the nature of our job.

So, while I had her sitting in front of me on a little stool, at my hair washing mercy, I told her about my day. Confident that she wouldn't turn around and start yelling at me again. After I was done, and rinsed her hair, I stopped her from getting up. "Hold still. I'm going to try something."

She and I emerged from the shower, squeaky clean. I was wearing a fresh set of clothing, while our Goddess was in set of pink P.J.'s, "Well Bell? What do you think?" I asked, giving Hestia a little nudge forward.

While she was at my mercy, so to speak, I had taken her usual twin tails and braided them. She had a lot of hair, and the result was close to what I had, before all my hair got burned off. Her sleek black hair was now braided almost down to her knees. She did a little spin in place for the boy, just for show.

I kind of wondered what she would look like in a pair of square rimmed glasses.

I don't think I will ever get tired of watching Bell blush. His almost white skin and snow white hair made him look like some kind of beacon. He stammered out something that sounded suitably complimenting, before I smiled my 'about to be mean' smile, and said, "I'm going to stretch a little outside. Don't be too hard on him, he's been the best team player all day today."

Watching Bell go even more pale than he usually was already, was also very amusing.

* * *

Notes of noteworthiness.

I know the tone of the story took a bit of a silly turn near the end. But, since this is also done in a first person perspective, and our hero(?) was suffering from shock, blood loss, and coming off of a potion induced high, I was trying to capture the feeling of that in words. I am also trying to very gently compress a few smaller events, to make up for the Hestia Familia's new members. I'm honestly wondering if I'm doing it right.

I'm also wondering if I'm getting some of the interactions right. Welf always struck me as a confident, competent person, who would still talk sense instead of letting pride take over. Lilly makes me think of a very VERY smart person, who is sometimes very down on herself. Bell... Well, he's the hero. He does heroic things and manages to survive, while never compromising when his sense of justice is tested.

Anyhow, rant over. Look forward to more, dear readers.


	15. Chapter 15

Again, dear readers, you return.

Timeline wise, we are roughly around the end of book 3, where Bell levels up. The next little while, I will go over that story arc, and eventually, get to book 5 and 6, which are after the anime itself.

Dawn breaks. Now roll craft: Day to fix.

* * *

Chapter 14

"I think she's in shock." I mumbled to Bell.

"I think so too." He mumbled back.

"Is reaching level two such a big deal?" I asked.

"Some don't reach level two for years... I think the last record was held by Miss Wallenstein, at one year." He replied.

I blinked at that, both Bell and I looking at our Goddess who was gently swaying back and forth as she sat on the bed. "So... You managed in... A month you said?"

"And you did it in three weeks." He replied.

Unable to really say anything about that, I simply held out my fist, prompting Bell to tap my knuckles with his own. "So... Now what?"

"I'm not sure." He said honestly, "Miss Eina will want to know. The guild requires all information like that."

I gently picked up our Goddess, who was still looking off into the distance at some invisible thing, and lay her down on the bed properly. "Well, on the way we can tell the nice lady at the potato snack store Lady Hestia will be late, at best." Bell nodded, and we both looked at the sheets of paper Hestia had given us before zoning out.

Kodori Level: 2

Power: B 701 - S 943 - I 0

Endurance: S 956 - S 997 - I 0

Dexterity: D513 - B 763 - I 0

Agility: C 634 - A 825 - I 0

Magic: S 943 - S 999 - I 0

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats and magic resistance.

-Home of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant natural armour.

-Judgement of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant increased strength.

Boost is greater in the defence of others.

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

Titan's stance

Becomes immovable when Titan's grip is active.

Kitsune's Rage

Grants a boost in strength.

May lose control.

Developmental ability choices.

Mage

Magic resistance

Spirit Healing

Fist Fighter

"What's this at the end here?" I asked Bell, "I have to choose?"

"I'm... not sure. We should go see Miss Eina." He scratched his head, then folded his paper neatly.

"Good idea. But first..."

* * *

Nothing really felt different between Bell and I when we sparred that morning. He was his usual speedy self, and I was hard pressed to keep up with him, relying on my internal magic to keep up. I saw that Bell's magic stat, when I peeked at his page, was rather low compared to mine. This was probably why. I refused to fall behind, and used every tool I could to keep up.

"Bell?" I called out to him as we ended a 'round' of sparring. "I'm going to try something."

He looked surprised for a moment. We usually said nothing to each other until we finished, the usual exception being 'I give' 'ouch' and 'are you okay'. To his credit, he didn't relax, break stance or complain. "Yes Miss Kodori."

I had already been gathering my magic. I had to, just to keep up with his insane speed. I took a deep breath, focused, and imagined myself as a grounding rod. My new status had added something to my Congenital Magic, and before I used it under potentially lethal conditions, I had to have a clear idea on how to make it work. I took another breath, held out my bare hand, supported it with my other, and said to Bell. "Use your magic." I could feel my hair trying to stand on end, and saw that my arms were glowing. "Don't miss."

Again to his credit, he understood what I was trying to do. We had sparred long enough, and he knew my mentality about finding the limits of what we could do, before finding out we couldn't do them at the worst time. So, with his free hand, he faced his palm towards me and said, "Firebolt!"

* * *

"What..." Eina was looking at me with a dumbfounded expression.

"You'll see." I said with a sigh, "It would be easier if you saw first, before the story."

Bell nodded nervously next to me.

My hair, not very long, was standing on end. All of it. I was happy to note that it was perfectly groomed, but otherwise I looked rather silly. My tail was similarly frazzled, making it hurt in spots where it wasn't properly brushed. Even my newly grown eyebrows wanted to stand on end. I also had a scorch mark that travelled from the palm of my hand to my elbow. I was also bare foot.

"So..." Eina began after I told her what had happened, "You asked Bell to use his magic on you." Nod. "And you let him." Another nod. "And when it did, you hair did that, your hand did that, and your boots disintegrated."

Silence descended inside the little consultation room as both Bell and I nodded.

"His magic is like... Light...ning? Yes, lightning and fire." I replied, also learning my new word for the day.

"What does that had to do with anything?" Eina asked, both her and Bell looking confused.

I was about to explain, but realized neither of them had a high school education. I simplified it by saying, "Lightning is like water. It goes through the easiest path to get to where it wants to be. Almost all the time, that place is the ground." Both of them seemed to work that around in their heads for a moment, before nodding. "Bell's magic, and yesterday's fire, were a little to much for my poor boots."

Our adviser sighed the sigh of the truly put upon. "So, what was it you wanted me to see?"

"Bell, move forward a little?" I turned around in my chair and reached behind myself to grab the bottom of my kimono top. Bell scooted his chair forward, and turned around as well.

After we had both exposed our backs, Eina yelled out, "LEVEL TWO?!"

"Both of us." Bell replied.

I put my shirt down and turned around. Eina was even more pale than Bell was usually. "We had a very busy day yesterday." And I started on that story, having Bell fill in for the spots I wasn't awake, or coherent, for. Thankfully, she was in too much shock to yell at us for how incredibly stupid we were. I could have sworn I could see steam coming off her head though.

"Well." she 'ahem'ed. "Just so you know, you aren't actually level two yet." At our surprised looks the continued, "What you saw on the bottom of your stats, were a list of developmental skills. You have to choose one before you officially level up."

"Welf mentioned that." I commented, "He said he needed to become level two before he could take the 'blacksmith' skill, and be truly good at his craft."

"Indeed." Eina nodded, "A good alchemist for example, will always be better than an equally skilled alchemist if they have the 'mixing' skill.

"So how do we choose? We ask Lady Hestia?" Bell asked.

"Yes. When you go home, tell her, and she will make your choice permanent." She then went on to explain some of what these skills meant, just to be clear. With my over-reliance on magic, to be blunt, to not die, my developmental skill choice was focused on that. I wondered if I should double up on resisting magic, or make my magic more potent. I could also choose to just punch things harder, but that would be too simple. I didn't want to be 'Kodori who hit things until they stopped'.

Bell had a few more choices, almost all different than mine. Abnormal resistance for one, sounded really useful, and a popular choice for level two.

"So, now that that is over." Eina said, the room seeming much much colder all of a sudden. "Let's talk about yesterday."

* * *

"At least your hair is back to normal." Bell consoled me. Eina had been quite thorough about her 'after lecture'.

"I think my tail is dead." I replied, trying to move my tail, and failing. It seemed to want to hide against my leg. "Let's go see Welf. Lilly might be there too."

We gradually walked off our 'lecture shock' as we travelled towards the artisan's district. Even my tail recovered. Bell had never actually been here, so I took the time to point a few things out, most of it being 'why is it built like that'?

As expected, Welf was busy at work. The hammering from his anvil distinct amongst the other noises of the nearby shops. When we entered, we found Lilly's pack sitting with all the other loot we had gathered wedged into a corner where Welf's tiny living room and kitchen were. "I honestly don't remember there being this much stuff..." I said, seeing that it was almost to the ceiling.

"Well, you were pretty out of it... heh..." Bell laughed nervously, "I'm surprised Miss Eina didn't say anything about that."

"You should give her a hug too." I teased back, "She's very soft." My tail, now back from hiding, swished over Bell's arm. This had the desired effect of making him become a stammering idiot, so I called out to the house, "Welf!"

The hammering didn't stop, but Lilly came to greet us at the door. Bell took off his shoes and we all entered. "Lilly is happy to see you two." She smiled, moving back into the workshop and sitting on a thin cushion. Watching Mr. Welf work is boring."

The next time Welf brought his hammer down it was a little louder, but he made no comment.

"That's because you don't appreciate the craft." I replied. "Maybe we can get him to make new bolts for your little bow. You're good with it, you should have something special to shoot."

Bell and I sat down and bantered quietly with Lilly for a little while, until Welf put his work aside. It looked like the beginnings of a replacement for his great sword that the minotaur had ruined. "Hey tiny." He said to Lilly, "Where's that horn?"

"Over there." She make a vague gesture with her hand at the titanic loot pile.

"Could you get it then?" He shot back, "I have no idea how you organized that mess."

"Good friends already, I see." I commented.

"We are not!" They said together.

"Sure sure. I'll help you look Lilly."

The rest of the daylight hours were burned away by watching and helping Welf work. I was fascinated by the use of various monster bits in the craft. They all seemed to have metallic properties, melting almost like real metal, and bonded with actual metal readily. Some of the dragon's teeth had gone into Welf's new sword, and a few more had gone towards making Lilly some special ammunition. I used my limited skill with metal to sharpen a few things to save Welf some time, and he was actually impressed with my work. It was just getting dark, and all our stomachs were grumbling, when he finally banked his fire and put his hammer down.

"So." He started, "Aside from being really hungry, what's the plan?"

"Well." I said, checking the edge of Bell's new knife, and being sure to not test it on anything myself, "Bell and I have an announcement." I promptly poked Lilly's nose, and held up a shushing finger to Welf before they could say anything. "No, not that." They both settled back down, while Bell did one of his amusing blushes, "Bell and I are both level two now."

* * *

"My ears hurt." I complained, "I'm sure the whole district heard that."

The four of us were walking towards main street, my suggestion of going to the Hostess was met with a unanimous thumbs up.

"It's incredible." Welf replied giving both Bell and I a light punch in the shoulder, "You've only been at this what? A month? And you've hit level two."

"We couldn't have done it without Mr Welf and Miss Lilly." Bell replied, "Even though Mr. Welf just joined, without you we might not have lived yesterday."

I nodded in agreement. That minotaur ambushed us. And if I had been where Welf was when it struck... "Lilly too." I said, "You helped Bell an I with advice, and being a good supporter. And killing bats." I shuddered, my ears flattening to my head.

"Let's just have a good time tonight. To a successful party!"

* * *

So we partied it up. The girls at the Hostess were all happy to see repeat customers. It meant, in Mia's words, that we won, and came back alive. Arnya did notice that we weren't being shy about our bill, and asked about the occasion. So, we told the story of how Lilly, Welf, Bell and I went to the dungeon, slayed a bunch of monsters, and came out of the dungeon with all kinds of interesting stuff. Luniore was especially proud of me for being able to punch so hard, and Syr congratulated Bell on his first minotaur kill. This she did with a hug that got everyone cheering, except Mia, who waved her ladle to get them back to work. Mia did however, bring out a massive plate of pasta just for Bell, ruffling his hair with her usual motherly look, reserved for those who have been under her care at one point or another. Even I got one, just for coming back.

She did make a disappointed noise at me losing my boots, making me feel like a kid telling mom I'd lost the house key or something.

I think the problems might have started around the time I started drinking. Chloe had put a fresh tray of drinks in front of us, and either forgotten I didn't really drink, or some one else ended up drinking my juice. It tasted good, sweet, fruity and with only a hint of alcoholic burn. When the second and then third mug came around, I realized what I was doing, but it was too late. I dimly remembered getting rowdier, feeling better about the world than I should have any right to feel, then chatting far too openly. Bell was also on his way to being drunk too. Welf, I remember, looked amused at our antics, and Lilly was being quiet, eyes dancing in amusement as her new Familia got sloshed.

Then, it was probably me, mentioned level two.

I couldn't for the life of me think of why everything went quiet, or why Welf and Lilly were clamping hands over our mouths. I do remember paying the bill. And sort of remember being escorted home by Welf and Lilly.

* * *

Sobering up was an interesting experience in my new body. Even before, I never really drank. It just didn't seem productive. It was hard to play video games and remember what you were doing while drunk, and working like a slave in a factory meant my game time was limited. Since I'd only ever had a few sips of anything alcoholic in this body, my tolerance was even lower.

I did remember to drink lots of water, and helped Bell do the same. All while getting disappointed looks from Hestia.

"You just left me here this morning!" She started actually complaining when Bell and I became more aware of things.

"We did tell your boss you would be off today. Even said we were sorry, and bought something from her for breakfast." I replied.

That actually stopped her for a moment, but she was determined to be angry with us. "Lilly remembered to bring you food too?" Bell said hopefully, pointing to a bag on the counter we had both forgotten about until now.

"We also need to finalize our leveling up." I said, "Eina from the guild told us about developmental skills and Bell and I need to choose one.

That broke her bad mood. The food and how well her little Familia was doing. "And Mr. Welf made me a new dagger!" Bell said proudly, starting us off into a recount of how our day went.

* * *

In the end, I chose Mage. Eina had said it would make my magic more effective, and efficient. Hitting mind down every time I let loose was dangerous. So was overdosing on potions. It didn't matter than I couldn't throw magic around like Bell. Bell, following the trend, and honestly making a choice I would have made as well, was Abnormal Resistance. One less way for a monster to get you. Or the air. Or the walls. Or, while I was having a hard time believing it, the trees. I'd have to ask Nazza about some potions for that kind of thing until I myself got the skill. If ever.

"So what are you doing tomorrow?" Hestia asked, "Back to the dungeon?"

"No. Not for at least another day, maybe two. Welf is still making things for us. Bell needs armour, I'd like mine replaced, and not to brag, I think we came home with more valis in a single day, than we have made to date. And that isn't including the items we are letting Welf make into equipment." I perked up, remembering something, "Oh, speaking of. Bell? Where did you put that bag? The blue one?"

"Oh, let me dry my hands." He put the dish he was washing down and went over to our equipment pile by the door. After a little rummaging, he returned and handed Hestia a blue parcel, wrapped in string. "Miss Kodori said we should bring you something, to celebrate.

Surprised, she accepted the parcel and unwrapped it. The ribbon holding it together was the same as the one she always wore around her back and under her impressive bust. Inside, put together by Bell and I, and our observations of out Goddess, was a little bundle of gifts. A spare outfit, exactly like the one she usually wore, only less worn, and a little thicker for warmth. Some fancy soap Nazza made in her spare time. A fancy dress, more like a ball gown really, in case she had something formal to do. A small bag of valis, to replace the money Hestia had to pay for the fine of two Familia fighting, and the blue ribbon, which Bell thought of as a nice touch, since Hestia herself was always wrapped in one. He and I had actually been putting this together over the last few days, hiding it amongst our things so Hestia wouldn't notice. The valis was the last thing we added, being basically dirt poor until we made it home yesterday.

Bell and I gave each other our customary fist bump, as Hestia teared up and gave us both a hug.

This also had the effect of not being told to sleep on the floor because we came home drunk.

* * *

"How many times was that?" I asked Bell, as we ran away, once again, from a group of random Gods and Goddesses suddenly ambushing us trying to recruit us into their Familia.

"Four." He replied, easily keeping pace with me. "Rumour travels fast."

I swore quietly, then said, "Well, we were both drunk, and I blabbed about getting to level two. Now that my head is clear, I see why Lilly and Welf shut us up so fast."

Bell just laughed awkwardly, then, "I wonder what Welf is making today."

"Me too. Keep running."

* * *

"You guys are here early." Welf said, yawning loudly, "Just woke up, wow what a party."

"Yes... About that. Me and my drunken mouth..." I said, kicking off my sandals and following Welf to the workshop. I told him about the run over to his place, and he couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Sure sure. Next time, don't let me drink."

"Why? You're hilarious when you're drunk!" He teased, "I thought all you foxes from out east were all about the booze."

"Never had the taste for it." I replied, not bothering to correct him about my origins. "So what are you putting together today?"

* * *

With mine, and later, Bell's help on some simple finishing touches, Welf put together a new chest plate for him, as well as shin guards and arm guards. Welf also worked in space for Bell to put his daggers in the arm guards, a clever idea. While Welf did some measuring and such for my arms and legs, I asked him a few questions.

"So, since I leveled up, I asked Bell to hit me with his firebolt. It made me think about something. Do you think we could line the inside of my arm guards with something like salamander wool?" I asked, "It might help, in case I needed to catch a firebolt again."

"We can work on some designs." Welf said, "But, I'd honestly want to wait until I reach level two, so all these fancy materials don't get second rate treatment."

I sighed, but understood. It was one of those weird laws of the world here, where having a skill in writing, on your back, was simply better. Recognized but the gods, literally. "Nothing for it then. We still need some other materials though."

* * *

We drew straws, and I was chosen to do some fetch and carry. Most of what we needed was mundane stuff. Leather, thread, basic cloth, oil, that sort of thing. We also needed some more salamander wool, though those could be scraps, and not full sheets. Or even a single cloak that we could cut up. I was also in charge of getting snacks, as per the universal rule of 'friends gather = snacks'.

I made sure to take the side streets, my drunken blunder, and the power of rumour had already made Bell and I some what of a commodity among the various divinities, and I didn't want any more attention than I already had. After I left the first shop, delivery receipt in hand, I could have sworn I felt a pair of eyes on me. Eina did mention that level two would boost my senses past what they were normally.

Remembering what happened a few days ago, I tried to preempt who ever it was I felt watching. With a quick turn, I darted down the nearest alleyway. Using my lessons with Lunoire as an example, I jumped upwards, aiming for the lip of a rooftop. With ease, I caught the side and pulled myself sideways, bleeding off my excess momentum and settling my feet on the rooftop with near perfect balance. I felt a little rush of excitement at how easy it was, despite that I might be in danger.

"Wow." I heard a voice say the instant I touched down. "I didn't expect to be caught that fast."

I turned quickly, back foot sliding into a position that could easily be used as either attack or evade, and brought my arms defensibly as well. In front of me, standing at the corner of the flat rooftop, was an Amazon. Leaning casually against the hip high wall on the rooftop, she was what one would expect from her race. Tall, amazingly athletic, and very feminine. I also knew her.

"You... Gave me directions that night." I said, relaxing very slightly.

"Oh! That was you? Silly question, what other Renard would it be?" She shrugged and smiled, "Sorry about the hiding in the shadows thing. I was curious."

When she said curious, her eyes got... Well, hungry. Widening slightly, focusing more, roaming over my body. It was disturbing, and a little arousing, I had to admit. "What would a lovely courtesan like yourself want from me?" My voice hitched slightly, but her gaze was seriously unnerving.

"Oh I wish I could just take you home. You even used the proper word and everything." She clapped her hands in front of her. It would have been down right adorable if she weren't taller than me. "But, I have a message, two actually. And relax, please!"

I realized I was still in a 'fight or flight' pose, and shook myself out, standing properly as she held out two small wrapped rolls of paper. I accepted the first, noting that it was sealed in the traditional red wax with a stamp of a nude lady behind a veil. My nose caught the scent of exotic spices too. "This, is from my Lady, Ishtar." She said as I accepted it.

The second one was sealed with a thin red ribbon, and carried the scent of a certain tea. "And that, is from your Lady, Haruhime."

I put both inside my shirt, tucked away safe, "Thank you. Twice. Three times actually. Your directions were perfect, and..." I stopped as I felt my ears being pet ever so gently.

"She also said 'pet her ears for me.'" She replied, laughing, "I would have done it anyway. You're ears are so fun."

My tail was starting to wag in that happy lazy way, before I caught it and shook my head back and forth to chase the warm fuzzy feelings away. I hadn't even seen her hand move to pet my head. I simply accepted the letters, heard her voice and that was it.

No wonder I felt like prey in her presence.

"Anyhow. Job's done." She smiled and let my ears go, putting her hands on her hips. "Unless you wanted something... After hours?"

I shook my head, unable to keep the blush from my face. She was very good looking after all. "No. I have shopping to do for my smith, as well as snacks to buy for the rest of my party."

"Fine fine." She smiled and hopped backwards, landing like a feather on the top of the wall. With a similar little hop, she jumped off and down to street level.

I couldn't help but sit down against that little wall, trying not to hyperventilate suddenly. Having sparred with two people who were so far ahead of me, I knew the signs of being outclassed. If this were a hostile encounter, the only hope I'd have had, was if I could run to a place with lots of witnesses. It didn't help that she knew exactly what to do with my ears. The fear and excitement were making my heart do weird things in my chest. Hands shaking, I pulled out the two letters. The official looking one came first, my fingernails making short work of the wax.

"Dearest Kodori." It started. Ishtar was a Goddess of love, I supposed. "We have heard rumour of you in this city, as well as your exploits. We would like it very much, if you would meet with me, at some time of your choosing, in the near future." The signature was neat, but used much different lettering than what was common in Orario.

I hm'ed at the letter, folding it neatly and putting it away. I could guess what she wanted, but couldn't think of a nice way of saying I wasn't interested. I unwrapped the next letter and read the nice neat writing as I toyed with the ribbon with my free hand.

"Lady Kodori." Very formal, as expected, "I received your message, and would like us to meet some time soon. I do not usually ask for time to myself, so I may ask for a day off at any time. Please send word of when, and where, and I will do my best to meet with you." The signature was done with a Japanese kanji, and though I couldn't read it, it also had a tiny little drawing of the fox girl's head next to it.

"Well..." I mumbled to myself, "Now I just have to find Hermes again. Or something... And make sure Hestia doesn't find out. Maybe tell her to not wear lipstick?"

* * *

I returned to Welf's workshop, bags of snacks in hand, as well as some other easily portable crafting supplies. Welf was still hammering away, Lilly was sharpening her little hand crossbow bolts, and Bell trying to draw something.

As we took a break and nibbled on various junk foods, we all decided it was time to try the dungeon again. Welf presented me with a new right gauntlet and arm guard, Bell had a newer, tougher and better version of his old chest plate, and Lilly was sounding eager to use her new bolts.

"Hey Welf?" I asked, as we were about to leave. "Why don't you make magic swords?"

His usually easy going expression darkened like some one had just burned all his hammer handles. "You really want to know?"

"Wouldn't have asked otherwise. Not like I could ever use one myself." I shrugged, making him smile slightly.

"True." He took a deep breath, "My family, long ago, was blessed by the fairies. From then on, we could make weapons of incredible power. But greed from the nobles brought war, and after nearly wiping out the elves and their forests, our blood was cursed, sealing away the ability to make magic sword." I nodded, and he continued, "I am the first one of the Crozzo line to be able to make them again."

"Hm. Maybe the curse ran out?" Bell offered.

"I don't care." Welf said, surprising the three of us. "Look... When I make something, I make it so that who ever owns it, can feel like they can depend on it. I don't want to make something that is destined to break, no matter how well the owner looks after it. I don't care if I could become rich, and famous, and have the world knocking at my shop door. I don't want to make something... Disposable."

I nodded, understanding the mentality behind his thinking. I told Nazza something similar. We go into the dungeon, relying on the tools we bring to get us home. I gave Welf a friendly punch to the shoulder, "Good. I feel even better about signing a contract with you."

"Thanks. See you guys at the fountain. Tomorrow. I have a couple more things to make, so look forward to it."

* * *

'A couple more things' seemed to be a hat for me, complete with ear covers that actually buttoned down in case of bats. It was even made of salamander wool. Again, I wished I'd know what this stuff was a few days ago. He had actually made one for everyone, except Lilly. For our tiny supporter, he had added little weights to her cloak so she could cover herself much better in case of fire. We planned to make another try to go to the fifteenth floor today, and both Welf and Lilly, as well as Eina, said there would be hell hounds. Fire breathing dogs.

"I wonder if you can tame them. Or breed them with something from the surface." I commented as we descended, "I haven't seen many dogs around the city, but could you imagine? That brute of a dog we met near the tailor?"

Bell wasn't much of a dog person, but we had met a huge dog while looking for gifts for Hestia. It looked like a bulldog, but it was almost a meter tall at the shoulder. And liked to give kisses. Both Lilly and Welf shivered. "Let's not try. They like to hunt in packs, call others from around the area to them, and breath fire. Lots of fire."

"And unless Miss Kodori has the taming skill, it would probably be impossible." Lilly added.

"It was just a thought. Oh, Welf, you know what a loadstone is?" I used the old term for a magnet, hoping my putting together 'load' and 'stone' meant the same thing.

"Sure. You make compass needles from them." He replied. "Why?"

"Idea for later. After you reach level two." I started thinking of ways to make use of them, and dusting off some old science stuff I'd learned to make weak magnets stronger.

With a shrug, Welf adjusted his new sword on his shoulder and we continued on.

* * *

We fought our way down from the ninth floor, to the tenth, without much trouble. The orcs were just as big and slow as before, though now at level two, I almost felt like a bully. I gave Welf a hug after an encounter with a group of bats, letting him know they new hood not only worked, but worked exceptionally well. Bell and Lilly laughed at the poor smith, as it was his turn to be all shy and embarrassed.

Past the tenth, to the eleventh, the scenery changed again. From the misty petrified forest back to random seeming dungeon walls, though now, the stone was light grey instead of rusty red.

"Bell? Notice anything odd?" I asked him a little away from the other two, "I'm not sure if its our new status, but everything seems..."

"A little slower." He said, "I hear better too. And can almost feel you using magic. Like a humming noise." He knew exactly what I was feeling.

"Just making sure I wasn't going even more crazy than I already am." We shared a fist bump, then slowed down slightly to let the other two catch up. "Hey Welf? You should bring a pick. Hephaestus mentioned you could mine stuff around this depth."

He blinked at me, probably for mentioning his Goddess so casually, "Um, yes, but it's not common, and only in certain spots. Noisy too. Not something you want to do unless you are with a strong party, and know where to dig."

I scratched an ear, thinking. "Makes sense then. A shame. But if it were easy, the city would be plated in the stuff."

"How did you meet with Lady Hephaestus?" He asked, giving me a look.

"I had an idea and sold it to her." I replied with a shrug. "Gave her a method, diagram and everything, on how to make metal scales. Mass production of them."

I gave him a run down on the method, making him look thoughtful, "All that would be left is hardening the scales. In an oven or something, and wiring them together."

He shook his head in amazement, "Why aren't you a smith? That idea is incredible!"

Lilly wasn't so impressed, but the smith trade in general didn't seem to do it for her. "Well Lilly, not everyone can kill a drake. Sure, we managed, but I'd rather not have to do that again any time soon. Making scales like that out of metal, is a cheap go between of chain and plate. Flexible, turns sharp things away fairly well, and takes less time to put together than chain." I explained, giving our supporter a grin. "Back it with salamander wool, and you'd be mostly fireproof too, while protecting the fabric itself."

"Seriously, pick up a hammer." Welf said.

* * *

We got into a few minor fights on the eleventh, before making it down to the twelfth. We were getting used to working with each other, and moving like a well oiled machine in combat. We were about half way to the thirteenth, by Lilly's memory of the floor, when we first heard the howling.

"That's not good." Welf said.

"Sounds like they are hunting." I replied, "Lets back up to the last room, we do not want to fight these things in a narrow hall." The other three nodded, and we started to quick step back to the last room we had passed.

Not a moment too soon. We got to the room just in time to see that they weren't after us, but another group. A group of five, no, six. One, a man not quite my height had some one's arms over his back. They were fleeing what sounded like a half dozen hounds, maybe more. One of them, running to the side of the leader, started yelling at us. "Run! Too many!"

Not quite as short as Hestia and wearing a sort of samurai outfit, minus the armour, but including the sword, her light purple robe like outfit was smeared in blood and ash. I could feel the heat coming down the hallway behind them as the group ran into the room and past us. All of them were wearing, and using, Japanese styled equipment. And all of them were wounded in some way. They had gotten mauled by something.

"Fighting retreat." I called to my party as they entered the room, and made for the other end of it.

"Sorry!" The girl said, her long black hair matted with blood from a wound on her forehead.

Then I saw them. About two meters long, and nearly a meter at the shoulder, the were just how I'd imagined them. Big mean red and huffing fire from their mouths as they ran down the hall, barking and howling for the group that had just run past.

I stepped aside, and Bell yelled out his spell, sending bolts down the hallway. We had been fighting fairly often already, so he only shot four of them before stepping aside. Each bolt, even though they were mostly fire, dropped a hound, turning it into black vapor.

But there were more. So many more. A half dozen, a dozen, twenty, thirty... We were about half way to the other side of the room when they started to fill it, and it became a melee.

Welf surprised all of us by yelling out, "Illegal move, I reject!" and hurling a little ball of black light at a hound, just as it was about to spit fire. The ball entered its mouth, it seemed to stop in mid breath, then explode. Like the minotaur had.

"Welf, guard Lilly, do that more if you can. Bell, with me." I called out, not asking what it was our smith just did. But since he could do it at range, he got middle guard.

It was all for nothing however, as we heard the walls start to crack, more monsters spawning into the room. These ones were sort of rabbits, with actual hands, and short unicorn horns. I also caught sight of something coming from down our escape tunnel.

To our credit, no one panicked. But we were giving each other sideways looks, hoping they would have an idea. Lilly yelled something, but I couldn't hear her over the sound of the howling and clashing metal. Bell hopped next to me, and repeated what ever it was. "Run to the tunnel! We have to fight in the narrow space!"

I nodded once, and started back faster. We had made a good showing, but the press of bodies was going to win out if we didn't move. I saw Welf looking pale, his magic apparently running dry, and I hadn't heard Bell's spell in a few moments. I myself had been boosting my abilities from the moment the other party ran by, but wasn't feeling the effect of mental drain yet. At all really.

Bell had jumped clear over Lilly, and was doing his best to cut through our escape route. Welf was keeping the hounds from Lilly, and I was in front, not too far behind.

"I'm going to collapse the tunnel once we are in it. Go Go GO!" I yelled, turning and starting to flee in earnest once I saw Welf get to the tunnel. I think I heard someone say that I was crazy, but I was already bringing my fist back.

As I entered the tunnel myself, the rest only half way through, I slammed my fist into the side of the hall.

It worked. A little too well. My strike shattered the mouth of the tunnel, a bit of the ceiling falling down behind me. But then a long crack split the wall. Sounding like ice on a lake giving way, it raced down the path, spider webbing along the wall, floor, ceiling, then the other wall.

I remembered something Eina had said. "The dungeon hates us."

We fell, the four of us. Screaming into the blackness below.

* * *

Notes!

Oh look! A cliffhanger! Seriously though, I was having a hard time thinking of how to do this particular scene. I'm also wondering if I am becoming too bare boned with the monster encounters? Should I stick with only writing the noteworthy things out? Do we need to read about every goblin slain? At this point, our party can deal with low level monsters like some one would do dishes, so I figure 'we fought our way to' is good enough.

Until next time.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15

For all my enhanced toughness, the landing sucked. Every bit of exposed skin felt scraped raw, every bit of covered skin felt like I'd been dragged over a rough carpet. I landed on my tail too, and that probably hurt the most.

I'd tried to keep track of everyone as we fell, but I'd only managed to keep an eye on Lilly, her white outfit the most eye catching in the chaos of falling rock, bodies, and equipment. She was also the first one I found too, when I managed to get feeling back in my legs after my poor tail got sat on. She was bleeding in a few spots, nothing serious at first glance. But her giant pack had been reduced to shreds and all that I could see were a few bits of equipment and a single strap that had miraculously stayed on her shoulder. Looking up, I could just barely see the ceiling. It was like the light simply ended about ten meters overhead.

Lilly groaned but didn't move. "Lilly hurts." She said quietly, "Miss Kodori?"

I knelt next to her again, having stood up to get a better look around, "Here." I took her little hand, "I don't see the other two, and I have no idea how far we've fallen. Can you move?"

"Lilly isn't sure." She started to move a little, but winced as she started to move her legs. She settled back down and shook her head.

"Let me look. I think your pack is gone, do you carry potions under that robe?" I asked, looking at her feet, the little boots she was wearing scuffed, but functional. I lightly ran a hand over her ankles, calves and knees.

"Miss Kodori is so mean, asking what Lilly has under her robe. Ow..." She winced as I took her foot and gently flexed her ankle and knee.

"If you can still joke like that, you'll be okay. Ankle and knee might be twisted a little. I don't feel anything out of place though." I replied, giving the rest of her a light pat down, checking her hips, ribs and shoulders, watching her face for a reaction. "Good. So no potions?"

"Lilly has two, but we should save them." She squinted her eyes as I lightly took her head in my hands and brushed through her hair for lumps or the like, "Ow." She said as I touched the back of her head, "Miss Kodori is good at this."

I considered telling her I had some training. But doubted she would know 'St. Johns ambulance' or 'Boy Scouts'. "Miss Kodori has fallen down enough to know how to check. Nothing seems broken, you have a few small cuts, and a lump on the back of your head that is only a little scrape." I replied instead, "Where are we?"

Lilly accepted my help in standing, leaning on me to stay off her bad leg, "Lilly doesn't really know. The dungeon some times has pits that drop to the floor under it. Miss Kodori made one herself." She looked at the remains of her bag and sighed, "Lilly lost the map."

"Hey! I hear them!" It was Welf, his voice coming from just out of sight.

A moment later they rounded a corner. Both of them looked how I felt, like we had fallen down ten meters of sharp rock. "Miss Kodori, Miss Lilly!" Bell said as he saw us, "You're both okay."

"More or less." I replied, "We are however, lost. And the dungeon ate our map."

The dungeon was eerily quite as I said that.

"Bell and I have never been this far. Lilly? Welf?" I said to fill the silence.

They both shook their heads, making me sigh the sigh of the truly put upon.

"Options then? Lilly is a little hurt, but nothing serious. We are all cut up a little, and a little cooked. But again, nothing too bad. But we have no map, and almost all of our spare supplies are gone, this includes lunch." All of us, of course, had our stomachs grumble at this.

"Lilly has an idea." She said, her voice small, "It is dangerous, but maybe..."

We all turned to her, and I put a hand on her head to encourage her.

"Down." She started, "Lilly thinks we fell down maybe two floors. Three more floors, and we should be on the eighteenth. Lilly knows this is a safe spot, almost no monsters, and many adventurers use it as a camp for deeper journeys."

The three of us all 'hmm'ed' in unison. "It sounds simple enough." Welf said, "But without a map..."

"There is also the guardian." Lilly continued. "It is defeated often, but if it is there..."

"We are all good runners." I said, "So, fastest way down without a map? While avoiding monsters?"

"What about those?" Bell pointed to a series of pits that lined the hallway, "They go down, right?"

Lilly nodded, but said, "They do, Master Bell, but not all of them. Some spawn monsters too."

That sounded bad.

"Speaking of... We should get moving. It doesn't seem like anything followed us..." Welf said, suddenly looking around, "But..."

We were all thinking it, though we left it unsaid. 'The dungeon hates us.'

* * *

Somehow, we had made it down two floors. Lilly was clinging to my back, Bell was limping, Welf had one arm dangling useless at his side, and I was staying on my feet with nothing but my magic holding me up. More hell hounds, several minotaurs, a few tiger striped dog cat things, those weird rabbit people with stone clubs. Every fight wore us down, every fight was a running retreat that never really ended until we some how managed to scrape together the strength to fight and kill them. Welf was starting to show the signs of mind down, Bell was too, and I think it was only because I chose 'mage' as my skill, was why I was still able to move.

Of us all though, I think Lilly had it the worst. Not really a fighter, she had lost her crossbow, her tools, and without those, her confidence too. She didn't want to be dead weight, and insisted we leave her behind if we had to. Bell Welf and I wouldn't have even a second of that kind of talk, and she was now tied to my back, under my salamander cloak, and told quite firmly that she would be the very last to die if it came to that.

We were taking a moment's rest, making sure we weren't in danger of bleeding to death mostly. A lot of our non-essential clothing had been cut up for bandages already making us look like a small circus. That was another reason Lilly was under my cloak and tied to my back. She had made the first sacrifice on our first bandage spree, the rest of us with bits of her robe bandaged around various cuts.

Bell was doing his best, his fear of minotaurs gone. His reckless charge into a group of three earned us the time to single them out and bring them down but had left him with a limp and probably a few cracked ribs. Welf has done amazing with his new sword, but while he cut the head off of one, he had been charged by another, breaking his arm.

I was still whole, nothing broken at least. But sported the most bandages, having had to wade into a ball of hell hounds, killer rabbit things, Welf and Bell, to literally start pulling monsters apart. I was almost more bite marks than skin now, and more than one of those came very close to a major artery. I think having Lilly on my back was my only source of body heat. It was feeling that way at least.

So, slowly, painfully, we got back up, gave each other a quick check to see if we were bleeding anywhere new, and continued on.

"Lilly thinks we are almost there." I heard from over my shoulder. "Look." Her little hand pointed out from under my arm.

It was a wide, open flat space. Like a football field in length and nearly as wide. We all looked across the expanse, and as one caught sight of the end. "Crystal?" Bell asked, "Is that?"

"Lilly thinks so. The eighteenth floor is supposed to be lit by big clear crystals, like those." She replied, settling down against my back again.

"No signnnnnnn." I said just as the floor started to rumble. "Crap, RUN!"

Bell, for once, was the slowest among us. So I actually picked him up and tucked him under one arm. He was a lot heavier that I remembered, but I was also feeling very tired. I kept pace with Welf, and we all saw -something- start to pull itself out of the ground. A giant grey hand rose up from the floor. Up, and up, the hand, forearm, then elbow. The arm bent, hand slamming to the floor and starting to lever up the rest of the arm, shoulder... Just how big was this thing?

We were about half way across the field as it pulled its hips up, as if climbing out of a hole. It was humanoid, with grey skin, and if the body was any indication, more than twice as tall as an orc. It turned its head towards us, its two red eyes glowing. With its human like mouth, it roared.

If it weren't for the sound damping hat Welf had made, I'm pretty sure my head would have exploded. As it was, I almost fell as the air felt like it had gone solid for a moment. Welf also managed to stay on his feet, though we both listed sideways towards the wall.

"If we can get to that last tunnel, we can get away!" Welf yelled, "Bell! Can you hit it? Just once?"

"Yes!" He said, holding up his hand. I tried to keep my running as smooth as possible as he aimed.

"Its hand!" I said, "Try and slow it from getting out of the floor!"

It was then I noticed Bell's hand start glowing blue. A sort of wispy mini firefly effect. It vanished a moment later as he yelled out, "Firebolt!"

We had maybe a quarter of the field to travel.

The bolt, absorbing the blue glow, crashed into the giant's nearest wrist. With a roar, it shifted, falling back into the hole it was climbing out of and making the rest of it tilt to the side.

Ten meters.

It steadied itself, pushing itself harder, both arms and a knee out of the hole now.

Five.

Welf screamed and tackled me, the sight of a massive hand sweeping towards me the last thing I saw before my world was once again a chaotic tumble of limbs. We had just cleared the 'door' and the last tunnel wasn't actually a tunnel, but a long ramp. The four of us rolled, slid and bounced down the ramp until finally, we slid to a halt.

Above us, the monster roared angrily, denied its prize.

Below me, Lilly said, "Miss Kodori is soft, but heavy."

I had managed to some how get her from my back, to my front, and was holding her head protectively with my arms.

We all managed a tired laugh.

* * *

We had made it. But made it where? After peeling ourselves out of the ground and getting mobile again, my first impression of the 'safe' zone was... Mixed. The air tasted like a forest, there were actual trees growing all over the place, near the middle was a titanic tree, bigger than even a giant Canadian Redwood. Around its roots was what looked like a town, or at least some human made structures. The walls and ceiling were covered in crystal, mostly blue, though there was a great crystal hanging from the ceiling that was a sort of milky white. Thankfully, the trip to the town's edge looked short.

It was its own ecology. Beautiful, but so unnatural it made my hair stand on end.

"Miss Kodori stopped." Lilly said quietly from my back.

"It's very odd." I commented, telling my feet that they were still on the clock, and had places to go. "Feels unnatural."

Welf and Bell had stopped to wait for me, both of them turning to look at the small world that was encapsulated on the eighteenth floor. We could hear people in the town, going about business quietly. It was like a very very small version of Orario itself, with a few merchants a tavern, and the randomly mixed bag of adventurer types. The biggest difference however was the tension. I could tell that this was only a 'safer' zone, not 'safe'.

"Well, lets see what we can do about our lack of... Everything." I said, "I am really tired of having to replace my clothes."

"Just wait until I make it to level two." Welf said with a tired chuckle.

We passed through some of the market stalls, with the weapons and other equipment on display. The prices were offensive, but down here, it was to be expected. We pooled our resources, added what ever we could from the monster drops we had managed to keep, and sighed unhappily after getting the bare minimum together to be considered 'functional'. We even payed an adventurer to heal us.

"Miss Lilly is glad to have clothes again." She said, wearing her new robe. It wasn't her usual white one, this one made of colourless wool, but it did the job and looked a little warmer. She even had a new pack, every bit as huge as the last, though mostly empty now. The rest of us were also clothed in what basically amounted to hand me downs from relatives you never liked. "Miss Kodori was lucky to have so many hell hound teeth."

"Miss Kodori had to pull all of those teeth out of Miss Kodori, thank you." I replied, getting a strained laugh from the rest of them, "But yes, It was at least useful."

Finally, Bell asked the question that had been hanging over us, "So now what do we do?"

We all knew that we were so under-equipped that trying to go back up was likely suicide. While we were all adventurers, the job itself very high risk, we were not that eager to die. "Lilly sees two options." our supporter started, "Go back up after a little rest, and run until we get to the upper floors."

A deep breath, "Or wait until another party comes up from the deep floors and follow them up."

"No question then, we wait." I said, "It's safe enough, from what the locals tell us, so long as we don't poke everything with a stick to see if it bites. There aren't many down here, but this place is defend... defence? Defence-able? Yes, in case of something coming up from below, and the monster above is too big to come down here."

Welf nodded, looking around, "I could use the time to sharpen our equipment a little, hammer out dents, that sort of thing."

"Lilly wants a bath." I seconded that with a nod.

Bell scratched his head, looking at Lilly and I, "Hestia is going to be so mad..."

I shivered at that. Hestia would probably do her mean/sad/angry/sad/mean/sad thing again. And no doubt we'd be sleeping on the floor. "Our Goddess is fair." I said, "But it couldn't be helped. She'd be even more distressed if we didn't come back at all."

We all nodded, making sagely sounding 'hmm hmm' noises.

"So, let's explore. No peeking." I pointed to the boys. "Lilly?"

* * *

The town itself overlooked the massive forest. There weren't really any watch towers, more like watch cabins, built near the almost sheer cliff that went into the woods. We used that to our advantage and made a bit of a mental map on where some things were. Small lakes, clearings in the forest, small hills that crested up from the trees... It really was like a small world down here, with a white crystal sun in the middle of the ceiling and blue crystal 'sky' surrounding it. It was even starting to dim, making me think it was nearing evening.

Lilly and I spotted a promising spot and made our way to a small pond. Lilly actually spotted it, as she sat on my shoulder to help her get a better view, just catching a glint of water peeking out from under some trees. Thankfully, the water was clean, almost unnaturally so, and the bottom was sandy, not muddy. It was just warm enough to be comfortable too.

"It's not a hot spring." I commented as I started to strip down, "But I'm not sure I would care if it were nearly freezing. I just want to wash the smell of blood and ash off of me."

"Lilly agrees." she replied, also stripping down. "Salamander wool stops the fire, but not the smell."

I settled into the water with a pleased sigh, grabbing a handful of sand from the bottom and scrubbing myself with it. It was odd, that even though monsters seem to break their teeth on my skin, if they don't puncture it, and sometimes when they DO puncture it, I was still as sensitive as normal. I watched Lilly splash about a little, cleaning her face and ducking her head mostly under the water to scrub at her hair. I waved her over and reached out to grab her head. "Here, lean back, I'll need your help after." I said to her.

I leaned her back so she could look up at the ceiling while I ran my fingers through her hair to comb it out and try and get the dried blood and various other bits of dungeon out of it. "Miss Kodori is very kind." She said, looking up at me, "So is Master Bell."

"A person's true colours show when you give them power." I said, scrubbing away, "I would like to think that I am a good person. But, honestly, Bell is so far above 'good person' compared to me."

She blinked in surprise, "Why does Miss Kodori say so? Lilly would still be..."

I poked her nose then went back to work, "It is about how we think. I'm older." I poked her again before she could ask, "I've seen a lot more of what people do with power, what they do to others, and how they do it. Before I came to this city, I was... Done with people. Given up on trying to give a damn." I sighed, tilting her head forward, before scrubbing her back with some sand on my palm, "I think... Cold? Not cold... Less with my heart?"

Lilly made a questioning noise, so I elaborated, "If you had a choice, between saving one person, or ten, and there was no way to do both, what would you choose?"

"Ten." She said, making the logical choice.

"Exactly. Thinking with your head, not with your heart. Many against few. Greater good with a lesser evil." I used all the metaphors I could think of with my current level of language, "Bell is different. He would save them all. Somehow. He wouldn't care that it was impossible, he wouldn't care if he got hurt, or even killed. He would find a way, or make a way." I sighed, letting my hands fall in the water, "I'd give up and do what I could, he'd simply find a way to do more."

Lilly turned around, and I sunk into the water a little, turning as well and leaning my head back carefully. "Miss Kodori admires Master Bell." She stated.

"Yes, I do. If I were to call anyone a young hero, Bell would be it. No water in my ears please?" I said as Lilly started to scrub my head.

"Does Miss Kodori like Master Bell?" I was honestly waiting for that question, but it still kind of surprised me.

I did my best to turn what I hoped, was an accusing ear towards her, before replying, "Not like that, no." I chuckled, "More like a little brother." I could almost feel her relief through her hands, "But." Her hands tightened up again, "He is incredibly shy, and thick headed. He has no idea at all about anything like that. It's kind of funny to watch really."

"Miss Kodori is teasing Lilly." She accused me, pinching the tip of both my ears.

"No, this is teasing you." I swished my tail, soaked by water, against her bare front, making her squeak, "But I'm serious. From what I have seen, I think you are... Number Four? And he has no idea what so ever."

I could practically hear her brain working on that, and clearly imagine steam coming off her head. She remained silent as I lifted a little out of the water and she scrubbed my back. "Who?" She asked quietly.

"Well, there's Lady Hestia. Who is just as clueless as he is, except! She doesn't know how to deal with his worship of her. She wants his love, not admiration." I said, "Then there is Syr, from the Hostess of Fertility. Both are shy, both are reserved, and both turn into blushing idiots when they get within arms length of each other." Lilly made a 'hmm hmm' noise behind me, her head nodding making the water ripple, "I might be wrong on this one, but Eina, from the guild, either wants him, or, simply couldn't imagine the world without him."

"Like Miss Kodori?" This question made my belly twist a little.

"Yes." I said finally, "From my view, it would be like... Losing the best part of your family. I have only known him for... Less than a month." I paused and thought to myself at just what an insane month it had been. It felt like a lifetime, honestly. "But here? In this place? There is no one I'd rather have guarding my back." I chuckled, turning around, "You're the fourth, or third, if I'm wrong about Eina." I paused then continued, "Now that I think of it. Bell is looking at Ais Wallenstein, but I'm not sure if it is out of hero worship, or he really does want to date her."

"Lilly wonders if Bell is only attracted to large breasts." She said, looking at me, then down at herself.

I gave myself a facepalm, then told her the greatest secret that they never tell you about men in any of those magazines. "Lilly. When a woman wants a man, the only thing she needs to do, almost every time, is show up." I got out of the water reluctantly, patting myself dry with my salamander cloak, "The only time that won't work, is if he is like Bell, and doesn't know anything about women, and becomes a stuttering idiot when one shows him affection. Or, they don't like women at all."

Lilly looked a little puzzled.

"Bell will figure himself out eventually. He reacts far too much to not be interested in women, so I know its not the last one." I tried clarifying. "Just be patient with him. Like a shy animal."

"Miss Kodori knows a lot. Does Miss Kodori like someone?" She asked, using her own cloak to dry off.

"Until recently, I'd given up on even thinking about it." I replied honestly, "So, I'm not sure?"

She gave me a sideways glance, "So not Mr. Welf?"

Before I could stop myself, I replied, "Not Mr anyone." And winced right after. I wasn't sure about the view on same sex relationships was, outside of the red light district. Thankfully Lilly just smiled at me with her 'Lilly remembers everything' look that she only wore when she dropped her childish mannerisms. I coughed to try and cover up the blush I felt climbing my face, "We should get back before something happens."

* * *

With Lilly sitting perched on my shoulder, we returned to the little town. She was happily cashing in on her 'pet Kodori's ears' ticket I had given her too. Welf and Bell were no where to be seen, but I could hear the steady clank of a hammer hitting metal.

"Figured I'd find you here." I said, following my ears and peeking into a small workshop. "Looks almost like it used to." I put Lilly down and pointed at the object on the anvil, Bell's formerly much dented chest plate, before handing it to Bell, who started putting it back on.

"I can only do this so much before it becomes brittle." Welf replied, holding up the piece and examining it with a critical eye. "Got your stuff hammered out too." He waved to a small pile in the corner by Bell. "Bell and I also got us a place to stay. Couple of tents near some roots in the middle of town. The inn is far far too expensive."

"The air is warm enough, and the ground at least flat." I said with a shrug.

"Figured you'd say that." Welf said, "Told you so Bell."

"I was just trying to make sure we recovered properly." He insisted, making Lilly and I look at each other and smile, me with an 'I told you so' smile, and her a 'you told me so' one.

"I'm amazed that there is a night and day down here." I said, looking out the little window and up, "For all the monsters, this place is still amazing."

"Dangerous." Welf said.

"But amazing." Bell added.

Good to see everyone getting along. I thought.

"Oh!" Bell perked up, "The inn keeper said Loki Familia went down to the lower floors a few days ago. They might be coming back up any day now."

"Ah, provided they survive the lower floors." I said, getting a horrified look from Bell, and an 'I see' look from Lilly, "We should be able to travel back up with them. I still have to thank them for the other day." I scratched at my right arm. "Thank them a lot."

We all nodded, the four of us owing the Loki Familia for something or other.

* * *

The little tents Welf had gotten us were... Well, if it didn't rain down here, we would be fine. We had just thrown all of our things into them when we heard a bit of a commotion from the middle of town. Cheers of welcome and congratulation from what my ears picked up.

"Oh? Sounds like some one is here." Welf commented as he picked up on the noise. "Let's go see?"

It was 'late' if the dimming crystal in the ceiling could be trusted, but I was curious, and hopeful. If that was Loki Familia returning, then we might not have to stay down here too long. "Sure, I think I can stay up a little longer."

* * *

I've said this before, but: Loki Familia sure knew how to throw a party. Within about a half hour of them arriving and getting most of the town to say hello, they had cracked open what I guessed were the last of their supplies that they didn't use on the trip down, and were having a pre-return to the city celebration. Everyone I'd met from the Familia was there, and a few others as well. Most of the town also contributed to the makeshift feast, and about an hour after the four of us arrived, everyone was having a grand old time.

To be fair, some were partying harder than others. Ais was her usual reserved self, and was sort of... maybe? Smiling? I might have imagined that. Though at some point she simply stood and walked away. Welf was chatting and drinking with that serious looking dwarf fellow I saw at the inn, and Lilly was talking with the Amazon twins. Almost the entire Loki Familia was mingling with the townsfolk, except two. These two I gravitated towards.

Riviera, her cool expression and poise, and I think his name was Finn, ever smiling member of the Pallum race. As casually as I dared, I made my way to them, knelt, knees together, about a meter away from Riviera, and bowed to her, forehead resting on my hands. "I owe you my thanks." I said, hearing Finn make a surprised yet amused noise. I lifted my head and looked at the elven mage.

"I was simply there, at the right time." She said, looking slightly embarrassed, though I'd have missed it if I wasn't looking. "I see you recovered? How is your arm?"

I held up my arm, my armour back in the tent, for her to look at. "I've had no problems. No pain. No stiffness." I recalled something, "I didn't hurt your hand, did I?"

"You've a good grip." She didn't answer directly. "Riviera, pleased to meet you."

"Kodori. You as well. And you are Finn?" I asked the smiling not child next to her. He simply raised his mug to acknowledge me. "Thanks to your help, I made it back from the dungeon that day."

"The four of you were very badly hurt. What happened?" Finn asked, "I only caught a little of the story from that white haired kid."

"Well. So long as you don't ask about much past where Ma'am Riviera healed me..." I started.

So I told them the story, as best as I could remember, until that point where my memory became a blur. Both of them Finn more than Riviera, looked at me like I was insane when I told them I punched the drake, but didn't interrupt me until the end.

"So your magic?" Finn started, "It just makes you stronger?"

"Yes. Just as advertised." I replied with a smile, "Until I earned level two, it was an all or nothing burst. Sort of... Oh right..." I tapped my forehead forgetting again about advertising my own status. I held up a hand before they could ask more, "Yes, Bell and I both are level two now."

"That's... Last time I saw you, you could barely speak, and were working as a serving girl at the Hostess." Finn said, "But... That was... Oh my."

"Three weeks." Riviera said. "And Mr. Bell... Four. Since the stray minotaur incident."

"How did you do it?" Finn asked, pondering.

"Honestly? I have a few ideas. None of them really sane." I replied, "I trained with people much stronger than me, even before I received Falna. I continued to do so after. I trained with Bell, every day, sometimes twice. I also took stupid risks, like standing under a silver back strike. Or in front of a magic sword." I rubbed a hand through my still short hair.

"Your hair was longer last time I saw you. A shame." He gave me what even I considered a winning smile, "So that business with the Soma Familia?"

"Yes. That rumour is true." I said, figuring that yes some one did set the place on fire, and yes, it was a magic sword.

"Hm. You are lucky." Riviera said simply.

"Very much so." I replied, not denying it at all. "I think the weapon broke right after. And Bell managed to subdue Zanis. I never asked, but since I wasn't killed..."

We all looked into our mugs, pondering.

Then, "So, what ever you were about down on the lower floors? Success?" I asked.

"Of a sort." Finn replied.

"Cheers to that then." I held up my mug, prompting the other two to tap it with their own.

* * *

The next morning, I woke with Lilly sleeping curled around my middle. I didn't drink, so that wasn't my fault. But she also wasn't in the tent when I turned in for the night. She was quite adorable, and it felt like I was breaking some sort of law when I pried her off of me so I could go about my morning. When I returned from the little communal bathroom, I found Bell standing out side of his tent stretching.

With a brief exchange of greetings, I pointed to an uprising in the forest, a nearly bald hill just a short way off. With respect to our sleeping companions, we raced there, Bell winning of course. It was there that we started our morning exercises, stretching out properly, then sparring as if our lives depended on it, since they kind of did.

Afterwards, we simply sat next to each other looking back on the town. "I wonder when Loki Familia is going back up." I asked, "Did you get a chance to talk to them? I honestly forgot to ask."

I noticed then, that Bell had started to blush, reverting to his stuttering idiot mode. "Oh. Um..."

"Ah, so you did talk, but forgot too." I chuckled, "I wondered where Ais went in the middle of the party. Don't remember seeing you either." He was trying, at this point, to get a word out that didn't sound like a mouth full of gravel, so I just put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about it. Really."

He calmed down, looking at his lap and sighing. "Thank you."

"Every great person, follows the example of a great person." I said, "Great might mean a different thing, from person to person." I gave his shoulder a squeeze and stood, "Let's see if our friends are awake yet."

* * *

They were in fact awake. And had guests. Finn was there, chatting with Lilly and Welf.

"Ah, since you're here now, I can tell you." Finn said, seeing us and giving us a small wave, "We are treating some of our party for poisoning, from the lower floors. So either late tonight, or tomorrow we are heading back up."

"Oh, good. I'd forgotten to ask last night." I replied.

"Lilly didn't!" She said proudly.

"So I guess we take another day off." I said to my group. "I hope it's not a problem that we travel back up with you, Finn?"

"Not at all. I could tell by the look of you that you had a rough time. And since we are going up, what's a few more people?" He replied with his usual easy smile. "Just figured I'd let you know. And I saw what you meant by sparring." He made a gesture over to the hill Bell and I were on. "You really are not bad. The both of you." He gave another wave and turned, walking away.

"Whoa." Welf commented, "A compliment from him means a fair bit. He's level six, and captain of the Loki Familia."

I grimaced a little as I felt a little pride at the words. Pride had no place in combat. But, at least I knew Bell and I were doing something right. "That's something, at least." I said, mostly to myself. "Well, I suppose we go exploring?"

We were about to start packing up our limited amount of gear and the like, when we heard a commotion from a little distance off. "More arrivals?" Welf wondered.

* * *

"I hope you three are proud of yourselves..." Bell Lilly and I were all kneeling down in front of Hestia, heads bowed, as she stood in front of us.

She had arrived with a few others, in secret, sort of. With a handful of other adventurers, including Ryuu, Asfi, and a few others I didn't know, they were the new arrivals. If Asfi was here, I'd bet Hermes was too. Hestia was cloaked much like Lilly liked to be, wearing the same cloak I used on my trip into the red light district. The three of us were back at the tents, away from the town, and Welf was conveniently some place else.

She ranted at us for a while, giving us each a karate chop of discipline, that probably hurt her hand more than our heads. But the message was clear. We had screwed up, and made her worry. Again. Lilly was the first to ask questions though.

"Is Lady Hestia supposed to be here?" She asked.

"Um... No?" Our Goddess replied, finally breaking down and kneeling in front of us, "When Takemikazuchi told me his Familia past you as they ran from the dungeon, and you didn't return, I got worried. Very worried. I went to the guild, and put up a quest to come down and find you."

"Would that also include Hermes?" I asked.

"Urk... How did you know?" Hestia blinked at me.

"Asfi." I replied, "I met them both once, and got the impression she was always by his side. Poor girl." I mumbled.

"Yes, he's here too. As well as a few others who joined the search." She grumbled, glaring at us, but relented a moment later. "As apology!" She stood and grabbed Bell, getting him to stand and hooking an arm around his. "Show me around."

Unable to resist, or stutter out a work of proper protest, Bell was led away, leaving Lilly and I behind. "Well, nothing to do about it." I said with a shrug.

So the three of us split again to find something to do. Welf probably went back to the forge, maybe seeing if he could learn anything from any of the other smiths who might be around. Lilly went in the direction of town, maybe to see if she could get a deal or two.

I however, wanted a better look at the place.

I walked along the bottom of the cliff the city rested on, simply taking in the sights. Nothing looked familiar when I looked at the trees or shrubs. The leaves weren't like anything I'd seen above ground, the bark was also strange. Like who ever created the trees had the right idea, but had never actually seen one.

Experimentally, I moved a small boulder, rolling it over and looking under it. Nothing. No grass, no bugs, no mud. Bare dungeon floor. Again, it was like the place was created with an idea instead of nature. I rolled the rock back into place, determined not to think about it too hard.

After a little more head scratching about how 'almost' right this place was, I found myself on top of the hill Bell and I had sparred on. A few others were there already, apparently with the same idea I had. Just looking over the landscape. One of them heard me, making him turn and tug on the sleeve of the guy next to him.

"Yeah that's one of them." I heard the man say. He was... Scruffy looking. With a short shaggy brown hair, scarred face and fur lined armour. He looked confident, capable. And arrogant, more so now that a few more people were climbing up the hill behind him, making it into a small mob. I looked around a moment and saw that the only way out was behind me, off the cliff.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that." The front man said, crossing his big arms, "See, we wanted to test you two. Find out if the rumour is true." He had about a dozen behind him now.

"I'm not interested." I said simply, "And which rumour?"

"How the fox girl and rabbit boy were both level two now. After less than a month." He replied, scratching his chin.

"True." I said, "Is that all? I've places I'd rather be."

"Now now, don't be like that." He chuckled, "I mean, you wouldn't want to run away when your Goddess is in danger would you? Or your friend?" He did a half step to the side and the crowd parted slightly, revealing Hestia and Bell, sitting bound and gagged together.

I felt a hot burning in my chest, and a cold lump in my gut. "Really?" I sighed.

"How about you killing a drake? That one's funny." Another asked, "I mean look at her! No weapons?"

"Also true." I said, feeling the hot and cold fight each other, "I happen to have very hard fists."

"Well then, sounds interesting enough. So what do you say? You and I fight a duel?" The man in front grinned, "Winner gets to ask the loser to do anything." He leered at me, "I already know what I want. And I'm not so greedy to not share with my friends either."

I felt the fire win over the ice, my hands curling into fists. I saw Bell and Hestia's eyes a moment before they gang closed over them again. Fear. "If I win, you let them go, never to touch me or mine ever again."

"I'd never do something so crude as to harm a Goddess. And my boys here will behave, until later, that is." He grinned and drew his sword, a broad bladed longsword.

The rest of his men backed off, though I noticed one or two of them looking at me, and not smiling. I could guess why. "Fine." I took a deep breath, then let it out, settling my feet firmly, and extending a hand out to the man, making a 'come here' motion with it, smirking at him. "Come get it, you coward."

He opened up with a swing from his sword, but we were still too far apart for it to matter. At the last instant, I saw that he was aiming for a cinder block sized crystal that was growing out of the hilltop. His sideways swing shattered the crystal sending shards towards me and my face.

I pulled in my guard and protected my throat and eyes, hearing some of the shards ping against my metal arm guards. Backing up with a small leap, I looked around, and... He was gone.

I took another breath, clenching my jaw. He simply wasn't there. All his men still were, grinning like arrogant idiots. A moment later a fist slammed into my ribs from behind.

I heard him laugh as I fell and tumbled back to my feet, holding my side in pain. He was certainly level two. But while his men laughed, calling out things like 'You show her Moldo!' And 'Can't wait until later!' I looked around.

Another punch, this time across the jaw, followed by a driving strike to my gut, lifting me off my feet and sending me sprawling onto my back.

I hadn't heard anything except the sound of flesh hitting flesh. He was doing something that was keeping him hidden from my eyes, and ears. I was glad I'd skipped breakfast, as I coughed up some water.

I still stood up though, watching the crowd for any signs that they could see him, but all eyes were on me, even as I had my feet kicked out from under me, spilling me to the dirt again. I rolled a couple times to try and get some space, but was kicked in the gut as I started to rise, making me cough and gasp on the ground a moment.

More jeers, more laughter, the crowd moving aside now to let Bell and Hestia watch. They were nothing more than bullies. Beating up the new kid because they were different. Showing off for his friends. I coughed again, this time tasting blood, and blinked slowly, seeing Hestia nod at me slightly.

In my minds eye, I saw the caged ember grow, bending the bars of its prison. "Is that your best? You need a cheap trick to fight me?" I said, getting into a crouch instead of trying to get to my feet. Slowly, deliberately, I took off my arm guards, then my gauntlets, looking at the crowd of onlookers, "Showing off for your friends, when you are really just a coward who doesn't even show his face?" I put the gauntlets down, then unstrapped first one, then the other shin guard, then even my boots, leaving me bare foot. All the while the crowd laughed, all the while, I pushed my magic out as far as it would go, feeling my skin grow hot, almost feverish. Last, I took off my shirt, leaving me in my sports bra. "Come on." I stood, holding my arms out, leaving myself open for any attack my invisible opponent wanted to throw, "Hit me!"

The strike came at my floating ribs on the right side, the wind on my nearly bare skin alerting me an instant before the punch connected. I felt the shock of the impact travel through my body right to my left fingertips, the crowd going silent at the sharp snap that followed.

I dropped my right hand, sweeping it out and connecting with what felt like a forearm, my hand touching what might have been his bicep and closing on it. "There you are." I said, the feeling of pain from my side washed away with anger. "How's your hand?" I said to the air, holding perfectly still again and feeling another punch, this time to my left side. "About here then?" I grunted, feeling the shock go through me again, but grabbing at where I thought his other bicep would be.

Both arms held in my unbreakable grip, meant his head was right HERE.

Our heads came together with a clunk, my top of my forehead feeling something cut into it, while the bottom just above my eyes hit soft nose. The shock of hitting something metal so close to my eyes made me back up, letting go of him, but something popped off his head, and I could suddenly see him again. He was holding his bloody nose with his right hand and looking at me with a shocked expression. His left hand was broken, the little bones sticking out of the back of his hand.

"You can't even beat an unarmed girl. For shame." I said, feeling my anger rise further, "You wanted to make an example of me, to my Familia." I watched the colour drain from his face, and those directly behind him, "You DARED touch my Goddess." I leaned forward slightly, my anger burning now, my vision catching a glimpse of dark purple, "Draw your sword!"

I jumped at him, one hand latching on to his good wrist as he tried to draw his sword. He fell onto his back giving up on the sword and punching me in the face fearfully, only to be ignored as I mounted him and started slamming my fists into his chest and face, screaming at him. I heard chaos suddenly erupt from behind the men, but ignored that too as he managed to buck me off of him, only to have me grab his belt and drag him back towards me. In a rage I pulled off his shoulder armour, ripped out a handful of his hair, clawed at his face, broke his arm as he tried to stop me from grabbing his throat.

Some one grabbed my wrist, hand like ice against the fury my magic had pushed to just under the surface of my skin. The hand simply held my wrist, in a grip a child could have broken. "Miss Kodori." A voice said behind me.

I looked down at the pile of flesh I had been hitting. He was looking at me with one barely open eye, tears streaming down the sides of his broken face. His chest was bruised and bloody, both arms broken, his sword snapped in two just above his head.

"You were about to do something you can't take back." He said, pulling my hand back, helping me as I stood up. "Stay here, I'm going to help the others."

Others? I took a quick look around, seeing that there was a fight going on. People I didn't recognize... No, they looked familiar. The group that had run past us with the hell hounds. They were fighting the gang who were holding Bell and Hestia.

Hestia herself was... Handing me my shirt. Silently, I accepted it, kneeling in front of her, bowing my head. "Lilly cut us loose when Takemikazuchi Familia kept the others distracted." She said, walking around me, putting my shirt on for me. "Some of them found Bell and I. Threatened me, then tied us both up." I felt her literally divine calm surrounding me as she completed her walk back in front of me, the sound of the fighting maybe five meters away being drown out by her little voice. "They brought us here after they found you alone." She put a hand on my cheek, turning my head to look at the man, still laying on the ground, watching me like a small animal looks at a predator, "Made us watch you fight."

When both my eyes were on him, she said, "Forgive him?"

I looked at him, and bowed my head to him. I couldn't bring myself to say anything, not our of hate towards him, but myself, for nearly crossing that one line.

"You are my hand." Hestia said, "You have passed judgement, found him guilty. And punished him. Forgive him."

"Honour the agreement between us." I managed to say to him. His eye widened slightly, but he managed a nod. "I forgive you then."

It was then that Hestia hugged me, forgiving me as well, her body glowing a faint blue.

"Wow." I heard some one say, "You really go all out, don't you."

"Lord Hermes." I said, turning my head and seeing a dark metal skullcap. I reached for it and picked it up, holding it in my hands and looking at the sinister face stylized into the plate on the forehead. A small patch of skin was stuck to the sharp 'nose' of the face. "Asfi." I said to the lady beside him.

"I'm always impressed by you children. What you manage to accomplish, with or without our gift." For some reason his smile really annoyed me.

"Pain should not be amusing." I replied, looking again at the skullcap, "Who ever made this should be ashamed for letting some one like him have it." I stood, then tossed the thing in my hands at the stub of crystal Moldo had smashed, the black metal cap flipping through the air and then turning to dust as it hit the stub.

Both of them blinked in surprise at me, making me shrug. I turned away from them, rubbing my bruised ribs and looking at what was left of the mob. Most of them were either on the ground groaning, or backing away from some one. I noticed a familiar green cloak among them, "Ryuu?"

"Yes." She answered as I called her name, making her turn and walk towards me. She was holding her sword shaped stick in one hand, and wearing clothes that were all whites and greens. "Good to see you safe."

I took her free hand in mine and gave it a light squeeze, "Fine as one can be. Let's catch up a little later... So, I've been wondering? Hermes, Hestia? Why aren't you two supposed to be here?"

"You know that the Gods put the dungeon here, to keep the monsters contained right?" Hermes asked, "Well, if the dungeon doesn't like you children, it really hates us Gods."

As if on cue, the sound of splitting stone from the ceiling resonated through the forest, the sharpness of it a tangible pressure on my skin.

* * *

Authors notes.

Another cliffhanger! For those who have seen the show, you all know what's coming. I was debating on having that hat actually get picked up by Hermes, or perhaps the real creator of the hat give themselves away, but... Nah. Not now. :)

Writing in first person has its pros and cons. For example, I can skip things like when a person goes to sleep, or is knocked out. I can leave out important events until they actually matter to the hero. Like when Bell and Hestia get captured. Instead of writing a scene, I just have a single sentence explaining what happened. A disadvantage to first person, is that some times things seem to come out of left field, and you are left wondering if it was meant to happen, or the author pulled the story crowbar out and wedged something in.

Hopefully, I'm not doing that too much. If I am, please, make notes, send me a message. I'll try not to do it again.

Until next time.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

I was still feeling like some one had twisted my heart into a piece of abstract art. But I felt, even deeper, where the concept of 'primal fear' was kept, that I really should get my armour back on. I didn't know what was coming, but from what I knew of the dungeon, when the walls cracked, you got monsters.

The giant 'sun' crystal had split in half, the entire cavern dimming as a black form filled it, threatening to spill out like some primordial bit of tar.

"What's going on?" I asked, strapping down a shin guard without looking, "That... is really big."

Next to me, Ryuu answered, "An irregular. That shouldn't be here." She turned her head suddenly towards the entrance to the lower level, "This may be a problem. We must organize."

"Loki Familia should be around, work with them?" I replied, standing, "So long as we don't panic." I said, feeling brittle inside. I was crashing hard from my last fight, and it was making me almost shiver.

"Kodori-dono." I blinked and turned, facing the sudden voice. I had a hard enough time getting used to 'Miss', but 'Lady'? It was the girl that had passed the monsters off on us. "How can we help?"

"You are?" I asked. Behind her the rest of her band had formed up, mostly looking like peasant samurai, with the exception of a frail looking boy with a tower shield on his back.

"Mikoto Yamato." She answered with a bow, giving her last name first, I think. "These are members of my Familia. I offer ..."

"Mikoto-san." I interrupted, holding up a hand, "Live the day, then we can talk. Help? Help me get the wounded off the field and get the people who shouldn't be anywhere near combat..." I looked at Hestia, making her flinch as if I had just taken away all her snacks, "Out of the way. Ryuu?" She was already gone, "Seems to have gone to get Loki Familia, by far the most experienced here, to help organize."

She simply said 'Hai', and turned to her Familia. They started helping people to their feet and getting them off the hilltop. "Lady Hestia? Help me with this guy." I looked down at the broken man... The man I broke. "Please?"

Hermes and Asfi were gone by the time Hestia had helped me prop the man over my back as gently as possible. He grunted, but took the treatment silent otherwise. From there, we moved as fast as possible towards town. I could already see people wheeling up small ballista and grapeshot launchers to the edge of the cliff. Through the ground I could feel the vibration of monsters making their way up from below. From above, I looked, my eyes going wide as I saw the blob start falling.

We were no where close, and the town reasonably far from the impact site, but when it hit the ground, I wouldn't have been surprised if it knocked things off the bookshelf at home. As it was, I knelt down so I wouldn't fall and drop my passenger. Hestia herself clung to a tree.

It was huge. The black monster, Goliath, I learned it was called at the party, was more than twice as tall as an orc. This one was staggeringly huge. As it stood to its full height, I could feel the air move as it took its first deep breath. It then threw back its head, and roared. A long, deep bellow that announced its birth into the dungeon like a bomb.

Ears ringing, I kept moving. I wasn't running, but away from that thing was priority one, with the injured man on my back. "Over here!" Some one called, "Bring him here!" I didn't know who they were, but we were near one of the many water springs near town. Protected on two sides by the cliff under the town it was a good spot for a triage. "Wow, fighting's barely started, what happened?"

"Demon fox." I said bitterly, "Thank you. Hestia? Can you stay here? Help them? I am going to find a place to help out there." I made a motion with a hand towards the colossus. I noticed a few others, rough fighting types close by, including the Amazon twins from Loki Familia, "You should be mostly safe here."

"Yes. Go help." She said, giving me a little push, "I'll be fine."

* * *

I was never good with chaos. A place for everything, and everything in its place. Over the last month or so however, I'd gotten better, much better, at reading a situation and acting, instead of simply seeing a situation, and reacting.

As I ran up the hill, I saw teams of people, four or five on average, getting together, arming, and running towards the entrance to the nineteenth floor. I saw two man crews on all the mini artillery, setting up and firing at the giant with well practised motions. I saw Lilly as she exited the smith shop.

"Lilly!" I called out, running to her. "Where's Bell?"

"Master Bell went to help fight that." She said, pointing to the huge man shaped monster. "Mister Welf is working in the shop on weapons, Lilly doesn't know what to do!"

I put a hand on her shoulder, "Lady Hestia is down by the spring," I pointed back the way I'd come, "I'm sure they could use your help with any injured." She nodded, "Good, I'm going to try and keep that idiot from getting stepped on."

We parted, and I saw the first flash of magic of the fight. Green lightning, white shards of ice, black tendrils. Very flashy, but against something that was probably thirty meters tall, it seemed to do nothing more than annoy it. The light of the cavern had changed to a bloody red, not unlike sunset, but I could still see the black skin of the monster healing even as the magic blasts tore chunks off it.

Flashes of steel came next, people I could just make out in the gloom swinging swords and axes as they jumped around, being no more effective seeming than a bee.

Then I saw the blue white glow peeking out of the trees like some divine firefly. A moment later, as I turned my feet towards the glow and ran with all my might, I heard the familiar cry of "FIREBOLT!"

The great beast must have sensed something, because it turned to face the danger, roaring and letting out a sudden torrent of blue energy from its mouth, its roar hurting my ears.

Only to have the top of its head blown off. Literally. The biggest blast of energy I'd ever seen poured out of the spot the glow was coming from. Bell's shot punched through the middle of the beast's own blast back up its line of fire, and passed through its face. Now missing the top of its head from just above its upper lip, the titan stumbled back a step.

Then 'looked' towards the origin of the blast, and let out a second shot of its own. I got there just in time to see Bell, dazed as if starting to mind down, look at the oncoming blast, and get consumed by it.

He had started to get out of the way, but he was still blasted backwards, rocks dirt bits of tree following him as he landed, smoking, in a heap meters away. My own skin feeling sunburned, my eyes seeing spots from the harsh blue light, I dashed over to him and checked him over.

Behind me, the beast roared again, a quick look telling me it was not only still fighting, but its head had grown back. I turned back to Bell.

No pulse. No heartbeat. No breathing.

Old memories of half remembered training sharpened in my mind as I ripped off his chest plate, tilted back his head, plugged his nose and locked my lips with his.

Behind me, more noise, more magic. Roars and explosions.

Breath. Compress chest. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Chanting, a language I didn't know. A breeze that felt divine and violent passing near me.

Breath. Compress chest. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Slashing noises, heavy chopping, the twang thump of old artillery.

Breath. Compress chest. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Panic setting in, head getting fuzzy, another roar, my world getting brighter.

Breath. Compress chest. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Sudden darkness, no, shade, and some one sounding like they were holding up the world.

Breath. Compress chest. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Bell coughed, taking a heaving breath on his own and rolling over on his side. I too needed to take my own gasping breaths, the little spots in my eyes dancing around as I noticed things had changed around me. Behind me, towards the monster was one of the people from Mikoto-san's Familia. A big man who was wielding a spear at the time. He was leaning with his back on the great tower shield the little one had been carrying, the edges of the solid metal drooping as if starting to melt. In front of him, was the little person, hands pushing against the bigger man's shoulders, both of them bracing everything against the shield. Around me, on either side of them, was... Nothing. No trees, no rocks, just burnt barren ground, extending ten meters into the forest.

"Kodori..." I heard Bell cough, turning to watch him get to his feet shakily. "What... I..."

I looked back to the shield bearer and spear man, "Thank you. Talk more later." Figuring that they would probably want to say something about what happened a few days ago, to Bell, I said, "You are..."

Hestia interrupted me, peeking stumbling out of the treeline with Lilly. "A BIG IDIOT!" She promptly flung herself into his arms, the poor boy still too dazed to do more than hug our Goddess.

"Miss Kodori." Bell said, closing his eyes and looking upwards, "Thank you." He then started glowing, the little fireflies gathering around him.

I heard some one start chanting in Japanese. I only followed a half dozen words, but it sounded like a prayer. The spear man still leaning against the shield that was between us and the monster said, "Mikoto-chan is going all out."

I looked off a little into the clearing the monster and the adventurers fighting had made and spotted Mikoto, hands together, feet together, back ram rod straight, looking at the Goliath as she chanted. With a final word she opened her hands slightly, a darkness hovering between them.

And from the ceiling, a spear... no, sword of purple light appeared, more massive than the monster, descending on it even as it looked up and screamed defiance at it. It passed through the beast, vanishing into its body, exiting between its legs and passing into the floor. From there, a purple glow erupted at its feet, and it suddenly knelt down as if some one even bigger had slammed both its shoulders with a giant hammer.

"Her spell is ... magic." The spear man said proudly, slumping down in front of the shield.

I didn't know the word, and the look on my face made Bell say, "Gra-vi-ty. The thing that brings things down when you drop them."

Looking back at him, he and Hestia, who was still clinging to him, though she was looking at the fighting, were glowing like a whole forest of fireflies were around them now. I heard Mikoto scream, turned, and the pressure was suddenly lifted off the Goliath. It had sunk to almost its hips into the floor, its upper body twisted and broken. But even as we watched, it was straightening out, standing.

Like a comet, a familiar looking salamander wool cloak sailed towards the regenerating monster. Screaming like a maniac, I saw the glint of a jagged metal object in his hands, as if he was going to give the Goliath a flying overhand chop. Instead, the vaguely sword shaped object in his hands glowed bright red, and when he swung it down, far too early to actually cut the beast, a massive wave of flame burst forth from the blade. The heat brought me a sudden flashback of when Zanis had cooked me, and I watched as what looked like a small sun was crashing into the crater the beast was standing in.

"So that's what he was talking about." I mumbled, standing, and blinking as Bell walked past me, slow, steady, full of purpose. He kept walking, even as the flames cleared. The Goliath had been reduced to a sort of humanoid shaped wax statue. Even as we watched, the waxy skin the magic sword had inflicted upon it, though there, around where its gut would be, was the black and red swirling glow of a truly titanic magic stone.

"Miss Kodori." I heard Bell say, "Are you coming?" Even though he was technically dead less than two minutes ago, his voice was just as sure as it ever was. He was a hero, and he still had work to do.

I looked back to Hestia, who had tears in her eyes, and started jogging towards him, "Don't miss." And I started running.

Even as I ran, I gathered my magic, that flame inside of me. Inspired by just how brave that boy was, I focused, searched for words, and then chanted as I closed the distance towards the beast. Even as I did, I watched the waxy flesh solidify and regrow, the magic stone slowly covering back up. "For Her a wall, for Her a gate." Again, I was praying, to a very real Goddess, "I stand and let only the worthy pass and deny disaster entry!"

The crystal was almost covered now. I could feel the heat from the magical fire through the bottoms of my boots. I focused my eyes on nothing but the slowly closing gap of flesh, ignoring the flashbacks of being cooked alive trying to cloud my vision. "So that I myself remain worthy in Her eyes!" I jumped the distance bringing my fist back, then forward, opening my hand just as the crystal vanished under newly grown flesh. My arm was buried almost to the shoulder but my fingertips were touching something smooth and cool. I looked back at Bell, my feet kicking out and bracing so my shoulder wouldn't be taking my full weight, I stretched my hand out to him, feeling my body hum like I had just kissed a battery.

I didn't hear him call out his magic. But I saw him extend his arm, brace his feet, and his mouth move. I looked into his eyes as not so much a 'bolt' but a 'beam' of blue electrified fire lanced towards me. As one, we both smiled, and I didn't so much as flinch as the blue firebolt connected with my open palm.

Agony. White hot flame pouring from one end of my body to the other. Super hot, yet chilling at the same time, the energy arced through me. But this time, instead of it going into my feet, into the ground, I imagined my own magic as a pipe, from one hand to the other, feeding Bell's enhanced spell directly into the giant magic stone.

The sound deafened me, my body felt like it was suddenly disconnected from my brain, and then I was falling. An instant later, as my world dimmed I felt a hand grab my ankle, and I was being lifted into the air.

* * *

"What a handful they are, these children of yours." The voice sounded like it was being filtered through a metal bucket. "Still, to kill it like that. They must trust each other perfectly."

The only reply was an metallic sounding sniffle. Bits of my body were noticing I was awake, and telling me how much they hated me right now.

"You're lucky Asfi had those potions you know. Have you told them not to be so reckless?" Again a sniffle, then the male laughed, "Not like it would matter I think. Asfi? Is there anything more you can do for them?"

"Yes sir." A moment later, I felt something fuzzy touch my ears, the noise of friction slowly losing the metallic sound. "Her ears look better now." Some one snapped their fingers near first my left then my right ear, making them twitch reflexively. "Yes, reacting normally now."

"ow quit it." I mumbled, in English, then again in Common.

The familiar weight of Hestia flopped onto my side, followed by her usual 'happy angry sad' noises that she had been making almost every time we returned home recently. "You saved him. He was gone, but you brought him back."

"Lets leave them alone for now, Asfi." I heard Hermes say. "We can chat later, Hestia, Miss Kodori, Mr. Bell." The rustle of fabric a tiny puff of flowing air, and the room suddenly felt bigger.

"Stupid Hermes." Hestia mumbled. "Kodori? Are you okay?"

"Everything... hurts." I replied, "Bell?"

"Here." I heard a voice to my left. A few false starts later, I managed to twitch my arm enough to extend it in his direction, my hand closed into a fist. He lightly tapped my knuckles with his, then he put my hand back at my side. "Is it true? Was I dead?"

He was being unusually quiet, no, solemn? "No pulse, no breath, no heartbeat." I said finally opening my eyes, looking up at the blurry sight of Hestia's 'been crying for hours' face. "I wasn't sure I could do it. But I remembered."

"What did you do?" Bell asked, "I remember a dream... But nothing more. Being hit by the Goliath, falling... then waking up."

"CPR." I said, using the English words for the letters. "Mouth to mouth, heart... rub? No... 'massage'?" I asked Hestia.

"Massage." She said to Bell, who in turn...

"Ma-sa-gee. Massage." It was nice to have people who understood your faults.

"Heart massage." I said. "Give my breath to you. Try and force your heart to beat again."

It took a moment, but Hestia blushed from the top of her cleavage to the tips of her ears. My body was awake enough by now, so I very gently brought my hand to my Goddess's face, and swept it across, like slapping her with a piece of silk. Her embarrassment went to shock instantly, but her eyes told me she understood. "Thank you for saving him." She said, hugging me again.

I flailed my arm at Bell again, fingertips catching a bit of fabric, becoming an unbreakable grip, and tugging the boy towards me. "Anything for my Brother." I said, hugging them both. "Now... Is there anything to eat?"

* * *

We left fairly soon after I had awoken. Loki Familia had taken care of most of the monsters invading from the lower floor, and were looking none the worse for wear. Ais was her usual calm pool of water, though she did manage to hold a conversation with Bell, sort of, Hestia was almost between them, not quite touching, but certainly not letting them touch either. Welf was walking next to Lilly, and both of them had grim thoughtful looks on their faces. That would have been amusing if I couldn't have guessed why.

I'd have to talk to them later. Being the big sister/brother was hard.

"What a world." I mumbled.

"Nani?" Mikoto hadn't left my side since we started back up. We had walked in silence mostly, her position behind and to my left made her look like my guard. "Oh, sorry. Pardon, Kodori-dono?"

"Iie, sore wa nanimonai." I replied, saying 'no it is nothing.' "Now that we are going. Let's talk." I held up a hand first, "Don't bow, don't put yourself down, and don't fall behind. We are equals here."

Behind her, the rest of her Familia looked down as much as they could, without losing eye contact with my sideways turned gaze.

"We were careless, and lost control of the situation." Mikoto said, "One of us was hurt, our formation broke, and we ran."

"I guessed as much." I nodded, "We," I made a motion towards Bell, Lilly and Welf, "have had that happen before, save that it was intentional. I do not blame you for our party being in the wrong place at the right time."

Again that downcast look. Japanese mannerisms, especially traditional ones, were so stiff. But I could work with that.

"Because of that. Bell, Lilly, Welf and I know how to handle a fighting retreat. Your reason for bringing those monsters was unfortunate, not intentional, so I forgive your lack of training." I thought a moment, then gave her a Hestia version of the Karate Chop of Punishment. I hardly ruffled her hair. "Punishment has been given."

One of the younger of her group didn't quite manage to stop themselves from laughing. Mikoto looked mortified. The matter was obviously heavy on her mind. So I offered a solution.

"I know that our Goddess is friends with your God, so, how about our two Familia do a little training?" I gave her shoulder a pat, "I see from how you all carry yourselves, that you are strong. But your line breaking shows you need a little more."

"It is as Kodori-dono says." She replied, the others looking up and nodding to me.

"Since, once again, almost all of my equipment is in tatters, I expect the next few days to be time off. I will talk with my Familia, and we can find a place to train." I looked at the others, then back to her, "Make sure to get a good sleep, and meet me at the fountain, as the sun comes over the wall."

They all agreed, the lot of them stopping an instant to touch their heels together and tap a fist to their chest in salute. They really were very formal. But I admired that level of discipline, considering they were at best not even out of their teens yet.

I was just about to turn to look ahead, when an unfamiliar hand touched my rear and slid down my tail, followed by a second hand touching my other cheek and brushing down the other side. This of course, had the usual effect, and I nearly fell as my spine tried to exit out of the top of my head.

"Wow, it really does work." A familiar voice said as a pair of darkly tanned arms caught me around the middle to keep me from falling. It was one of the Amazon twins.

"We'll have to thank Arnya." The other said as they let me go and stood to either side of me.

"My poor tail." I said, hugging it to me. It had gotten a little longer, now that I actually looked at it. "I knew she would get me back one day. Employing mercenaries... Evil girl."

"Aww, don't be like that." The less busty of the pair said, "We just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Almost everyone saw what you did." The other added, "What did you even do?"

I shrugged, "Well... Hm. I made sure Bell's magic would hit?"

"But... How?"

I took a quick look around, and picked up three little stones from the floor. "Here, hold this, yes like that." She held one of them between her thumb and forefinger. I balanced the second stone on top, and handed her the last one, "Now, tap that from underneath." She did, the stone on top popping into the air. "Kind of like that."

"Ohhhhhh." They both said at once.

"I made sure it hit the magic stone." I replied before hooking a thumb at the car sized magic stone that we had covered in a tarp and were taking with us to the surface. Another one was just behind that. "I'm honestly surprised it didn't break more than it did. And that you are helping us carry it back."

"We're taking one half, remember." I nodded to her, because yes, everyone had agreed on that. After all was said and done, and the supporters cleaned up the monsters, everyone came away with something. Though Loki Familia, who did the heavy lifting when it came to the monsters from the nineteenth floor, and had two healers on hand to keep actual deaths to zero, claimed half of the Black Goliath's stone. Hestia Familia, for actually killing it, got the other. As well as a few others things.

"Well, congratulations on surviving that, you crazy fox." The busty one said, before both of them gave me a punch on the shoulder and went off again.

"So much energy, those two." I felt my spine try another bid for freedom but settled down as I recognized Hermes's voice.

"I really must say, your Familia is making quite a name for itself." He said as he seemed to walk out from behind Asfi, who was just sort of 'there' when I looked towards the voice.

"You must really get around." I said in English, making him wince at the terrible pun. "I've noticed something, you know, about this place."

"Oh, and what is that?" Hermes asked, while Asfi was looking frustrated at not knowing what I was saying.

"It seems almost too perfect." I replied, grabbing hold of my tail again and idly trying to groom it. "Skip the history, and think simply of 'what is here'."

"Go on." He sounded interested.

"You have this giant dungeon. Finn, of Loki Familia told me they aimed to go past floor 50. This place is a perfect place to gain 'exilia' so that us, the 'children' can gain 'levels'." He nodded, showing me he was following so far, "The Gods put the tower on top of all this to seal it, and keep the monsters contained. Fine, I've read fantasy books about something similar where they didn't do that, and it ended badly, but forget about that."

"A simple summation of our history." Hermes replied.

"It's too perfect. A forest ecology on the eighteenth floor. A water ruin on the... I forget what floor they said it was. The dungeon heals all the wounds we do to it like a living thing, the monsters come back time and time again. A perfect training ground for us Children. But why?"

"Why indeed, Miss Kodori." Hermes replied, "Keep thinking on it, you might find an answer."

He was about to turn, when I said, "Asfi, thank you." She looked and gave me a nod, "And sorry for not ...in...include...including! Aha. You in the talk. I am still learning." She nodded again, following her God as he walked away.

Before I could get ambushed again, I walked over to Welf and Lilly. They were still looking thoughtful and silent, even while they walked together.

"Okay you two." I started, making them both look over/up at me. "What's wrong?"

They didn't answer, or rather, they both opened their mouths to say something, then stopped.

"Right." I pointed to Welf, "You, did amazing. Just remember why you did it, and who you did it for, and you will never regret it." I understood his reasons for not making Magic Sword. As a craftsman, he didn't want to make something disposable. But as a Friend, he did, to save lives. Not for greed or power like his ancestors.

To Lilly, I gave her a smile and said, "Fighting isn't everything. A chair with no legs doesn't work, and a party without its supporter is a lot harder to keep going. You freed Bell and Lady Hestia, helped with the wounded, and even made sure I didn't 'accidentally' drink anything at the after party I shouldn't have." I gave her head a pat, ruffling her hair, "And I know the twins tried to slip me what ever it was they were drinking at least once."

"Miss Kodori can't handle her drink." She mumbled, halfheartedly trying to evade my hair scruffles.

"So. Cheer up a little. When we get back, we'll train with Takemikazuchi's Familia, so they never do what they did again. Welf will do what Welf does best and make more things for us, and you and I can go shopping for more clothes, yet again. And refill your new support pack." They both smiled, though it was a tiny smile, it was a start.

"Sorry sister." Welf said, "I'll have to skip tomorrow." He said, "I have..."

"Tell me later. We won't go into the dungeon without you, or without proper gear." I put a hand on Lilly's shoulder, "Just ask anyone, I never leave people behind for the important stuff."

"Thanks." Welf said, giving my shoulder a punch, "Hey tiny. Just how strong are you anyhow? You lost your crossbow right?"

I left them to return to their usual banter, and walked on my own for a while.

* * *

The only other incident I instigated, was when Eina, our ever strict and loving supporter took Bell, Lilly and I aside to do her usual finger waving. I may or may not have given Bell a little nudge, so that he lost his balance, nearly fell on Eina, hugged her to keep HER from falling, and made the two of them blush the exact same shade of red when I said, "See? She is soft."

This turned them BOTH into stuttering idiots, and made Lilly laugh, something I couldn't remember her ever doing.

Eina still lectured us, but welcomed us back as usual.

* * *

NOTES!

A little shorter than last chapter, but I figure a new chapter is a better way to get the next bit of story started. As usual, dear readers, I hope you keep reading.


	18. Chapter 18

Before we begin.

If you've read to this point, I must give you my heartfelt thanks. What started as an idea I had while mindlessly working as some kind of slave/drone that my brain thought up just to keep itself from putting itself through a machine, has grown, evolved. I see from my stats on that I now have readers from 12 different distinct countries. Now, I'm not sure that all of those people will keep reading, but that I've reached that far with what started as a simple grab at sanity preservation is rather heartening.

Now, lets kick open the door and look for treasure.

* * *

Chapter 17

Tired, but triumphant, of a sort, Bell, Hestia and I returned home to our basement. Contrary to predictions, nothing had fallen off the shelves. There was however, a small pristine white envelope sitting on the dining table. Hestia went to pick it up, while Bell and I put our things away for the day. While stowing our gear, Bell and I made idle chat about tomorrow's training with Mikoto and her band, and things we might try while doing so.

Then our Goddess made the most curious noise. A sort of mix between 'urg' and 'sigh'.

"It's just not my day." She groaned, holding her face with one hand, the letter in the other. "There's been a meeting called for the gods."

"So... What's that mean?" I asked, Bell also looking curious beside me.

"Every so often, most, if not all of us go to some grand meeting and discuss... Well, whatever we want. It's very boring. Oh... And recent level two adventurers get a nickname."

I frowned, scratching my head, "That does sound boring. But, nicknames?"

"Yeah..." Another sigh. "The thing is, the other Gods decide it. Not the one whom they are with." She said miserably, "I'll try to keep them from giving you two something silly."

We stood in silence for a moment, before Bell perked up, "You can wear that dress we got you though?"

* * *

For the rest of the night until bed time, our poor Goddess was rather depressed. Not only would this meeting take anywhere up to a week to finish, we had to, once again, pay a fine for going against the guild rules. This one being 'no Gods or Goddesses in the dungeon. From what I understood, it was a percentage of our assets. Meaning Hermes Familia was probably paying something close to ten times or more what we had to.

I felt oddly satisfied with that, though I did feel a little sorry for the actual members of his Familia. He didn't seem like the kind of person to care much about 'the little things', and that annoyed me.

We both had our status updated, with Hestia's usual jaw drop reaction to just how much we had both grown. For Bell and I, all we could do was shrug and scratch our heads. I knew, just by listening, he had a special skill that helped him grow so fast. Me on the other hand... I was always pushing myself to keep up. Taking risks. Refusing to fall behind. Figuring out what I could do, then doing it when I needed to. Made me think of an anime I watched. Genius sister, and the big brother who kept up because he refused to not be there when she needed him.

I finished getting ready for bed and lay down. Bell was already passed out and snoring on our thread bare but comfortable couch, and Hestia was already under the blanket. I was just closing my eyes when a pair of arms wrapped around my tail and started to cuddle the poor thing.

"You did it again." Hestia mumbled behind me. I didn't reply, though I wiggled my tail a little to show I was paying attention. "Another prayer, to me. When I'm the one who should be thanking you."

"A good person who does nothing is evil." I quoted quietly. "Bell is the special one. I saved him, because I couldn't think of not saving him. I nearly got killed along with him, except two of Takemikazuchi's Familia protected us. Bell stopped me from killing some one who was, by all counts, a criminal."

She hugged my tail tighter, but said nothing.

"Get some sleep. We both have a busy few days ahead." She groaned, "And don't drool on my fur."

* * *

Bell and I started our morning the usual way: At full speed. Both our statuses had jumped again, and we were both eager to find where our new limits were. I was glad our neighbourhood was rather sparse, or I'm sure we'd have gotten noise complaints by now. Either that, or people had come to expect a bit of a show, from a safe distance. In light of me getting a handle on grounding out magic, he even started to throw the odd firebolt at me, though he was sure I'd be ready for it.

We were just towelling off when Hestia popped out from behind the door, still squinting from having just woken up. "Why are you two so full of energy?" She was dressed in the gown we had gotten her. A more modest, but black version of her usual outfit, with a long skirt that went to her ankles, but was slit up one side to her usual outfit's height. It would be almost scandalous back home, or maybe something an Italian dancer might wear, but it fit just right and still showed off how nice her curves were.

I gave her a thumbs up. Bell... Went to stuttering idiot. Two for two, if you were to ask me.

She was also holding a bag with our fine for the guild in it. "How did you know my sizes anyhow?" Hestia asked.

Unable to help myself, I got behind Bell and put my hands on his shoulders, then moved them down to his hips. He actually started steaming in the cool morning air when I said, "Some one showed me how to do measurements by hand. Oh dear... I think I broke him."

* * *

The three of us walked to the fountain together, once Bell had recovered his scattered wits. In an uncommon show of rebellion, he actually punched me in the shoulder and called me mean. Politely, of course. Hestia was ruining her new look by giggling at our antics, and I felt that something cosmically out of place had clicked back to where it belonged.

Takemikazuchi's Familia, and the God himself were waiting at the fountain for us, all dressed for combat and ready to take on the dungeon. Familia behind him, Takemikazuchi met us with a smile.

"It is good to see you are here, safe and well, Lady Hestia, Bell Cranell, Kodori-san." I could tell by his tone, he was about to take a big slice of humble pie for his Familia causing a problem for us.

So, to save time, and 'face' for Mikoto, who had probably been through the cycle of putting herself down, and thinking she was letting everyone else down for her and her party's lack of experience, I took a half step forward and said, bowing, "Thank you, Takemikazuchi-sama. We hope our Familia can work together, to prevent such a problem from occurring again. May we both learn much from the exchange." That was all said in my very best formal tone, in English. I also added, "We have already forgiven them. And today we hope to make sure it never happens again."

Everyone was sort of looking at me, with that odd awkward look you get when you say something weird at a family dinner. But I held my bow and ignored the blush I hoped wasn't visible in the dim morning light.

Takemikazuchi saved me by saying, "Thank you, Kodori-san, for your kind words. Please, take care of them while I'm away." He gave my head a pat, carefully avoiding my ears, making it a formal sort of blessing, instead of a say 'good girl' pat on the head. I straightened up, and he gave me his usual serene smile, before looking past me to Hestia. "Shall we go, Lady Hestia?"

Our Goddess gave us both a hug before giving us a wave and linking arms with Takemikazuchi.

"Well, that went well I think." I mumbled, looking around at his Familia, four in all. "Okay. Let's get started."

* * *

After a brief introduction, a small breakfast, and a quick trip to the first floor of the dungeon, our two Familia started to train. I found that all of them were level two, surprising, since Bell and I, with Lilly and Welf managed to survive just as well as them as a mix of levels. But when Bell and I started our little war games, I figured out why.

They were very inflexible. Painfully so. Mikoto and Ouka, the big man with the spear who protected Bell and I, were front line fighters. Chigusa, the girl, who I thought was a boy, was the supporter, and Asuka, a quite girl who seemed to want to fade into the shadows if you stopped looking at her, used a bow.

On paper, that was fine. If this were say, a table top game of Dungeons and Dragons, I'd say they'd do well. Except, that was all they did. Mikoto could use a bow, rather well too. But generally didn't, and borrowed Asuka's when she did. Chigusa wasn't really capable of fighting, though she was handy with that shield when she needed to be. And Ouka was... Well, very strong, but only really saw forwards. And Asuka was a fairly able bare hand fighter, but wasn't equipped to actually do it.

So, taking a few pages, most of the book really, from my training with Ryuu and Luniore, Bell and I started drilling them on close quarters fighting, the fighting retreat, hallway pushing, room breaching, and basically applying Murphy's Law to every situation we could think of. With only the six of us, seven, when Lilly joined in a little while after we started, we were kind of limited on how elaborate we could be, but they were very disciplined, and took instruction well.

We got a few strange looks from other groups who were coming and going, since we were all obviously experienced adventurers playing on the first floor, but when they saw we were using blunted weapons, most of them simply nodded to themselves and even occasionally offered a bit of advice. Thanks to Lilly, we were able to have lunch without leaving, and shortly after that, Welf came down to see what all the noise was about. Then it was four on four, and we were able to take turns on attack and defence without needing to even out the teams or have people sit out.

It almost made me forget why we were doing it in the first place.

"Kodori-dono is wise." Mikoto said as we all sat in a circle for dinner.

"Please, I'm not so great as that." I was only just begrudgingly accepting 'Miss Kodori', after all. "And, bruise more now, bleed less later." I rubbed a sore spot Ouka had inflicted on me with his spear. "You four are able students. I'm happy you left pride at home, and came to learn."

The look on her face, all of their faces, told me they hadn't left it at home, simply swallowed it for the moment. I gave the girl a light punch to the shoulder, "That is not what I meant. I know you didn't fail on purpose. I know you are all smart, kind and hard working. But there is no substitute for experience. Now that you know how to deal with what caused the problem... Now you have no excuse."

"Yeah." Welf chimed in, "You guys are pretty strong. We're all friends here, cheer up." He laughed, hooking an arm around my shoulder, grabbing Bell as well with his other arm, "You wouldn't believe the stuff these two showed me on my first couple days with them."

"Mr. Welf just has an anvil for a head." Lilly said, sipping her drink.

"So, shall we call it a night and return tomorrow?" I asked, giving Welf a nudge, looking at the other four. When they all nodded, I added, "Good. At the fountain again, but we're just going to do sparring, lets hope for clear skies.

* * *

We left, and split into our two groups. Welf was in especially high spirits, considering his apparent gloom the day before. He told us why as soon as we had made it to the fountain.

"I did it. I'm level two now." He smiled, and we all clapped hands for him. "Yes yes, thank you my adoring fans." Lilly boo'ed quietly, but he just waved her off, "But, this means... Sigh, I'm going to be very busy. You guys have a plan for the next few days?"

"Lady Hestia said she was going to be away for a meeting with the Gods." Bell said, "And might not be back for a few days."

"Yeah, Lady Hephaestus said the same thing. I just managed to see her before she left this morning." Welf replied, "She was quite happy I made it in time too. Picked up some more of your order too, sister." He said to me, patting a pouch on his hip. "Can't wait to work on it. The rest of the stuff too!" He was like a kid in a toy store.

"Hey Lilly. Take Bell with you to Nazza's place. We need potions and stuff, and he's got most of our valis." I gave her a wink, disguised by pretending I had something in my eye, "You and I can go fill your pack back up tomorrow."

Wiser than her childish demeanour let on, Lilly grabbed Bell's hand before he could protest and said, "Miss Kodori is wise, Lilly will make sure Miss Nazza doesn't give Bell a hard time."

Unable to resist Lilly, Bell was dragged away.

"Wow." Welf said, "That was... Really smooth."

"Being a big sister is hard." I replied. "I have a few idea's I'd like to run by you. And yes, I'll pick up a hammer, if you don't mind risking that I might break it."

Oddly, he was almost as excited about me wanting to try his forge, than he was at working himself.

* * *

"You have... What... How..." He was looking at a couple of designs I had drawn on a bit of brown paper. "And this goes... Pulls that... Locks here..." It was a crossbow with a handle underneath the neck, that one could pull back to cock it again. Instead of using a goat's foot, crank, or using your hand, this would cut loading time down to half or less, depending on how strong you were.

I fully intended to make use of just how strong us adventurers could be.

"Even with a little crossbow, Lilly could be much more effective." He held the design draft at arms length, "Where did you even come up with this?"

I shrugged, being unable to say 'Youtube'. "She's a good shot, she should have a good weapon."

"Fair enough. So, what should I start with first?" He grinned, "Or was there something you wanted to try your hand at?"

* * *

Welf and I spent the next few hours making things. My first swing of the hammer was probably the worst. I was so worried about having one of Welf's tools simply turn to dust when I brought it down, it was a timid little tap that hardly marked the metal under it. This of course, made him click his tongue at me, and tell me to try again. After that, it wasn't so bad. I had to remind myself I was using a tool, for its intended purpose, and by the wording of my curse, that was the only 'object inflicted violence' it would allow.

I had basically only actually made one thing myself, a simple iron bracelet. But I had polished it, using my super strength and salamander wool, to give it an almost silver shine. The rest of the time was spent drawing something else. Eventually, Bell returned, looking a little frayed at the edges, but smiling, to make sure I didn't stay up too late.

"I'm gonna stay in tomorrow, get us all outfitted again." Welf said, "Hold still sister, you too Bell."

Bell had an embarrassed 'I'm not looking' face, as Welf took my measurements, then his. He was perfectly professional about it, so I didn't mind where his hands went. He even asked me to hold my tail so he didn't have to touch it. Bell got the same treatment, the smith using a bit of knotted rope and writing down dimensions.

On our way back, I held my tail again, looking at it, and realizing that it really was longer than the last time I actually thought to measure it. "Maybe Haruhime would know about that?" I mumbled, making Bell look at me, but he didn't pry.

* * *

Again, it was a cold sleep for me. Without Hestia present, the bed just seemed... uncomfortable. Even Bell had trouble sleeping, constantly rolling over and flopping around on the couch. As a result, we both woke up too early, and were only able to train halfheartedly, though we managed to hit our usual pace just before it was time to go meet with the other Familia.

We went to the fountain, to find Takemikazuchi Familia all set to face the day, and simply brought them back to our home so we could train in above in the mostly open space. Thinking ahead, our students had brought some extra wooden weapons with them, just in case.

What followed was a a sort of tournament, where we would all pair up, fight until eliminated, and repeat until some one managed to beat everyone. We also didn't take a break between rounds. Once a clean hit was made, the next person would charge in. Bell's insane speed didn't stop him from getting tired against more experienced opponents like Mikoto or Ouka, and my near tirelessness, and our agreement to not use magic kept me from doing a full set as well.

The second point of this exercise was the difference in style. Close in punches, daggers, sword, spear, and even a bow. It was here that Takemikazuchi Familia out did Bell and I, as we only really ever sparred with each other.

All in all, we had a good time, trying to prevent our next trip to the dungeon being a bad one. Lilly eventually found us a little after lunch, saying she was bored, and I promised to go shopping with her. Not one to break promises, I told Bell to make sure no one burnt the place down, and went with her.

* * *

"Miss Kodori is strange." Lilly declared as we left the clothing store for men that I frequented for my socks and underwear.

"And why is that?" I asked, putting my newly purchased things into my backpack. "I don't like panties, and I've had to do enough walking around naked in this city already." With a sigh, and her curious look, I told her the story of how I arrived. "So yes... No need to be breezy either."

"Still strange." She replied.

"No stranger than some one who can change shape?" I mused, "Lilly must really like her ears being petted." Unable to resist, I gently played with her ears, making her pout, but she didn't move away, "Lilly might know something about this. I have a problem. A social one."

She looked up at me with one curious eye, so I told her about my letter from the Goddess Ishtar. By the end of the story, she had crossed her arms over her chest and 'hm'ed thoughtfully. "Lilly can think of a few reasons why Miss Kodori was asked for a meeting."

"Miss Kodori can too." I sighed, "But, what should I actually do about it?"

Of all the people I knew, Lilly was the most familiar with the darker side of the city. If I wanted a worst case answer, she would be the most likely to give it. "She might try to take you into her Familia." For once, her childish mannerisms were gone. "Lilly has heard things about her. Her Familia is the largest in the city, but not the most powerful. Lilly knows she hates Freya Familia, for being the most powerful, and a Goddess of love as well."

"Urg. But, warning aside, what can I do? Or rather, should I do?" I sighed, "I hate... pol... polite? Pol..."

"Politics." Lilly supplied with a smile, my tail curling around her arm in thanks.

"Yes, that." I didn't want to simply reject the offer of a meeting, not if I wanted to visit the only other Renard in the city. But I also didn't want to trust some one who was sounding like a sore loser who was hungry for power she couldn't get fairly. "So, why is the Freya Familia so powerful?"

"Ottar." Lilly replied instantly, "The only level seven in the world, as far as Lilly knows."

That brought me to a halt, as my logical mind cleared its metaphorical throat and gave me some math to think of. If the limit was 1000 per level, without magic like mine, this Ottar fellow could have upwards of 7000 in any of the basic stats. As only level two with a strength and endurance of roughly 1500, I was already strong enough and tough enough, to use my hand as a hammer at Welf's shop. It still hurt, but I was able to do it.

"Miss Kodori is breathing too hard, is Miss Kodori okay?" Lilly asked, patting my back and bringing me back from that dreadful mental loop.

"Sorry. Thinking too hard." I found myself suddenly shivering, "I kind of want to meet this Ottar." I wanted to test myself somehow against the best. Even if it was only to find out how far I was from him.

"Miss Kodori is strange."

"So, about Ishtar?" I brought us back on topic.

"Lilly thinks you should at least send a letter. Two of them." She replied, "One to Ishtar, maybe say you are busy, with our Familia growing. And one to the other Renard, in case you have tomorrow off." She smiled wickedly, making me blush.

"Lilly is teasing me." I said, pretending to pout.

"Miss Kodori is easy to read some times." She replied, "Oh, let's go here!" She suddenly tugged my sleeve to drag me to a food cart that smelled delicious.

* * *

I returned home with Lilly just after sundown. Everyone was still there, though looking thoroughly worn out and enjoying a small campfire dinner. Bell was laughing with the rest of them as some one finished a story or a joke, it was hard to tell as we approached. But it felt good, seeing people so young actually act young.

I understood this world was different. Bell wasn't even 15 yet, but he was very capable, smart, tough, and had risked his life many times, and saved many more. The rest of them, of Takemikazuchi Familia, were all level two, meaning they too had risked much, fought hard, and been acknowledged by the Gods. Lilly and I had stopped just out of the reach of the campfire's light, her little hand tugging my sleeve, and my tail wrapping around her arm reflexively.

"Miss Kodori is thinking again." She said quietly.

"Life, back home." I replied. "It was simple. But too simple. Kids went to school, learned skills to be adults, while adults worked at jobs they learned to do while they were kids." I sighed, depressed suddenly, legs folding up under me and making me just sit down, "The leaders placed rules that kept people working, but never advancing. To get ahead you either cheated and were lucky, or used the rules against others."

Lilly put a hand on my head while I talked, "Here is different. Here, you can do well. Learn to fight, learn to craft, learn to trade. The rules help those who help themselves, instead of the other way around. You have some control over your own fate."

"Miss Kodori, is crying?" Lilly asked, petting one of my ears, my body leaning into hers before I realized it.

"I guess I am." I sniffled a little too. "Who ever it was who took me from my old home, I owe them, for letting me be a part of this." I waved a hand at Bell and the others, the motion catching Mikoto's attention, making her tug Bell's sleeve. "A flick to the forehead for bringing me here naked, and leaving me someplace on Daedalus street, but a thank you, too." I reached up and put a hand on Lilly's shoulder to balance myself as I stood. "They gave me something to aspire to, and protect." Bell waved to me as Lilly and I stepped into the light, "Friends, a family, and way to keep them close."

"What were you doing over there, Miss Kodori?" Bell asked, shifting over a little to make room for me to sit down, Ouka handing Lilly and I a bowl and motioning to the pot on the fire.

"Reminding myself why I care so much." I said with a smile, "Is this rice?"

* * *

It was indeed rice. And it was sitting happily in my belly as I walked towards the red light district a little later. Wearing my all concealing cloak, I retraced my footsteps back to the same place I'd met the other Renard.

This late in the evening, the atmosphere was much different. There was more noise, for one. Not just the noise a pair might make while having some private, or not so private, fun, but more chatting, drinking, singing. It was like dozens of very small parties were happening at once. I supposed that was why this place was called, the 'entertainment' district, on any official map of the city. I was the focus of a little more attention than last time too. More of the Amazons were out looking for trouble, or fun, making a rather effective police force, until being chosen by a customer. Lilly had told me a little more of the Ishtar Familia, while I wrote a pair of letters after eating dinner with the others. The average level of the Familia was roughly three. Impressive considering they were in the top five in the city for member count. They had an ace, at level five, though she didn't have any information on who it was. They even had an elite squad, called the Berbera.

By the time I had arrived at the house I'd last met Haruhime at, I'd been propositioned four times, groped twice, and pinched three times. I'd managed, just barely, not to hurt anyone, but I did make eye contact with a few passing members of Ishtar Familia, motioning to the offending drunk. A pinched butt was a small price to pay when you got to see some one else get the Chloe Javelin.

When I entered, I was greeted by the Madam, who smiled as she recognized my shape under the cloak, and took my hand, saying I was expected.

"Expected? Really?" I mumbled, being led past the counter marked 'pay here' and the rather short line up of available girls. Haruhime I noticed was not in the line.

"Yes. All the houses were given word about you by Lady Ishtar herself." She replied with a smile that made my ears get hot. "That if you did arrive, anywhere, that we were to treat you with utmost care."

I blinked, wondering what I'd done to deserve such treatment, "Well, in that case." I reached into my cloak and retrieved the two letters. One of them was in the not quite as pristine as it used to be white envelope. Hestia had only removed the wax seal, leaving it reusable, if slightly fingerprinted by handling. "This is for Lady Ishtar." Lilly had advised me to write a simple, politely worded, 'not now, but some time soon' proposal for a meeting. Soon meaning possibly never, but it wasn't a total refusal.

The second letter was neatly folded into a paper crane. It took a couple of tries to remember the simple origami, but after, I wrote the letter and folded it up into one. "This is for Lady Haruhime." I placed the crane in the Madam's palm.

She looked at the paper crane with fascination, probably noticing a little of the ink that had bled through the paper as well. "It's so cute." She said finally with a smile, tucking the letter away, and carefully holding the crane flat on her palm. "I will see that these get to them. Was there anything else?"

Her eyes made 'anything else' look like 'really, ANYTHING, else?' And my ears felt like they had caught fire. "No, not tonight." I mumbled, but then I remembered something. "Do you know where I can get a brush for fur?" My tail twitched under my cloak. Who better to ask than a woman who made sure everyone under her care was well groomed?

* * *

By the time I returned, only Bell was left. He was blushing too hard to ask any questions about my trip into the red light district. After putting my cloak away, I motioned him to come back outside with me.

After training with the others, it seemed kind of pointless to have yet another sparring session with each other, but we did anyhow. We had both learned new tricks from the others, and were eager to try them out. Bell wasn't even using his daggers this time, instead picking up one of the mock spears that were left behind for tomorrow's sparring. I tried a few of the more acrobatic moves the quiet one Asuka had done, trying to get more use out of my new mobility to get around Bell's much longer reach.

We were both sweating and panting for breath afterwards, both of us reluctant to go back into a home without our Goddess.

"Bell?" I said after finally catching my breath, the boy and I were sitting back to back, leaning on each other. "We really miss her, don't we." He didn't reply, but I could feel him nodding, "Use the bed tonight." I said, wondering how he'd react. "It's cold without Lady Hestia."

To his credit, even though his back stiffened and I could almost imagine his face catching fire, he said, "It really is. Thank you, Miss Kodori."

* * *

Of course he didn't try anything. Bell being so skittish around anything even resembling a girl made it pretty much impossible for him to even consider something like that. I did however, wake up with him hugging my tail. I considered it the price of a good sleep, and went about my morning as normal.

Well, normal, save that we had Takemikazuchi Familia as spectators for our morning spar. They saw first hand what Bell had meant when he said the no magic rule was unfair to me. My reply to that was that I was using my magic too much, relying on it all the time would end up as a crutch later, if I were to be close to mind down or unable to use it for some reason.

Our training followed up on yesterday, becoming a two on one, three on one, then two on two and three on three. My goal was to make them capable of handling, and realize they were handling, a losing fight. I understood part of the 'samurai code' they were following, but I wanted to give them other options than 'stand and die, or run away as fast as you could.'

Lunchtime brought Lilly with a new set of snacks from some other corner of the city, as well as Welf, who brought a small collection of things in a big leather bag. One of them was the crossbow, though it had no lath, or bow part attached, Welf had brought three of those with him too. It felt a little like Christmas or something. A jolly man with a big bag of goodies was handing things out, after all.

He actually gave Asuka, the quiet fist fighter my old gauntlets, hammered down a little smaller for her hands. Their supporter got a resurfaced shield, since it was partially melted defending Bell and I. Welf had re-heated and hammered it back into shape, making sure it wasn't brittle anywhere. Ouka got a new spearhead, and Mikoto a replacement shoulder guard, to replace one she had lost on the eighteenth floor. Everyone was surprised and properly thankful for Welf and his generosity, toasting him with mugs of water or juice.

To Bell, Lilly and I, he gave me a new pair of gauntlets and arm guards. Lined with salamander wool, and made of adamant, they were heavier, but felt really good on my hands. They were also free of anything that could even be considered sharp. No spikes, no rough edges, nothing. And aside from the weight, they felt like a second skin. The palms were even made of orc hide, something we had an awful lot of after our fighting on the tenth floor.

Bell got a replacement for the chest plate I had destroyed after pulling it off of him. It must have hit something hard enough to potentially harm it, setting off my curse. The new one used adamant as well, and fit him much better than the last one.

And Lilly... Got her new mini crossbow. While we marvelled at our gifts, Welf was working with Lilly to see what sort of lath she could use and still pull back in a timely manner. Like any adventurer she was stronger than she looked, and managed to use the middle of the three Welf had brought. Holding three bolts in her mouth, she ratcheted the handle down the stock, drawing back the string and placed a bolt. Taking aim, she fired at a bit of firewood we had set up for her. Within four seconds of her firing, and hitting the little log, she had put a second bolt into it, and again after another four seconds. Welf took the little bow away from her, examined it for any wear, and handed it back, declaring it a success.

* * *

Hestia and Takemikazuchi returned just before dinner, looking a little worn out, but smiling as they walked formally, arm in arm. Respectfully, we had stopped our sparring as soon as we caught sight of them, and lined up, including Welf, for what reminded me of a military inspection.

They were both happy to see us, happier that we were getting along, and acting positively tickled pink about us being happy to be working together, and getting along. It was kind of odd, but Bell and Lilly looked at me, and I nodded. Something had happened at this 'Gods meeting', and it was setting the two divinities on edge. They didn't say anything while we were all together, but I was sure everyone could tell.

After Takemikazuchi had left, his Familia following beside him, Hestia led the four of us, Welf invited because of his service as our Familia's smith, and she practically collapsed, pretty dress and all, at the dinner table. "Blehhhhhrrrrrrrrggggg." Was the closest I could get to a translation of the noise she made.

"I take it things didn't go well?" I asked, Bell and I patting our deflated Goddess on the back.

"It was the usual, mostly. Gods and Goddesses talking back and forth about nothing important. Not really anyway." Another sigh, her back straightening, "You," She pointed at Bell, "Have been named, Little Rookie." Lilly and Welf clapped quietly, "It was the best I could do to prevent some of the other ones. Baby Rabbit, Tomato Top, Stuttering Idiot..." I cringed at the last one, while Bell's eyes hardened at the second.

Then she pointed to me, "They actually couldn't decide what to call you. Not officially. Loki tried 'Busty Fox', but Ishtar actually stopped that one from catching on, saying her Renard was bigger."

"She is." I said scratching an ear, looking to the ceiling to avoid the eyes of the others.

"Ahem." Hestia coughed, my eyes dropping back down to look at her, "Some one mentioned 'Crazy Kit', when it was mentioned what you have been doing with Bell lately. Lucky Fox was another, for living through it, and the last one... Demon Fox. Since over a dozen different Familia were there when..."

"I went insane and nearly beat some one to death on the eighteenth floor." I sighed. "Turning into some sort of black monstrosity that looked like a fox."

Hestia patted my hand, reminding me that She at least forgave me even if I hadn't forgiven myself, "So, expect all of them." She waved a finger at me, continuing, "What was thankfully not settled on, were things like 'Naked Fox, Bald Kitty, and a few others like that. Surprisingly, you have a few supporters among the Gods. Hephaestus wanted to name you 'Dragon Kit', for something you helped her with, Soma looked like he wanted to say something, for the first time EVER, and Ishtar knocking down an idea was rather surprising."

The other three also gave me a little round of applause. Well, it could have been worse I suppose.

"Why is that, anyhow?" Hestia asked, "Ishtar speaking for you."

"Well..." I told her about the letter, and my reply.

"You aren't going to go, right?" Hestia gave me one of her glares.

"I really don't want to, but I also don't want a mob of angry Amazons chasing me around either." This made Hestia sigh again, "Something else?"

"Yes. Stupid Apollo..." She pointed to Bell and I, "He wants to steal you from me. And me from you!"

"Huh?" We replied.

So she explained a few things about the 'before she descended' time of her life. Apollo had always lusted after things he thought beautiful. People, art, objects, music, he would relentlessly pursue them until he was able to claim it as his own. Art was bought or 'brought' to him, music scores were carefully archived, and people were persuaded that he was the best for them, and whisked away. He considered both Bell and I desirable, and had been trying to marry Hestia since before they had come to the surface.

In her rare, but solid wisdom, Hestia knew exactly what he wanted, and flatly refused him. Repeatedly. Laws being what they were in the God's realm, he couldn't simply carry her off, and that was oddly, not his way. She had to say yes, and he would do anything to make her do it.

"Including, a war game." She concluded. "He proposed that our two Familia fight, and that if he wins, I marry him, dissolve our Familia, and you two join his."

I reached out for Lilly, and tugged her into a hug, not really realizing I was doing it until her arm hugged me around my hip. "You refused of course." I said, Lilly too.

"OF COURSE I DID!" Hestia yelled, for the first second time since I'd known her. "I would never agree to something so blatantly in his favour. He didn't even mention what would happen if he lost. He knows he'd win in a war game. We are only three people against dozens."

We four mortals in the room sighed thankfully. Proud was our Goddess Hestia. Stupid, our Goddess was not.

* * *

We had dinner, Welf getting a thank you pat on the head from Hestia, for bringing us such nice gifts. He took the praise with a serious grain of salt. That is to say, he was sincerely thankful, but didn't bother hiding his amusement at being given a pat on the head. He did mention that he needed a couple more days at least to finish some other projects, and would keep us informed.

Hestia took my news of meeting Haruhime with a begrudging acceptance, telling me quite firmly to be home in time to get proper sleep.

"There is something else too." Hestia mentioned, looking at us three, her Familia, "Apollo is hosting a Gala in two days. He wants me to bring the both of you," She pointed to Bell and I. "He's invited quite a few others, mostly to show off how well his Familia is doing, but also for others to show off as well. He's an idiot, but generous."

"Another opportunity to wear that gown." I said, nudging Bell while Lilly hid a laugh at his subsequent blush. "I'll have to get something to wear, Bell too." We both looked at each other, then ourselves, sighing. "Lilly can help. She has a good sense for this sort of thing." I said.

"Fine, just... Don't spend too much." Hestia went into full pout mode again, "That fine from the guild really hurt."

* * *

I followed Lilly out as she left, waving at Bell to stay behind before I followed her up the steps. "Hey Lilly..." She turned to look at me, though didn't say anything. Unsure on how to start, she was about to turn away before I finally figured it out. "I want you to practise." I said finally.

"Practise? With what? Lilly has nothing to practise, with Miss Kodori and Master Bell." Her voice was a little bitter, and I could guess why. As a supporter, she saw little combat, and even though she had been part of Soma Familia since birth, she was still level one, and a weak level one at that. Stat wise at least. I had heard Hestia say so, last time she had her status updated, my ears unintentionally eavesdropping.

"That crossbow Welf made. I want you to learn how to use it. I want you to fire it a thousand times tomorrow. And the day after. Every day until it breaks. I know you're good with it. I've seen you hit a goblin across a room filled with fighting people. But I want you to be even better." I grinned, "It's something only you can do, out of the four of us. So I want you to be the best at it."

"Lilly understands." I gave her a pat on the head, and she sighed a little unhappily.

"I never want you to feel left out." I knelt down, giving her a tap on the shoulder, "But if you think I am wise, then that is my advice. Now be safe on the way home. See you tomorrow."

* * *

Aside from noticing that, without a doubt, my tail was longer, the next morning was as it should have been. I had plans for the evening, so the both of us spent the morning and afternoon with Lilly, who helped us find something appropriate to wear for the gala tomorrow, and even something else for me to wear tonight. I told her it wasn't necessary, but the little Pallum insisted I look good, even if I insisted it wasn't a date. I think she just wanted to brush my tail, now that it had grown to almost my ankles. I really had to ask Haruhime about that, it would probably hurt an awful lot if it got in the way of combat.

It did however feel very nice to have it brushed properly.

* * *

Upon our return, and a brief trip to the bathroom to change, Lilly showed off what she had made Bell and I buy for formal wear. I had to admit, Bell looked really sharp in a tuxedo. I also had to admit, it was really odd that they even existed. But my logical mind had almost stopped trying to figure things like that out a couple weeks ago.

I was dressed in a sort of kimono like usual. Except this was actually fitted properly, longer, and had all sorts of fox themed motifs over it. Lilly told me not to worry about the price, but I couldn't help myself. I could have sworn there was gold thread in this thing. It even had a spot for my tail to fit through, and, at my flat refusal to wear it at all, the sleeves let me wear my gauntlets, and the bottom wasn't a solid piece, instead it was several layers that left my legs free in case I wanted to do something like, walk properly.

She had also chosen something much less formal, and only knee length, for my 'date'. No motif, no fancy layers, just a combat model kimono. It even matched the colour of my gauntlets and armor.

It also had, though Lilly told me this while we were out of hearing of the others, a special knot in case I wanted it off in a hurry.

* * *

As I hoped, the letter I'd given in the form of a paper crane, making the letter itself like a 'little wish', Haruhime showed up at the fountain. Right on time too. She was of course escorted, but by a familiar looking Amazon.

"You know." I started, before either of them could greet me. "I've met you three times, yet never got your name." I said to the perfectly bronzed woman, who was wearing something that actually tried to hide her various charms, if only just.

"You know, you're right. Aisha Belka." She said, smiling, "Just in case you weren't sure, I'm her escort, both of you actually."

"Ma'am Aisha, a pleasure to finally know your name." I gave her a fighting salute, a bow with fist and palm together in front of me. I then turned to Haruhime, who while absolutely adorable, with her blond fox ears and hair, and vivid red kimono, was almost invisible next to Aisha's far more forward style. "You honour me with your presence, Haruhime-chan. You look radiant tonight." Sort of like a very shy sun, but I didn't say that part. "Would you do me the honour of joining me for dinner?"

Aisha was trying very hard not to giggle at my overly formal address, but it had the desired effect on Haruhime. Her shy face lit up into a smile, and she took my offered hand. "I would be happy to, Kodori-san. Where did you have planned?"

"Well," I toned the formal speach back a little, "A good friend of mine has recently reached level two. Being my Familia's contracted smith, we have arranged a little surprise for him. I was wondering if you would like to come along?"

It was something Bell had suggested, and Lilly had arranged. Bell had gone to collect the smith, and Lilly was supposed to have gone ahead to the tavern to arrange space. My attendance was optional, but welcome, even if I brought along an unfamiliar extra, or two in this case.

While Haruhime took a moment to think about it, I raised my eyes a little to look at Aisha, who looked back at me and shrugged, telling me she was indifferent to the idea. She was however, smiling slightly.

"Yes, I would like to meet Kodori's friends." Haruhime said finally.

* * *

Author's notes.

If you were wondering about the crane. It is said that if you folded 1000 paper cranes, and made a wish, it would come true. So a single crane would be a little wish, a hope if you will.

Also, NOW! We step out of 'as seen on TV' and into the realm of books. This both limits and frees me from certain things. What is coming has less reference material out on the net. But, that being said, I can fill in a few more things with my own stuff.

As always, thank you for reading, and please, return for more.


	19. Chapter 19

You know, as I write this one, I'm thinking of a card game I played a while ago. It basically revolved around a bunch of adventurers, and a bar fight. Used a D20 and everything. Chairs, magic, fists, good, evil, lots of fun.

* * *

Chapter 18

With our Amazon chauffeur, Haruhime and I drew a LOT of looks. One, a tall, muscled beauty who, if asked nice, or if angered, could turn a person into a pretzel. It didn't help that she was showing off as much skin as what passed for public dressed code allowed.

Then, there was Haruhime. Almost gold hair, perfectly pointed fox ears, smooth white skin and dazzling eyes. Her outfit was something a noble would wear, and her poise and manner were flawless.

And me. While not as brazen as the Amazon, or as portrait perfect as Haruhime, I was good looking, and striking in my own way. Recent rumours about me were already drawing looks before this, and now, after the Gods meeting, I was already hearing my various nicknames being mumbled as the three of us walked by.

"Interesting names you seem to have gotten." Aisha said with a chuckle. "The last one especially."

I grumbled, then sighed, "Earned, unfortunately. I honestly would have gone for something Lady Hephaestus tried for."

"Oh? What's that?"

"See that guy over there?" I pointed to a well armoured Dwarf, wearing metal scale armour with shoulder plate marked with Hephaestus's symbol. "I gave Lady Hephaestus a quick and simple way to mass produce those scales. She wanted to call me 'Dragon Kit', for it."

"Ohhhh." Haruhime and Aisha said together, "Strong, flexible, and you don't have to kill a drake to get them." Ashia continued. "Speaking of..."

"Yes, I did kill a drake, with my fist." I put a hand gently on Haruhime's shoulder, "And some advice. I found the words, thanks to your help."

She smiled a shy but dazzling smile at me, until Aisha chimed in, "So it wasn't just fun that you two were having? That's great." She laughed as the both of us started blushing furiously. "The two of you are so adorable together." Followed by more laughter as we blushed even more.

* * *

"This is the place I think." I said, holding up a bit of paper with the address and name of an unfamiliar tavern. Welf came her fairly often, and it had a decent reputation and good food from what he'd said of the place. My ears picked up Welf's voice from inside. "And our man of the hour is here."

The three of us entered, pushing open the saloon style doors. And silence.

I had guessed this was going to happen, but Haruhime suddenly hid behind me as the entire tavern looked at the three of us. Welf saved us, calling out, "Hey! Sister! Over here!"

Bell, Lilly and Welf were all there, sitting in the biggest round table with really good smelling food already laid out on it. As we approached, I was briefly worried about what the three of them would think of my two additions to his little party. I felt a little ashamed at myself when the three of them simply smiled and waved us to have a seat.

"Whoa! She's the other Renard?" Welf started, "Like night and day, the both of you. Welf Crozzo." He extended a hand to her, "That's Bell, and the tiny one is Lilly." Haruhime was a little overwhelmed by Welf's loud but good natured greeting, but took his hand and shook it. "Haruhime right?" I noticed that our Familia smith was gentle with her hand. "And you... Wow. Who's this?" He looked up... and up... at the Amazon.

"Aisha. I'm just babysitting." She grinned, "Make sure nothing happens to our little princess and her friend." She took Welf's hand and they shook, the tendons on both their forearms standing out. "Not bad. So you're the guy this party is for?"

"Yes! Mr. Welf reached level two." Bell said with a smile, moving over a little so the three of us had a little more room to sit.

And so our little party started. Any fears I had about Haruhime enjoying herself, or even more, fitting in, with my Familia and friends, was washed away. Bell was too kind to judge her, though he couldn't bring himself to look at Aisha directly. Lilly knew who they were already, and what they did for a living. But she'd seen all that before, and understood. Welf was just Welf. He knew me, trusted me, and if I brought some one to a party, they belonged there.

Even though she was an 'escort', Aisha fit in like the corner bit on a puzzle. Chatted like we'd all been friends for years, handed people food and drink like a pro, and simply got along with everyone. I had been a little worried she would be overprotective of Haruhime's personal space. Or start telling some of the more suggestive jokes I'd heard, but she had picked up on Bell's sensitivity to such things, and didn't seem to mind that she wasn't sitting next to her ward.

Haruhime... Was nervous. Just sort of there. She had warmed up a little to everyone, but she was still a little reserved about it all. I guessed she wasn't one to get out much, and her looks made almost everyone stare, even Bell, though, instead of looking at her, he was looking at the both of us. Welf had said we were like night and day.

The festive mood at our table was infectious. Most of the rest of the bar was loud and rowdy, with frequent calls of 'what ever they're having!' being called across the room to the busy wait staff. It wasn't like the Hostess of Fertility, with the festive but orderly atmosphere. But a proper place to just relax, unwind, and drink until you were satisfied. The various serving girls were occasionally the victim of stray hand or two, but seemed resigned, or even playful about it, though extra grabby patrons were glared at by the man behind the bar, who had a very large spiky mace hung above the collection of liquor bottles.

Considering he looked like he could snap a horse in half, not to mention an obvious, though unfamiliar to me Familia emblem on his apron, I never saw a repeat offender.

I became aware, sometime in our second hour of partying, that the table next to us was oddly quiet. Well, not quiet, just not 'festive'. More than once, I'd caught a few glares from the six of them sitting there. It was about the third time I'd looked that way, I heard one of them say, "Isn't that Hestia Familia?" It was just loud enough to be heard over the noise, but not loud enough to carry much further than say, a table over.

"The one with only three people? Some sort of runt, and two upstart rookies?" Another said. My ears were turned towards them, and I could see Bell and Lilly both being distracted by the words.

"Level two in a month? Yeah right. That runt Goddess of theirs must be lying, or the two of them are cheating."

I made eye contact with Aisha, who very carefully put down her knife and fork, but made no other outward moves. Welf had gone silent, and I could see Bell almost starting to vibrate angrily in his chair.

They had picked up a little volume now, or rather, the rest of the tavern was quieting down a little. "And that little runt. Wasn't she some kind of criminal with Soma Familia before?"

I felt a little twinge of emotion at that last one. Sure, the other comments were purposefully rude and hurtful, but I was old enough to see it as basically what amounted to schoolyard bully talk. This time, I made eye contact with Bell, my eyes going wide for a moment, my magic twisting inside of me briefly.

Poor Bell switched from being angry at them, to worried for them. He settled down, if only just. I winked at him, then stood up with a sigh.

"I don't know who you are." I started, turning and looking at the half dozen men. As a whole, they were handsome. Not dazzling, but clean cut, well maintained equipment, no stains on their clothing. They also had, in the exact same place for all of them, the symbol of Apollo Familia on their left breast. A sun containing a bow and arrow. "But if you have something to say, stand up and say it. We are trying to have a good time here."

One of them, not the biggest, or the best equipped, stood up, "Fine then." The bar went quiet as he rounded the table and stood in front of me. The effect of him trying to intimidate me was diminished slightly by me being taller. "Your Familia is weak, your Goddess is either a liar or a cheat, you've got a known criminal, a cowardly runaway, and you, a mutt with anger issues, as members." He paused for breath, "Your smith apparently doesn't know what end of the hammer hits the metal, and because of how badly you beat that man down on the eighteenth, you had to buy a couple of WHOR..."

That was about as far as he got. My ears felt the change in air pressure as something big moved behind me. I moved my head out of the way, and watched as Aisha punched him right in the nose with one decidedly not girly hand. The noise as the back of his head snapped the table behind him in half, then bounced off the floorboards was rather satisfying to hear.

"That's Courtesan." I said, before the bar erupted.

* * *

I knew it was a setup. As soon as I saw the Familia emblem, I knew we were just being picked on for Hestia making the right choice, and not giving in to a cowardly bully. Still, in the chaos of the bar fight, I regretted not just sitting down and continuing to enjoy myself as best as possible. Welf Bell and I stood in front of Aisha, who had Lilly and Haruhime behind her. I didn't begrudge the Amazon for starting the fight, or staying out of it to protect them. I would probably have started slapping the guy around in a moment anyway. Or Welf. I heard how much that insult to his craft riled him.

I knew all this. Yet there I was, trying not to catch a chair to the face, or a punch to the ribs. The rest of the bar, now that the five at the table were fighting the three of us, were also inspired to start fighting. It didn't seem to matter who was fighting, everyone just started beating on the guy next to them, while the non-combatants fled to the edges of the room.

I had just gotten my hands on someone with the Apollo emblem on their breast when I saw a flash of metal our of the corner of my eye. My almost victim drove a fist into my gut, and I was unable to yell to Bell about the dagger coming his way from behind.

There was a 'clicksnap' and a little metal tipped bolt suddenly appeared in the forearm of the dagger holding hand. I fought to get my breath back and threw the guy I was holding at the knife wielder. I followed him, elbowing my way towards the two on the ground and reaching for them, when something hit me square between the shoulder blades and I was suddenly flattened to the floor. Reflexively, I put a hand flat to the ground and started to push upwards, but the room went totally silent as the point of a blade buried itself next to my head.

"Now now. Naughty foxes should keep their hands to themselves." A pause, the only noise that of people relaxing, lowering chairs and people back to the floor, "After what you did on the eighteenth, I don't want you touching my Familia, who knows what would happen?"

I looked up with one eye at the man standing on my back. This one was handsome. Devilishly so. Dark hair, smooth looks, and arrogant smile. "Get off my back, and you can find out." I said, only now remembering where I'd seen him. He was at the bar, away from the table of the rest of them, never once looking back or letting on he was in on this. Now I was getting angry.

"You have no chance, and you know it. And if you keep trying to move, my blade might slip." I felt a sudden heat near my face, the wavy blade, its point within the floorboard was starting to glow red.

"Get off her." Aisha said. "Now." No one had gotten near her during the fighting, and with the sound of popping knuckles, I heard most of the tavern back away. "What sort of cowards draw steel in a bar fight?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to anger one of the famed Berbera." The sword left my vision, though the boot didn't move, "But you must understaaaaaaaND!"

Fuelled by anger, I slammed both palms against the ground and pushed upwards. No matter how strong this twit was, he could only weigh so much. There was a nervous chuckle as I stood, and the man was steadied by his friends. Making a show of dusting off before facing him, I turned and looked at his angry face. "No. You must understand. Say what you want about Hestia Familia, but now everyone in this room, and everyone we meet on the way home, is going to know that his Familia are just a bunch of Cowardly Bullies who Can't Even Have a Proper Bar Fight." I punctuated each word, "Just like their God who is still so childlike, he resorts to intimidation and slander to get what he wants. What are you? What is He? Five?"

His handsome face was starting to go purple, so, I backed up, turned to the others, and said, "You might call me a mutt, but you're the one who's barking like a dog."

His voice was absolutely livid. I could almost feel the heat of his anger on my ears. "You will regret talking me, Hyakinthos like that! And our Lord Apollo will not tolerate your insults."

I didn't think he would try something like stabbing me in the back, but I kept my eyes on Aisha, who was watching Hyakinthos like a hawk, for any sign of warning. I heard them gather themselves up and leave, waiting until the remaining half of the saloon style door had stopped swinging before relaxing.

"Fuck." I said, in English, though I'm sure my friends all got the idea.

* * *

I had walked back part way with Aisha and Haruhime. Partly because I honestly felt safer near the big Amazon, but also because Haru was clinging to my arm and I rather liked it. It made me feel a little better about what I could see coming. Apollo would probably mention this at tomorrow's Gala, and if Hestia was right, there would be a fair number of highly influential guests there. Haruhime hugged my arm when I sighed, reminding me I still had things to ask.

"Sorry about that. Apollo wants my Goddess to bend over for him, and she won't. So he is trying to force the issue." I explained, leaning on the smaller girl slightly. She even smelt nice, none of the evening's excitement had left a mark on her.

Aisha grumbled, but Haru simply smiled up at me, "It's okay, Kodori-san. I had a wonderful time."

"Glad to hear it. Oh, something I've been meaning to ask..." With a little effort, and a couple of swishes to get momentum, my tail wrapped around her waist, her free hand not quite able to catch it, though it felt rather nice as my fur slid through her fingers. "My tail seems to be... um... About twice as long. You said something about growing more?"

"Oh my..." She stopped walking, bringing our little trio to a halt within sight of the 'entertainment' district. "Maybe instead of two, you have twice the tail?" She managed to take hold of my tail finally, "Tsk... You need to take better care of it..."

Aisha chuckled as the smaller Renard scolded me. "I've been busy?" I tried, earning myself a gentle tug on my tail.

"No excuses." Haruhime removed a brush from her sash, "I was meaning to give this to you, since you asked the Madam." It wasn't as bristly or dense as the usual brush for say, animal fur. The back was a pale wood, and the bristles looked to be made of soft wire. "Thank you for the wonderful, if more exciting than I'd hoped, evening."

As I accepted the brush, my tail decided to try and escape, curling around her arm before sliding off and settling behind me again. "Thank you. I have something for you as well." I removed the iron bracelet from an inner pocket, the highly polished surface shining almost like silver. "It's a simple craft, but..."

Aisha snatched it away from my hand before Haruhime could take it. I couldn't figure out why until she sniffed it, then held it in her hand, as if testing it. I suppose any gift might be dangerous, if some one were to enchant it. But since I had no such skill that I knew of...

Aisha, satisfied, handed it to Haruhime, patting her on the head as she accepted it. "Sorry, had to make sure." She mumbled to her. "It's iron? Right?"

"Yes. My very first project." I said, smiling as Haruhime slipped it onto her wrist and 'oooo'ed' at it. She then gave me a hug, almost jumping into my arms. "You are very welcome." I also gave her ears a pat.

"Yup, very cute together." Aisha said, making us both blush again with the tone she said it in, "But, you're not on the clock, so not tonight." She winked at me as the girl in my arms tried to hide her face in my bosom. "But seriously, you'll be okay on the way home? That guy seems like the one to hold a grudge."

"He doesn't need to now. You're aware of the Gala tomorrow right?" She nodded, "I'd bet you almost anything you could name that he'll play the crowd and try and push his war game on Lady Hestia again."

She frowned, and took Haruhime's hand after I let her out of my arms. "I hope we can see each other soon, Kodori-san," Haruhime said, bowing, "Maybe just the two of us?"

"Or three of us!" Aisha chimed in, "You seem like a lot of fun to be around."

"Is some one feeling left out?" I asked, trying to tease the Amazon, "Would you like a hug too?"

She thankfully didn't make her reply a crushing hug, but it was a close thing. "I will be careful on the way home though, just in case. And yes, I'll be sure to arrange something, soon, Haruhime-chan."

"Lipstick again?" Were Hestia's first words as I opened the door to the basement.

* * *

Arms crossed, usually gentle face frowning, it didn't take a genius to see that my Goddess was upset. "Bell already told you about tonight then?" I tried to dodge the question as I put my things away.

"Yes. He did." She answered still looking at me. Bell was no help, his back turned and very studiously doing dishes.

I sighed, "Yes, lipstick. But it was only a kiss. And a hug." I answered, "As a thank you for bringing her along for Welf's party."

She seemed be determined to pout at me, but broke down when I gave her a hug too. "Fine, I won't punish you."

"My Goddess is kind." I said.

* * *

It was very fancy. From the moment we left our humble little abode, we were greeted by a fancy carriage, complete with a white horse. Bell, Hestia and I boarded it, and the driver, dressed in perfectly tailored clothing, guided us to the party itself. It made sense that Apollo Familia home be a Greek styled building. White marble, pillars, windows, almost like they had been taken from a history book back home. Aside from being almost sparklingly clean, the property itself was rather large. Big courtyard, high walls, neatly trimmed trees...

"To say nothing of his Familia." I commented, "He has good taste." Hestia 'harumphed', but I continued, "Don't worry. You just have quality, over his quantity."

We stepped off the carriage, Bell taking Hestia's hand, while I walked just behind them. It was hard to describe how... grand it was. More carriages were arriving, and there were guests in front of us as well. The level of fancy clothing was far higher than I was used to as well, though I did recognize the familiar hair of Ais Wallenstein as she walked next to Loki. "You weren't joking, Lady Hestia, Apollo did invite a lot of people."

The inside was just as fancy as the outside, even more so really. Red carpets, beautiful paintings, fancy pottery, it was all here. Every sort of thing you could think of that held some kind of beauty was on display. At least, inanimate objects. The Familia members were also dressed perfectly. Both man and women were dressed in white and gold, but in such a way that if you looked at them, you would notice. But when you turned away, they seemed to blend in to the background. A clever use of colour to make the wait staff as invisible as possible.

"Ah, you must be Kodori." It was just a voice, but it felt like her words traced a finger down my spine, right to the tip of my tail. I turned around, Hestia and Bell continuing on without me, and spotted the owner of the voice. "My little princess described you as a tall woman with raven ears and tail."

She wasn't quite as tall as me, but she had far FAR more curves. Everything about her tan skinned body practically radiated sexuality. I felt myself wanting to step towards her, but my tail decided to wrap around my leg suddenly, distracting me from what I was about to do. Shaking my head to clear the sudden warm feeling I was getting, I replied, "I am." I spoke English, to keep myself from being misunderstood. It also helped distract me from wanting to suddenly carry the lady off someplace. "You must be Lady Ishtar. You received my letter, I hope?"

"Yes I did. I didn't expect Apollo to suddenly have a party, but I had a feeling you would be there as well." She smiled, and I felt another touch on my spine, though this time, my logical mind told me something was up. "He does this occasionally, these parties. Invites all of the gods he knows. It gives them a chance to show off their most prized Familia member."

"I notice, you are without a companion for tonight?" I did find it odd that she was alone, that helped distract me from what ever it was she was doing to make my skin feel almost electric.

"Oh, I find my companion for the night, instead of bringing one." She smiled at me again, her entire body, wrapped in a just barely decent robe, like the one on her Familia emblem, nearly bursting at the edges with her display. "We should chat again, alone some time."

I felt her words like a spike going through my heart. The little cage that I imagined contained my magic, feeling like some one had kicked it. It was almost like some one had dropped an ice cube into my boxers. "Yes. Some time, soon." I tried not to let my internal struggle show on my face, and Ishtar's expression said I might have succeeded. I felt the need to hide some place and hyperventilate for a moment or two.

She was about to say something else, but she suddenly looked behind me. Her smile, divinely perfect, changed into a frown. "A shame, it seems she was invited too."

Another voice, softer, said as I turned to look, "Why would I not be, Ishtar? Are we not both prominent Familia?"

To describe Ishtar, one would have to know what the perfectly 'ripe' woman looked like, to even get an idea. Curves that were exactly the right size and shape, hips meant for childbearing, but only just. A body that simply radiated passion.

To describe this one, you would need to know what the perfect queen looked like. Dressed in a dark blue gown that clung to her body, yet was open in the front almost down to the groin, she merely offered a suggestion of perfection. As if the wonder underneath her clothing was a simple question away.

She also had a very VERY large man behind her. Easily two meters tall, this wall of muscle was dressed in, of all things, a tux. The tux looked like it wanted to explode. His passive face was topped by a bit of brown hair and cat ears, but I noticed no tail.

"Ma'am Freya." I said before I could stop myself in case I was wrong. Turning away from Ishtar, who was herself turning to leave, seemed to at least soften the effect her presence seemed to have on me, but now I was looking at the OTHER Goddess of beauty.

"Oh, have we met, young fox?" She asked, her voice like a gentle pat on the head.

Struggling with the urge to run away, I bit my lip almost hard enough to draw blood, and defaulted to being formal. I bowed, fist in palm, first to her, then to the giant beside her. "There is only one person he could be. And that means only one person would be next to him, at a party like this." I diverted my eyes to the floor momentarily. It was a breach in etiquette, as you are supposed to look at the person, but it was only for an instant. It seemed to work, and I felt the little fire in my belly settle again.

Very quiet laughter from the Goddess, then, "Oh? Well, you aren't wrong. I am indeed Freya, and this one, is Ottar."

I stood straight, my mind feeling a little less scrambled. Looking up at the giant, I extended not a hand, but my gauntleted fist to him. He regarded me for a moment, before extending his own fist and tapping mine with barest hint of a smile on his face. "I heard you killed a drake." He said, returning to his passive stance beside his Goddess. "And the other one, a minotaur."

"Is it true then?" Freya asked.

"Yes. We were both lucky to live that day." I replied, feeling embarrassed, but also a little pride in what Bell and I had done.

"And both level two as well, beating the record holder, by a very wide margin." Again, that smile. So perfect.

"Yes. Ais Wallenstein, at one year." Ottar supplied. "A month, and you, three weeks."

"How did you ever manage?" Her question seemed innocent enough, but there was a little hunger in her eyes now.

"A little luck. A lot of risk." I said, "We both broke through our limits that day." I had my suspicions about how it all really worked, but I kept them to myself.

"Still, well done." Freya said, her hand reaching out for me, reaching for my face.

Something in my mind told me that as much as I wanted her to touch me, it would be a Bad Idea. But her smile, and looks, and well, everything about her, seemed to disconnect my body from my brain. Something else started to replace my inexplicable want for her to touch me, as her hand seemed to move in slow motion towards my face.

Fear. I wanted to run. Far FAR away. I didn't know why, I didn't CARE why. I just could not let her touch me.

"THERE you are!" Again, the simple presence of my Goddess saved me. Snapping my brain back to the top of my spine, I shied away from Freya's touch and turned to face Hestia. The sudden need to either go to her, or run away and hide under a rock went from 'yes please' to 'crushing'.

Freya smiled at me, as I looked at her from behind Hestia. I didn't recall moving away, I was simply there, behind the simple comforting presence of my Goddess. Even my tail wrapped itself over her hip, seeking shelter.

"You stay away from her!" Hestia pointed at Freya, "First Bell now her? Have you no shame?"

Still smiling, Freya covered her mouth with her fingertips, "My my, such a jealous display, Hestia dear." To me, she said, "Another time, we should chat, you and I."

I couldn't speak. My mouth was too dry to even dare the attempt. So I simply nodded, and the two of them turned and left, Hestia still 'grr'ing at them like some sort of small angry kitten. Once they had entered an adjoining room, I felt all the tension in my body leave.

All of it.

I almost folded over Hestia's shoulder as my entire body simply stopped wanting to support me. It only lasted an instant, but poor Hestia wasn't very strong.

"Are you okay?" She asked, worried.

"Lady Hestia... Just to be clear, you will always be the Goddess I follow." She smiled, a little nervously, hearing the 'but' in my sentence. "But I have never, in my entire life, wanted another woman that badly."

The look on her face could have melted stone, but when she looked into my eyes, she probably saw the fear I felt. I was shaken, and she knew it. Her anger at my words vanished, and gently, she put her hand on my cheek and pat my head. "Wait... Another woman?"

"The second date with another woman wasn't a big enough clue?" I asked, my sense of humour creeping back to its usual place.

"But... We... Umm..."

As my Goddess sort of short circuited, I put my hands on her shoulders and gave her a tiny little shake.

"But..." She tried again, "You never asked me... And Bell, you..."

Quietly, in English, I replied, "Lady Hestia, if you wanted something from me, you would, like any other person, have to ask me. Just like if I wanted something like that from you, I would ask. You are my Goddess, but you are your own person too. Just because I have... experience... with women, doesn't mean I will push myself on any woman I get close to."

That seemed to snap her back to the usual 'understanding Goddess.' "But, when Ishtar, and now Freya, were talking to me, I wanted to do something I would never willingly do. And by ALL the Gods, with you at the front, that scares me." her eyes hardened as I spoke, "As for Bell. Yes, I kissed him. Five times. And it was at the end of that fifth kiss, his heart started again, and he remembered how to breathe on his own." I paused for effect, reminding her that while some might think I took advantage of the young boy, he was technically dead, "If he ever wants an actual kiss from me, he would have to ask." I tried not to think too hard about that scenario, but it needed mentioning.

"I understand." She said, turning an angry look towards the door Freya had went through.

"And speaking of Bell, where is he?"

* * *

Dancing with Ais Wallenstein apparently. I had to stop Hestia from stomping over there to separate then, and a moment later, Loki looked up from one of the food laden tables, and I had to stop her as well. I gathered a few giggles from the crowd as I held them both, my grip unbreakable, off the floor AND away from each other, so they couldn't interrupt the two dancers, or start a cat fight with each other. Once the music ended, I gave each of the Goddesses an 'are you going to be good now?' look, and set them down so they could collect their Familia member.

Both Goddesses were clinging protectively to their Familia member, while simultaneously growling at the other Goddess. Both mortals in the equation looked resigned, but I gave them both a thumbs up while the two Goddesses were distracted.

When Hestia returned to my side, Bell being clung to, there was a ripple of noise through the room. At the top of a double half spiral set of stairs, the centre of which was a combination balcony/landing, stood a man. Golden hair wreathed with a green laurel, pure white robes, athletic build, blazing blue eyes. Like the face of a Greek coin come to life.

"Greetings!" His voice was noble, not quite deep, but certainly attention grabbing. Behind and to his right, was Hyakinthos. "I do hope you are enjoying the party? I see many new faces here today, so I shall introduce myself. I am Apollo, and welcome to my home."

There was a quiet cheer, kind of like a large party version of a golf clap.

"As many of you know, I hold these parties, not just to show off, which I must admit, I am doing." The crowd was fair, a ripple of laughter followed the comment, "But, also to bring together all of the Gods and Goddesses, outside one of those terribly dull meetings." He leaned over the railing, eyes sweeping the crowd, never settling on anyone, but simply taking it all in. "And to allow each of you to bring your most prized among your flock." This time, for an instant, his eyes settled on Bell and I, standing side by side with Hestia in the middle.

"Some of you, I've seen before, showing more polish than the last time we met." His eyes, intense, moved over people like Ais, and Ottar, "And I welcome you back."

Another cheer, this one from many of the mortal guests, wine glasses raised.

"But, not all is cheer tonight." His tone lowered, and I felt like I was suddenly watching a bad play, "Last night, some of my Familia were assaulted, while innocently unwinding after a day in the dungeon." He stepped aside, and another of his Familia, pushing a wheelchair, brought out the man Aisha had floored with the first punch of the bar fight. Aside from the bandages on his head, and the neck brace, he was some what... over done. It looked like he had been hit by a truck. Both arms in casts and braced out at weird angles, both legs too, one bent at the knee the other braced straight out.

The crowd ate it up though. Internally, I sighed, but outwardly, I couldn't say anything.

Fucking politics.

"This was done to one of my number, by one called the Demon Fox." All eyes were suddenly on me. Being one of the taller people in the room, it wasn't hard for anyone to spot me either. I did my best not to flinch, and Bell took my sudden squeeze on the shoulder with expert stoicism. "Don't let her beauty fool you, she nearly beat a man to death on the eighteenth floor, and again, last night."

Okay, I was done playing nice.

"HEY OTTAR!" I called out, looking for the huge man, spotting him easily, our eyes meeting. He grunted a 'Hm?' at me, and I continued, "If your Goddess was being held captive, right in front of you, and you were told the only way to her was through some one else, what would you do?"

The sound of the back of his tuxedo splitting was like a gunshot in the room. Answer enough.

I looked to Ais, still beside Loki, "As much trouble as she is." A ripple of laughter from everyone but Apollo, who was realizing where I was going with this, "How about you?"

Her answer was more subtle, as a small breeze drifted through the room, the fine lines of her muscles hardening slightly.

And for the finishing touch, I looked up at the man standing to Apollo's right. "And you, Hyakinthos?"

If he answered, he supported me, and if he didn't he'd be seen as a coward.

Apollo glared at me as his Familia member answered a begrudging "I would go through them, of course."

"And I would do it again." I put a hand on Hestia's shoulder, "For her, I would be the Demon Fox. If that's what it took to keep her safe."

Trying to recover a crowd now totally sympathetic to me Apollo reached out again, "And what of your foul assault upon my child here?"

"Actually." The honey sweet voice of Ishtar said from one side of the room, "He dared call one of my Amazons something most foul." She winked at me as my eyes spotted her, sitting with three of Apollo's wait staff, two men and a woman. My tail clung to Hestia without my control.

"There is no need to cover for her, fair Ishtar. As the Goddess of the only other Renard in the city, I understand why you would want to protect her too."

Ishtar had given a token resistance for me, more than she needed to, but she didn't reply to Apollo, leaving the verbal spar in his favour again.

"So again, I ask you, Lady Hestia, I think now, you are obligated to accept my challenge. To balance the scales of this insult to my Familia." He paused, and said the exact wrong thing next, "Or you could simply surrender, yourself, and your Familia to me."

Gently, my Goddess removed my tail from her hip, and simply went off on the other God. Full on angry little Goddess. "You think I would be stupid enough to fall for this? You just want another possession in your collection, that you would get bored of and leave on display. I REFUSE to let you do that to my Familia, OR me!" Both Bell and I had to put a hand on her to keep her from rushing at the other God.

He said nothing. He simply smiled, ignored her refusal, waved to the crowd, and then said, "Please, guests, enjoy the rest of the party."

The show over, I sighed, angrily. I had only just now realized I couldn't win that fight. I'd forgotten just how much the Gods wanted entertainment. I couldn't have won over the mortals in the crowd, as I only really knew one, and had met and earned acknowledgement from one more. Ishtar was, for some reason, an ally, but aside from Loki, and Freya, I didn't know any of the others.

And even if I did, for them, it was simply entertainment.

"Sorry, Lady Hestia." I mumbled, "I tried."

"But, will he stop at that?" Bell asked, "Some thing seemed..."

Hestia grumbled, availing herself of some of the fine food laid out on the tables. "I don't care." She said between angry mouthfuls, "I will never accept his stupid challenge."

Bell's doubt was a sign of two things, first that he was learning. Apollo was known to chase relentlessly for the things he wanted. And second, that he was finally admitting to himself, that not everyone fought fair. He was learning to at least question his first glance at something or someone.

"We can talk about this on the way back. I'm going to get some air." I said, looking at a large balcony door. Bell? Keep an eye on Her?" He nodded to me, red eyes looking at me as if I had just issued a command in the dungeon.

Since the only drinks offered were alcoholic, I hadn't had anything to eat, or drink all night. The foods looked amazing, but I'd suddenly lost my appetite. As I stepped onto the balcony, the cool night air brushing over my ears and tail, I heard some one's voice catch, as if surprised.

"The fox eclipses the moon." said a timid voice, sounding suddenly on the edge of tears. "While the rabbit devours the sun."

Turning, I saw two of Apollo's wait staff. One, looking fearfully at me, with long black hair, fine features and light green eyes. The other had shorter hair, not quite as dark, but sharing similarly fine features and eyes. Not alike enough to be related, but maybe from the same region of the world. She was alternating between cautious looks at me, and worried looks at the long haired one.

Curious, I approached, almost wishing I wasn't so damn tall compared to them. It made the timid one even worse, and the other start to step in the way defensively. "Just ignore her, she sometimes spouts nonsense like that." The short haired one said.

"Mind of reason, body of rage." She whimpered.

"She sounds like she is making sense to me." I said, kneeling down carefully, so they didn't have to look up at me. "Taking a break from all the formality?" I asked, holding out a hand, "Kodori, Hestia Familia."

"I'm Daphne, this is Cassandra." She replied, holding the other as she shied away from my hand. Was I really that scary? "She's been like this since she saw you. Is it true?"

"That I nearly beat a man to death for getting between me and my Goddess?" I sighed.

"That you plan to resist Apollo?" She asked instead, surprising me. "You would be better off giving up." Her voice was bitter as she looked at my offered hand.

"The fire, caged, breaks free." Cassandra said, her face hiding in the other woman's shoulder, her one visible eye looking at me.

"Yes, I do. I won't give in to a bully. Neither will Bell." I frowned, realizing what the look on Daphne's face meant. "Not everyone goes willingly, to his side, huh?"

"We ran too. But were only tired when he caught us, in the end." Daphne replied sourly.

I was about to drop my hand, when Cassandra looked into my eyes. It was odd, as she had only been giving me sideways looks, glances, all but hiding behind her friend. I returned the look, removed my gauntlet, and offered my hand again. Her fingers, damp with nervous sweat, touched mine, and she seemed to come back to herself. "Given an open field, the fox chooses... her path."

"I'm not one for prophesy but, you have gotten two out of three so far." I smiled at her, closing my hand over hers lightly then letting go. "I will resist Apollo until he gives up, or he catches me. But I will never be his. I will take the last way out if that is the only choice between staying with Hestia, and being owned by Him."

"Is she really that great?" She asked, not as an insult, but at the conviction in my voice.

"I was a slave once, held down by invisible chains the people called a system." I nodded my head to Cassandra, standing. "Now, I serve Hestia, not because I must, but because I want to. She gave me the strength to choose a path, and a reason to follow it."

Neither of them replied, so I gave them both my warrior's salute, put my gauntlet back on, and finished my walk to the edge of the balcony. Replaying the conversation in my head, along with the rest of the night, I had to stop myself from gripping the marble railing of the balcony too tightly.

* * *

We were given the same treatment leaving, as we had while arriving. A fancy carriage with a single white horse, driven by a white with gold trim Apollo Familia member. Hestia was still grumbling, but she had taken revenge on the food table. Bell simply looked worried at the condition of his Goddess, and I...

I knew that something was coming. I didn't know what. But I knew, from meeting Daphne and Cassandra, that Apollo wouldn't stop chasing us. He would use what ever he deemed necessary to force us to join him. A few things came to mind, but all of them involved Apollo Familia breaking the law of the Guild to do them.

Would that stop him? It was easy to guess that the Guild was really just a facade. A governing body, made of mortals, who were only in power because the majority of the Gods felt it necessary. Without them, the city would be a war zone. After seeing Ottar, I held not a single doubt that if Freya wanted the city, she could take it. In a day, maybe two.

But, she knew, like most of the other Gods, that a neutral party was needed. A mortal party to handle the adventurers, the infrastructure, and all the fiddly little things the Gods didn't want to bother with while they sought their own entertainment. Soma was the best, and worst example of this.

Bell and I carefully put our fancy clothes away, our adventurer instincts knowing there was another shoe waiting to drop.

I woke with the feeling of every single hair on my tail standing on end. Without even knowing why, I quickly rolled over, covered Hestia's body with mine, and then rolled the other way, off of the bed and onto the floor. I noticed Bell was already on his feet, running towards us, even as something came crashing down above us, the ceiling over the other half of our little apartment, with the kitchen and living room caving in with a rumble of magic and falling stone.

Using my bigger body, I tried to compress Hestia's confused body into a ball under me, while Bell stood over me, about to try and make sure the three of us didn't end up crushed.

More stone fell, Hestia screamed in alarm under me, Bell used his firebolt to open up the ceiling above us and keep most of the debris from falling on us. As the dust settled, the three of us coughing up dust and rubbing grit from our eyes, we stood up amidst the crater that was our home, and looked around at the surrounding rooftops.

There, in full battle gear, each wearing the emblem of Apollo on their chest, stood no less than a dozen warriors. Swords drawn, bows ready to fire, magic circles rotating around the staffs of mages, they were ready to strike. The sun was just coming over the wall, catching the gold trim on the man standing on the highest of the rooftops. Hyakinthos.

"Didn't I tell you, that you would regret insulting Apollo and I?"

Ignoring him, I held Hestia close, and looked to Bell. Whispering, I asked, "Options?"

"If we can make it to the guild, we will be safe." Bell mumbled back, "But with so many..."

"You're faster," I nudged Hestia to Bell, who held her in his arms protectively. If we weren't about to do something so dangerous, she'd have enjoyed it. But Bell was in his battle mode, his usual nervousness set aside by his 'be a hero' mindset. "Go!"

And then things got noisy.

* * *

Notes!

So, by now, you may have noticed my lack of fine detail. For anyone who's read say, the Hobbit. Or even more so, the Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time, you'd know what fine detail is.

I tend to skip a great many of the fine details, trusting my audience (That's you guys/gals) to have a healthy imagination. I mean, if you're reading this, or any fanfiction, or enjoy a good book from time to time...

An example. When I say, 'I went to see the old Wizard.' What pops into mind? I'm willing to bet 'old man, robes, staff, wise look, tomes on the book shelves.' As the writer, I could write that, but as the reader, you are probably already thinking it. So, why bother? Sure, I put in details, and when I break the 'archetype' I write the extra bits. Here's another one. 'Dragon.' Or, 'winged dragon'. Again, I'm willing to bet, after I describe how big it is, you as the reader have already filled in the gaps. Scales, wings (or not) mean looking, lizard.

Now, if I wanted to change your first impression of the thing in question, I do so after. 'It was a dragon, except instead of a lizard's head with great big teeth, it had an eagles head'.

There, job done. Monster described. I don't need to tell you how many legs it has, what colour scales run down its back, etc etc. It's not important. What IS important, is that it's an eagle headed dragon, and it wants to eat the hero. (Or what ever. Maybe they are going to talk to it and have tea, but you get the idea.)

To any aspiring writer, (like me, even though I've been at this a while now), this is my advice. Trust the audience as much as you can. If something is supposed to stick out, then write it down. If not, then chances are, you don't actually need to put it there. This helps save time (for you and them) and keep your work from seeming dry.

Now, it doesn't always work! But, that's where you (the writer) ask for advice from people reading your work. Proof read, make sure important things are written down. And if you DO write in that extra detail, make sure it makes at least, one more appearance. (If the villain has a ring that catches the hero's eye, make sure that ring is mentioned later. Even if it is only to be used to punch the hero in the eye.)

Anyhow. Until next time, dear readers. :)


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 19

As one, the mages fired an assortment of elemental magic. It was hard to even guess what all of it was but both Bell and I were already on the move. Using magic of my own, I braced my feet on a flat bit of stone, and propelled myself at one of the mages. Bell, carrying Hestia followed directly behind me, putting a boot on my shoulder and jumping past me as I broke the caster's nose with my elbow. It wasn't the most elegant, but we had practised something like this already. In case one of us ended up injured in the dungeon.

Welf, with his terrible naming sense called it something that actually made sense. 'Break, and break for it.'

The mage went down with a gurgle as his nose was crushed. I didn't have time to deal another blow, as the archers had adjusted their aim and were firing. Since my armour was buried under the rubble, I had to dodge. Even then, I hopped backwards in the direction Bell was going, and ended up with an arrow cutting a line across the top of my shoulder.

Glancing back over my shoulder, I saw Bell was clear for the moment, so I started my own run towards the guild headquarters.

Of the original dozen, now eleven, I counted four following me. Hyakinthos was still standing there, at the highest point around the crater that was my home, pointing his sword and shouting orders. There was no chance I could get to him, and even less I could beat him since he was level three. So I simply ran.

Another party of three popped up in front of me, each with the Apollo emblem on their chest. That was all I needed, and I diverted my roof top run, hopping across the street, crushing some roof tiles as I landed, then running again.

Another group in the way, a bolt of magic and a pair of arrows. Neatly dodged, a turn away from the tower, a turn back, another group... Every time I started back on track to the tower, a fresh group would pop up, blocking my way and forcing me to avoid them, or fight. But I'd lost count of how many others were chasing me, and stopping to deal with what was ahead would probably get me caught.

But I was being herded, and I knew it. They had numbers, and knew how to use them. I caught sight of Bell's familiar firebolt, and turned again. We'd practised how to fight together, and the first thing we had done was split up. A stupid mistake right from the start.

Another group, this time only two, as I ran back towards where I'd seen the firebolt. Not bothering to turn, the smug looks on their faces went to fear as I didn't stop. I pushed myself off the roof I was on, and drove both knees into the breastplate of one of them, rolling forward and springing back up, ignoring the cry of pain, or the shout for a medic. I was done playing nice.

And apparently, so where they. This time as I ran, an arrow caught me low in the back, another in the arm. I stumbled, but kept running, I could still breath, and my arm still worked. The next group, this one with four people, had two swordsmen in front, as well as a mage and archer behind. Keeping my body low, I waited until the last second to avoid them, jumping down to street level. I felt some debris pelt off me as the mage missed with a magic bolt, and watched as an arrow hissed over my shoulder into the cobblestones. Another firebolt. Another direction change.

This time I heard Bell shout for his third one, and heard some one scream as the crashing zap of impact threw some one off their feet. Rounding the corner, I saw them cornered by two more fighters, trying to crowd them backwards. Uncaring for the sudden throbbing from the arrows I'd been hit with, I rushed forward, Bell's wide eyes the only warning for them.

I felt the skin on my knuckles split as I punched the first one in the side of the head as he turned. The second one, I grabbed, feeling something slice against my side. I grabbed him by the belt with my other hand, and gave him a Chloe Javilin right through the nearest wall. Panting, I faced Bell and Hestia.

"You're hurt..." Bell said, reaching for me.

"So are you. We have to get back up. Pull that out." I motioned to the arrow in my arm. It had gone through, and hurt, a lot. But it wasn't bleeding too badly.

Hestia looked away as Bell snapped the feathers off, and pulled the arrow the rest of the way through. I hissed, but Bell ignored me and quickly tied a bit of ripped shirt on the wound. "The other one..."

"No time. Grab her, come on." I urged, "We are being pushed further away from the guild. We need to break through. Break, and break for it."

Nodding, he picked Hestia up, and we both jumped back up to the roof tops. Only to be met by more of them. No where close to our goal, and outnumbered. Taking a deep breath, made a little difficult with the arrow in my back, I started to feed my caged magic. "Move, or I go through you." I said to the one directly in the path towards the Guild headquarters.

The half dozen fighters simply leveled their weapons at us.

Then one of them caught an arrow in the shoulder, and another in the leg. From behind. Catching a glitter of silver from a far off bell tower, I caught sight of a third arrow on its way, and ran towards the one I had warned.

Suddenly beset by what amounted to old style sniper fire, they shied away for an instant. I still ended up with a cut on my hip as I drove my knee into the guy in front of me, but this time, as Bell hopped over me, I followed directly behind him.

Behind me, I heard shouts. Pain, anger, and Hyakinthos, his voice clear as he commanded the Apollo soldiers. I only caught one word in all the noise. "Mages."

My eyes went wide as I felt the electric tingle in the air. Glancing upwards and behind, I saw what looked like a dozen different blasts of magic, arcing not at, but ahead of us. They were going to cut us off, or blow us up. "Bell!" I called out, making him skid to a halt and make a desperate leap down to street level. Hestia screamed as they descended and the building we were about to jump to took all of the blasts, crumbling much as our home did. I hadn't jumped down, but I heard the rubble fall, and Bell and Hestia yell.

Then silence. With Hyakinthos in the middle, I was surrounded by a dozen people, all in a semi circle. Swords out, arrows drawn, magic circles at the ready. Cassandra and Daphne were among them, side by side, each with a staff in hand. From behind me, I heard nothing.

"Do you surrender? Or will you continue trying to escape?" Hyakinthos was smug as he spoke, but I was having trouble focusing on his face. A red haze was curling in from the sides of my vision. "I'm sure Apollo won't mind if you are a little damaged. We have excellent healers."

It was getting harder to hear him. My wounds felt like they were on fire. I looked back and forth quickly.

"I do hope the other one is still alive as well. I'd rather not..."

A howl split the air, and some one screamed, "The cage is broken!"

The first one, face full of fear, fell as if under a great weight. They coughed blood and were ignored, as a second one, silver in hand, attacked, but was caught, arm snapping dryly, thrown and discarded. A pause as a quill sprouts from the chest, the sudden snapping of wood, a scream and cry, ending with a thud at the bottom. Fire fills the vision, burns down to the feet, staff caught by the claws, a screaming head slammed through the roof.

"Stop!"

Ice fills the body, bleeds through the wounds.

"Bound by the softest of words." Some one says.

"Kodori! Stop! That's enough."

Red turns blue turns white. Arms encircle me. "I'll agree to the stupid game." I hear some one say, "Just stop... Please."

* * *

Bound, hand and foot, as well as round the upper arms and chest, I was brought, with Hestia and Bell to Apollo Familia's home. Everything hurt. I'd been shot with three more arrows, and burnt fairly bad, and even though Cassandra healed me I still hurt. Bell looked like he had been buried under a collapsed house, twice, but aside from torn clothes and a bit of dried blood, he seemed fine. Hestia had suffered a few tears in her pyjamas and a serious case of bed head, but otherwise didn't have a mark on her.

I also noticed that aside from the two burly men carrying me Hyakinthos was directly behind me. He hadn't said a single thing on our way back. Or even after I woke up in Hestia's arms. Simply 'Heal them, then tie her up and bring them.'

No smug words, no gloating.

I also noticed, that two of the dozen I remember standing in front of, were being carried. Too hurt travel under their own power.

"You did this." I heard Daphne say, behind me. I said nothing. Not all of my pain was from still sore wounds. She didn't continue, but I heard Cassandra's voice in my mind, 'the cage is broken'.

* * *

One week. After much shouting (from Hestia) and false generosity (Apollo) Hestia Familia was given one week to prepare for the war game. It was decided, that it would be a castle siege. And since Apollo was the bigger Familia Hestia would be the ones trying to take the castle. It hardly seemed possible, but, now that it was signed, we had no choice.

Seeing that he was being completely unfair, he said he would allow us one extra, so long as it was not from the top three Familia in the city.

It wasn't until the three of us were outside of the Apollo Familia gates, that some one undid my bonds. With some of the whispers I'd heard while Hestia and Apollo were negotiating, I'd put together most of what happened, what I'd done. It was even worse than the eighteenth floor this time too. But even still, as soon as the chains clinked to the ground and were pulled back through the gates of the Apollo home, Hestia hugged me tight.

I at least managed to not break down and cry right there, but only just. Bell was watching, and joined in for the hug after a moment.

"Well. You do have a heart, Demon Fox." I heard from behind me. Hyakinthos.

Not caring that I was currently getting a supportive hug from two of my favourite people in the world, in front of the gate of my enemy's home, I turned my head to look at him. "You remember the question I asked, right?" He frowned at me, but nodded, "Remember my answer when we meet at the war game."

There was no trace of his previous arrogance, just a hint of anger. "You only have a week. So stop wasting it at our front gate."

He had a point. I could wallow in my own guilt later. I gave my Familia a nudge and we separated. "Just remember, hippopotamus, when we win, we get everything!" Hestia had turned and pointed her finger angrily at the man on the other side of the gate.

His smug face returned and he laughed, "Good, try, make it interesting." He turned and left, leaving us three standing there.

"Well... He is right. We have a week. Bell?"

"Yes, Miss Kodori?"

"We have to beat a level three. Time to train."

"Yes, Miss Kodori."

* * *

I could see from the look on Bell's face, that he knew exactly where he was going to go for training. For me, I would return to the Hostess of Fertility. Before all that however, we met with a few of our friends. Without hesitation, Takemikazuchi Familia helped us dig out some essentials from the wreckage of our home. Equipment mostly, but also some clothing and other small things. Lilly had come by as well, Welf too, and before the sun was even set, we had everything we needed for our week of training. Hestia updated our status one last time, and took me aside after arranging with Takemikazuchi for a place to stay.

"You were gone, you know..." She started, watching Bell walk off behind me. "You had lost control."

"I thought... I thought you and Bell..." I sighed, feeling the tears I'd held back surfacing again. I might have a woman's body, but I knew that wasn't why I was feeling so emotional. "I saw the building fall on you, and heard nothing but that voice..." I knelt in front of her, head bowed. "I won't join him. Ever. I won't dishonour you, but he will never own me." The bitter face of Daphne entered my vision for an instant.

"You would go that far? For me?" She asked, petting my ears, "If that's the case, you must win."

"As my Goddess commands." I replied, before she pinched the tips of my ears. "Ow."

"No. I don't command you. You or Bell or Lilly. I'm not like Apollo, I don't want to own you."

"Then, for you, I will win. With Bell and Lilly, we will do the impossible, and win. Not because we were told to, but because we want to." She let my ears go, and put her hand between them, as Takemikazuchi had. A blessing, not a 'pet on the head'.

"Good. Here." She handed me a brush, the one Haruhime had given me. "I found it."

I accepted the brush, seeing that its surface was only a little marked by the collapse of our home, and put it inside what was left of my shirt, securing it in my sash. Then, I hugged my Goddess and stood, spinning her around once, making her laugh. Then with care, I put her down, bowed, fist in palm, and left.

* * *

My arrival at the Hostess surprised no one. Rumour being almost as fast as light, I'm sure that some, if not most of the girls there had already placed bets on when I'd show up. My state of dress when I showed up however...

Before I could even open my mouth, Mia gave me the sternest look, and simply pointed to the stairs. Being like my mother, here in this world, and never wanting to disappoint her, I walked past all the customers, Chloe, Arnya, and Ryuu, and went upstairs. Ryuu followed me up, knocking once on my room door, and entering before I could say anything.

"I feel like I've failed you, too." I said, pulling off my once again ruined clothing. I noted the arrow holes and blood as I did so, wondering how close I was to fighting until I was either killed, or bled out. "You showed me where it was, you helped me keep it locked up. Can you..." I was having trouble raising my arms over my head.

Wordlessly, she closed the door, took a step and helped me undress the rest of the way. It was a little embarrassing. Not being naked, in front of a woman I respected. But for the first time since I arrived, I was having trouble with something so basic.

"You were healed." She said, running a hand over my back and shoulders, "It is just fading bruises, but your body is tired." She even wrapped a towel around me, and nudged me towards the bath room. "I don't blame you, and you haven't failed me."

"I nearly killed... I'm not sure how many... Before either I was killed or ran out of people." I replied, suddenly feeling that crushing weight on my shoulders.

"Yes. I saw. But you have friends. Good friends. And even if you might forget." She poked me in the forehead as I lowered myself into the bath, "Your heart remembers." She smiled her little smile and started to scrub my back.

I noticed she was still in her work uniform. "Ryuu... I'll be fine. If you have another spare uniform, I'll join you for the dinner rush, and explain everything."

"I'll let Mia know. But if you are too long, you won't be able to eat before then." Another smile, this one a knowing one. She knew I'd never miss a free meal here.

* * *

Evening rush over, with cleanup well underway, I laid out what had happened the previous few nights. I skipped over a little, like meeting Ishtar and Freya, though I did get Arnya back for hiring the Amazon twins to grope my rear.

"So that's what happened." I said to them, my hands gently working on the guilty cat girl's ears. "Apollo, in his infinite grace, has given Hestia Familia one week, starting tomorrow, to prepare for this." I looked to Mia, who was gripping one of her wooden mugs so hard I could hear it creaking. "I don't want to come here, always asking for help. But, I would like to train here." I looked to all of them, except Arnya, who was sitting in my lap and purring while I pet her ears.

"Just help us with the evening rush!" Mia said, waving a ladle at me, "And stop ruining my uniforms!" She gave me a smile then, her big face softening, "You know I always take care of my girls."

* * *

The first day was probably the worst. I was eager to get to work, waking up early, as usual, meeting with Ryuu, and Lunoire, in the little back field behind the Hostess, and going from there. And, that was how it started.

Then, we were interrupted by my favourite guild employee, Eina. Not an unpleasant surprise, but an official one. She informed me that it was all on paper, this war game business, and official. Not wanting to miss a chance to try and stack the very limited deck my Familia was holding, I asked her if she could send some one she trusted to run messages for me.

Lilly arrived close to lunch, saying Eina had told her where I was, and that I needed a runner. After putting her down from a very big hug, as I was glad to see she was fine, if a little disappointed she wasn't there helping, we went over a list of things she could do. While not the most awe inspiring, or difficult of tasks, she knew that to be a supporter, she didn't need to be in the dungeon, to be on the clock. Just after lunch, I sent her on her way with a list of supplies I'd need, a message for Bell, where ever he went off to, and for Welf.

After that, it was back to training. Ryuu had gone to help with the start of the dinner preparations, and Lunoire was sparring with me.

"Master." I said, getting to my feet after being tossed onto my rear, again. It was a common enough thing that my springing to my feet was reflex. "I have to be honest with you."

Dropping her fighting stance, she stopped, "Oh? And what's that? Going to tell me I'm the prettiest one of all?" She laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"You are definitely on my list of pretty ladies who are good at fighting." I replied dryly, stretching my arms above my head until my back popped. She smiled at the comment, waving a hand at me as if to say 'no, me?'

"Master. I have, less than six and a half days to train, and prepare for what looks like a hopeless fight. The fate of my Familia, my friends, and my Goddess will be decided then. Why are you holding back?"

She dropped her playful expression, resuming her fighting stance, "Because you still have to work tonight?"

"I have potions. Please. All or nothing." Potions were the first thing that Lilly had brought, after all.

The best bare hand fighter I knew shrugged, tilted her head from side to side to loosen her shoulders up, and came at me.

* * *

Everyone who came in for dinner had a word or two for me that night. Some were well wishing, others were against Apollo and his bully tactics... Most were 'you look miserable'.

I didn't tell them I'd just told one of my friends to beat me within an inch of my life, on purpose, and planned to have her do it again before I went to sleep. Mia looked both worried, and irritated. She warned us, that if we got too rambunctious, we would have to find some place else to train. Granted, I planned to do that anyhow, as Ryuu throwing magic at me was on my list of things to do.

* * *

I think Chloe was being mean on purpose. She had lined up a half dozen buckets of ice water by the edge of the training field for my after dinner practice. I made a note, that if I survived this, I would have to give her a tail rub or something.

* * *

After my bath, or rather, Arnya throwing me into the tub to wake me up and make sure I didn't drown, I got to work on my other project. Two of them actually. Lilly had come back with some of what I had asked, and when questioned about what I wanted them for, I simply smiled, and said, "If it works, you can join me when we aren't fighting a stupid war game."

I also made sure to remind her to keep practising.

* * *

Day two was training in the rain. I gave Ryuu the same talk I had with Luniore, and like a true friend, she made sure that at the very least, I didn't die. Between buckets of ice water, trying not to get her wooden sword in the face, and avoiding small gusts of magic, I thought I did rather well. A break at lunch to eat, and talk to Welf. He was surprised when I asked for a weapon, though, once I gave him the design, he was both intrigued, and disgusted.

"A Jitte? You call this?" He asked, looking at the design, "Hm, reenforce it here... Use some of that adamant... Okay, yeah. I'll make it for you."

"I know you hate the idea, but just think, I'll never break one of your weapons." We shook on it, and then I handed him the second drawing. "This one... Just trust me. Just make it as light as you can, and you must be able to do chin ups on it."

He looked at me as if I were insane, but after puzzling at my drawing, he simply shrugged, "Your valis, sister."

* * *

Nazza's reaction, during my break just after dinner, was much the same. I thanked her for her help with trying to help us escape Apollo, guessing that it was her silver hand I'd spotted from afar. I had drawn up some ideas, and needed some special materials for Welf, when he was done building the second project.

I also asked for some special potions, wondering if some of them even existed. Thankfully, those she was cheerfully able to supply without worry, but, of course, with cost.

* * *

Another round of close combat with Lunoire, another half dozen buckets of ice water, and waking up suddenly in a bathtub. My body felt like compressed bruises, but I could see everything I'd done, done wrong, and done well, during the spar. Tomorrow I'd ask them to meet me by the ruin of Hestia Familia home.

I tried not to stay up too late building a small model of something. I'd have only one chance to make it work when I brought it up to scale.

* * *

Day three. Lilly delivered my jitte, and told me she had to have her little crossbow replaced. I asked her how many time's she'd used it, but when she held up a hand to say she forgot, the once delicate hand was covered in tiny blisters. I told her to take a message to Hestia, get a hug from her, and run a few more messages.

Both Ryuu and Luniore waited patiently for my business with Lilly to conclude, before Ryuu picked up a practise weapon from a barrel of wooden swords I'd had prepared.

Lunch was delivered by the four of Takemikazuchi Familia, and I told them afterwards that I wanted to break all those weapons by dinner.

Dinner was almost missed due to excessive bruising.

Dinner rush was worked in the kitchen, my body not wanting to move more than a couple of joints at a time.

After dinner, Ryuu had finally asked something I'd expected from the first moment I'd walked in the door. "What happened to your tail? And why aren't you using your magic?"

"Second question first." I sighed, trying to stretch out any number of small complaints my muscles were giving me. "I need to learn to fight without it. I've been using it far too much, and if I ever suddenly can't..."

"And the first?" I shivered as my tail wandered over to her, and she ran a hand down it.

"It seems to be related to my magic stat. I took 'mage' for my level as well... That feels really good..." She had taken a better hold of my tail, and seemed to be enjoying the texture. Of all my bits that hadn't been burnt, my tail was the only thing.

She asked what my stat was, curious, and assured me that she didn't need to know, if I didn't want to tell her. My tail slid out of her fingers when I did tell her. For two levels in a row, my magic stat was over 900. My last update was nearly at the supposed cap as well, just as my first level had been. "How?"

"Bell. For all his looks, for how adorable and innocent he is... He is almost impossible to keep up with. I've used my magic to push me to keep up. But I can't afford to do that anymore. If I can't do it without my magic..."

She shook her head, repeating something I had said myself once, "A good adventurer uses every tool at their disposal." She nodded, "I understand why you don't want to rely on it, but at this rate..." She motioned to just how stiffly I was moving.

"Tomorrow then."

* * *

Day four. Lilly with another early morning delivery to Hestia Familia home. Several samples of fabric, one of which was chosen. A few more messages, and a reply to another. A bit of intelligence from the Apollo Familia, saying that most of them were starting to head to the place the game would take place, an abandoned castle, a day's ride from here.

Another barrel of weapons, another free for all with Takemikazuchi Familia. Ryuu and Luniore joining in from the sidelines occasionally. Mikoto springing the news on me that she had left her Familia to join Hestia Familia, if only for a year.

A bucket of cold water and a scolding to not get distracted by sudden news. Lunch.

Lilly with two deliveries. A hug from Hestia, who has been worrying but staying put so we don't get distracted. And word from Soma Familia. She had also found Bell.

After lunch, reassuring all present that I really was serious. It was time to find my absolute limit with my current level of magic, and this would be a stress test of my first 'spell', skin of stone.

Missed dinner with a combination of mind down, and being bruised by three hours of being beaten by five different people and a barrel of wooden weapons, and one person with her bare hands.

After dinner, Lilly with two more deliveries, from Nazza and Soma himself. The second in a tall box marked 'victory drink'. Box set aside.

Sample potions from Nazza required my room to be abandoned suddenly, and emergency teams waved away at false alarm.

Severely scolded by Mia. Ladle was thankfully only waved at me.

* * *

Day five. Started morning with Takemikazuchi again. This time at full strength, magic boosted, grand melee battle. Ryuu and Lunoire taking over once the weapon barrel was empty.

Word from Welf saying my bigger project was done, and that he had something special planned for the games. And that he had also left his Familia, to join with Hestia. I filled away a rare 'I. , 1 hug.'

Lunch, everyone exhausted, an insane amount of rice consumed. Lilly told to stay not just for lunch, but to use me as target practise after. Word about the fabric being ready, and that it was to be delivered to Welf.

Before dinner break, first aid for multiple puncture wounds. Another delivery from Soma, this time from his master brewer. A note from Nazza on the bottle saying it should work.

After dinner rush, making damn sure my model works, even at double capacity.

* * *

Day six. Word sent with Lilly to Freya Familia, as well as Welf and Bell. Morning spent with two barrels of weapons this time, Takemikazuchi Familia calling me insane several times.

Lunch, went to visit Welf at a small shed he had rented on my behalf. He looked like ten kilometres of rough road, but happy that he was able to put his head down and craft things. He had done perfectly, and my design on paper was now a perfect life size replica. He helped me dress it with the fabric, and take it apart again for delivery, so long as Freya allowed it.

Lilly delivered said permission and was sent to tell Welf to arrange the delivery.

Nazza herself delivered the bill for services rendered, making my jaw drop, but with a no interest payment plan.

After dinner cleanup. It was time to visit Bell.

* * *

"Miss Kodori is crazy." Lilly said to me as we walked towards the city's outer wall. "All week, Lilly has been running her feet off. But Miss Kodori won't tell Lilly what she has been doing."

She was pouting at me, but I deserved it. "Risk." I replied, "I hardly remember everything I've done this week. Between training, and trying really hard to think of how three people could win against Apollo Familia." Reaching down, I picked up the little Pallum and put her on my shoulder, She didn't complain, but took advantage of her new height to play with my ears. I noticed her hands were rough, almost painfully so on my ears. "We have more people now, with Welf, and Mikoto, and Ryuu, our ace."

She lightly used my ears to steer me down another street, the wall looming overhead.

"I couldn't risk anything getting out. Everything, everything, hinges on just how surprising we can be." We came to the foot of a wide stone staircase at the base of a tower between two of the huge sections of wall. "Lilly has the hardest task of all. Is Lilly ready?"

"Lilly will have to leave her new crossbow behind." She replied, "But Lilly has been scouting too. She kn-eep!"

I poked her in the belly button to stop her from talking. "Couldn't resist." I said, starting up the steps. She gave me a Karate chop of justice in reply. "Just be as safe as you can. You are on my very short list of favourite people."

With the people we had, and my mad rush of material gathering and Lilly's intelligence gathering, I saw our odds of wining at around, 'hope'. Thanks to all of the help our little Familia had gotten. I had to find out if there was some sort of equivalent to Christmas or something here.

I heard the weapons clashing from about half way up the huge flight of steps. Orario's wall was high. I suspected that it wasn't just to keep the people inside safe, though a person would have to be insane, well and truly war hungry, to try and attack a city of adventurers.

But to keep things in. If the tower ever failed, the dungeon would be open to the world. And that wall was the only thing keeping them from the rest of the world.

One problem at a time. I reminded myself.

Three quarters up, I heard Bell do a perfect 'been thrown, roll and spring' the distinct sound of familiar boots hitting the stone and then dashing forward again. A moment later, a clash of steel, then a second, different type of metal. My ears knew the sound of Bell's weapons, just as I knew the feeling of punching something.

"He's trying hard." I mumbled, putting Lilly down on the next landing, the top of the stairs only ten steps away now. I didn't actually climb the rest of the way, instead stopping three steps down and peering around the corner. I had to correct myself. He wasn't trying really hard. He was trying to kill himself.

I had never seen Ais Wallenstein fight before. I'd seen her weapon, and heard her nickname of 'Sword Princess', and could make an educated guess at how she fought. She was one of the few people I'd seen who was not only very powerful, being level six, but in the thirty seconds that I spent watching Bell and her fight, I could tell she was also very skilled.

Most of the adventurers that I'd met, and fought, fell into two categories. The first, were people like Boldo, and Zanis. They had stats, but not so much skill. Falna had given them the power they wanted, without the training they needed.

The second, were the skilled, who had stats. Takemikazuchi Familia was a good example. They had been orphans, from what I'd learned, who trained hard, and were granted Falna as a reward, to help support the orphanage they had grew up in. Bell and I were another, less refined example. We trained hard, but had no formal style. Regardless, we had skill, and stats.

Then, there was Ais. I could tell, in that thirty seconds of watching her try and skewer Bell, that her form was perfect. Balance, power, accuracy. She was holding back too, just enough so that if Bell made a mistake she wouldn't kill him.

The crazy part, was the less endowed Amazon twin of Loki Familia suddenly joining in. From the thirty-first second until the sixty-eighth second, when I finally finished walking up the steps to make my presence known, he was fending them both off, dagger in each hand. She was swinging some kind of huge double bladed staff. If it weren't for the gift of super strength, it wouldn't have been possible to use it at all, but she was also very strong, and very skilled.

I'd gone with quantity, for my training partners. Bell certainly went with quality.

The two women noticed me and hopped back away from Bell. Puzzled that he wasn't being assaulted from two places at once, he looked around and spotted me, hopping up and down, tightening my gauntlets one by one. In that sixty-eight second viewing of him fighting, I could tell he had learned a huge amount in the time we'd been apart. I let my magic heat up inside of me, settle into my skin, and as soon as he readied his two daggers, I stepped forward.

And by stepped, I threw my magic down to my feet, and covered the ten meter distance between us in an eye blink.

No fool, he didn't just stand there. Taking a half step back and to the side, I flashed past him, but knowing that Bell was no fool, I was already half turning my body, a hand touching the edge of one of the stones of the wall.

This caught him by surprise. I had basically stopped myself on a dime with nothing but two fingertips. I had learned another perk of my new 'immovable' trait written in my status. It was perfect for stopping my own momentum too.

But, even as I sprung back towards him, my fist extended towards his face, he was already moving. I could hear the back of my armoured hand brush his chin, but he had faded back turned his head just enough, and that was it. I felt his elbow slam into my back, an instant before I bounced off the stone.

A forward roll bled off my extra momentum, a quick push of my palms against the ground, and I was back on my feet. This time, Bell came to me, both daggers, bare steel, swinging. His daggers were twin blurs of black and red, but my hands and forearms elbows and knees worked inside even that short range, pulling on everything Luniore had taught me.

This time, I managed to put a hand on Bell's wrist, duck under his arm, and give him a modified Chloe Javelin, grabbing his belt from behind and tossing him.

A draw. He was ten meters away again, and after making a show of dusting himself off, he put the Hestia knife away, holding the red minotaur horn blade in the other, and charged. Half way to me, he extended a hand and shouted, the crackle of electrified flame lancing towards me.

He didn't expect me to just stand there. But I did. And as the bolt hit me, full on the chest, I let my own magic carry it from the surface of my skin, to the tip of my tail, and into the stone of the wall. Multiple tries against Ryuu's magic had let me figure this one out. Ryuu was far more experienced, and could in fact tone down her offensive magic. While this method made grooming my tail a pain later, I no longer had to risk blowing off my boots every time I grounded out the excess magical energy.

That's not to say it didn't still hurt. But before Bell could get over his surprise at me simply shrugging off his attack, I had grabbed him again, using my new jump step to close the distance, grab his weapon arm, and put my palm flat to his chest.

Seeing as I really liked Bell, I stopped there, though the dust around us exploded outward by the sudden stop of two very fast moving objects. Both of us stood straight, and shared our customary fist bump.

"WOW!" The excited voice of the Amazon, Tiona, if I recalled, exclaimed, as she bounced excitedly back and forth from foot to foot. "You two are incredible! No one would think you were still level two."

I looked towards the setting sun a moment, then back to the passively standing Ais, and the excitable Amazon, and said, "Hey Bell?"

"Yes Miss Kodori?" He wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead.

"Hallway. Lilly has snacks."

"Yes Miss Kodori."

And we charged. We had taken each others measure, and now, we were going to see how we could use our new tricks together, instead of against. I knew that Ais was level six. I knew that Tiona was also level six.

But I also knew they would understand what we were doing, and not hold it against us.

Ais was first to meet us, her wide bladed rapier feeling like Luniore's punch compressed into a small point as I deflected it, first with one then the other arm guard. Bell slipped beside me, daggers drawn, and tried a swipe at the fencer's side, only to have her lift her leg and catch the inside of Bell's wrist with her knee, both blocking, sweeping him aside, and backing up all the in same motion. I pressed forward, matching her step, but her speed was like nothing I'd ever faced, and I was suddenly being pushed backwards by a series of thrusts, while she was weaving around Bell's dagger swings like water.

I had no chance to attack, and even with her longer weapon, me getting inside her reach meant nothing with her speed.

And Bell had been fighting against this for six days?

I surprised both Bell and Ais, and earned a gasp from Tiona, when I took a half step back and pulled out my Jitte. For those who don't know, it is basically a parrying weapon. A smooth rod, some times with a point, with a single 'L' shaped prong for a crosspiece.

I met Ais's next thrust with the rod of my Jitte, and let her blade slide to the crosspiece. With a sharp twist, I trapped her blade, and let my arm extend as she tried to pull the blade free.

Seeing his opportunity, Bell did that same half step fade, broke away from Ais and I, and dashed towards Lilly, who was holding up a little bag of the promised snack.

Only to be met by the Amazon. I had to trust Bell now. In the Hallway, we only needed to break through, not win. That was after, when we got to a more open space. At least, in the dungeon. I just managed to get a hand on Ais's wrist, her sword only a few centimetres from getting free. Time for trick two, I only hoped she didn't hit too hard.

I stood, immobile, as Ais used her free hand to hit me. Likely expecting me to go sailing off along the top of the wall, I instead did not move. At all. She gave a tug with her sword arm, still held by my right hand, weapon trapped by mt Jitte. And I did not move.

Even though it FELT like I had moved. Her simple palm slap to my side had felt like it broke everything. I used all of my focus and recent training to simply keep Ais occupied for a few more seconds.

If this had been a real battle, she would have probably punched right through me. Instead, as we heard Bell do his 'get thrown roll spring', and Lilly saying "Master Bell has the snacks!" Ais relaxed. And caught me as I let go of her wrist, and felt my legs turn to water as the pain from her strike caught up with me. I had been able to take an almost full force strike from Lunoire, using my skin of stone chant, and going into mind down, even with my Mage skill. But... Everyone in that situation knew what I was trying to do. I had braced properly, taken the punch on my forearms, and was already running my magic at full power.

Not so much, this time. She'd hit my floating ribs, and only her not wanting to actually hurt me saved me from having everything broken.

"Are you okay?" She asked, holding me up until my feet started to listen to me again.

"Nothing broken." I replied, "Thank you for not actually meaning to hurt me."

"You surprised me. How...?" She let me lean on her a little as we walked toward Lilly Bell and Tiona, who were sitting now, and nibbling on what ever it was Lilly had brought with her.

I hesitated a moment, wondering if I could trust her with my actual skills, but since Bell trusted her, I shrugged and told her. "Titan's grasp, Titan's stance. I can never lose my grip, or be moved, so long as I hold something, and stay still." I rubbed my side, "Even if I do stay still... I have my limits it seems." Very carefully, I put my Jitte back into my sash before sitting down with the rest of them.

"Miss Kodori is amazing! That weapon you used? Wait, you used a weapon?" Bell blinked, looking at the forty centimetre long weapon in my sash.

"Tool. I didn't attack with it. It's an eastern weapon, usually pointy, but Welf rounded this one, and made it out of some of the adamant I traded for." I carefully handed it to Bell, "It does, provided my opponent isn't too fast, let me brace another weapon and strike it with my fist from the side." I made the motions with my hands, "If I had a sword, I could do the same." I made a chopping motion with my imaginary sword, "Remember when I told you never to straighten your arm when punching?"

He nodded, understanding, as he passed the sword breaker around. "I've been up here all week. Miss Ais and Miss Tiona, and sometimes Miss Tione, have been helping me train."

I believed it. He looked like I had felt every day this past week. "We have tomorrow, and then we set out. I've been working with Lilly, and everyone we know, to win this." I smiled, "You've heard that Welf, and Mikoto have joined Hestia Familia?"

"Yes! I was happy to hear that. Surprised... But with Mr Welf and Miss Mikoto... Oh, Miss Ryuu is going to join us too, right?"

"As our one allowed 'extra' not from the three top Familia." I said, looking at Ais and Tiona, "I hate politics, but you have no idea how thankful I am you've helped Bell."

Ais simply nodded, with her marble face smiling just a little, while Tiona replied with, "Thank us plenty!" She hooked an arm around Bell's shoulders, making him blush, "Say, I've been meaning to ask. How come you aren't even a little bit nervous with her?"

Mostly flat chested or not, Tiona was still good looking. This meant, of course, Bell turned into a stuttering idiot at the sudden friendly, out of combat, proximity of the fairer sex.

We all, well, Ais kept smiling, shared a laugh at the poor boy's expense, but he managed to string a few words together, finally starting with, "Miss Kodori is like a big sister, or mother. Maybe even like a father?" Tiona let Bell go, his nervousness vanishing as he tried to concentrate on his thoughts. "She tries to teach me, even though she didn't even know how to speak when we'd met. She tries hard to keep us all safe, even if it gets her hurt."

"You saw Miss Kodori, Miss Ais, right?" Lilly asked, "When Master Bell fought the minotaur?"

Ais nodded, "Yes. Riviera said it was very bad."

I felt myself blushing. I hardly felt worthy of such praise. Sure, I'd done all these things. The past... almost two months now, were filled with crazy, idiotic, and nearly unbelievable things. But, Bell had done a lot as well. Welf and Lilly too.

"Yes. That's why? I guess?" Bell finished.

"Miss Kodori did kiss him though." Lilly said, making the Amazon perk up, and Bell blush again. I frowned at the naughty Pallum. She didn't take the joke further, and added, "Miss Kodori doesn't care about appearances. She is like Master Bell. If it needs to get done. It gets done."

We fell to silence, passing around the quickly dwindling bag of snacks.

"So..." Tiona trailed off, hooking an arm around me this time, "You kissed him?"

* * *

"Amazons... What a weird bunch." I muttered, after the three of us split up from the two Loki Familia. "Anyhow... Bell, Lilly, we have to get everyone together. Meet at the Hostess of Fertility. Bell, you can get Welf, I'll get Mikoto, and Lilly... Order dinner for us. You deserve a rest."

No arguments given, the three of us split up and went to gather everyone for the last meeting.

* * *

Notes!

So, there it is. I hope, very much, that I've left you all guessing at what kind of surprises our hero has in store for this war game. Again, most of what is going on, is by the book. But with Kodori, I plan to twist things a little, to give something new to those who've read the books.

I also hope that I portrayed the 'frantic week' without A: making it uninteresting, and B: keeping it coherent enough to follow.

Until next time.


	21. Chapter 21

Just a little warning for you, my dear readers.

In the book, this next part of the story was done with a rather large gap in it. The reader was left guessing about some of what was going on. Fujino Omori, the author, is very good at what he does, and by the end, when things DO get filled in for the reader, the audience is left collectively face-palming their foreheads going 'AHA!'

So, before you, the readers, wonder what's going on, be warned. :)

* * *

After dinner, we had all gone to the rear lot where I'd been doing most of my training with Ryuu and Lunoire. I'd borrowed a table and some chairs, and even some little magic stone lamps.

Welf, with Bell's help, brought everything he'd been working on in the past week. His combination of skill, boosted stats, and by the look of his eyes, almost no sleep, he had really come through.

For Lilly, he had remade her little single shot crossbow. It even had the same pull to it, so it should fire exactly like the other one, so he said. He'd left the serious dungeon equipment he'd made for her back at the shop, as she couldn't use it for the big event.

Bell got a new set of armour. Shins, thighs, chest, shoulders and forearms were all covered by metal, while all of his joints and points of movement were done in what looked like orc leather. Considering his high mobility style of combat, this style of armour would be perfect for him. At my insistence, Welf had also made him a helmet. It was simply a tough leather cap, with a few plates of metal over top. Nothing to restrict vision or hearing, but it might save him from a stray arrow or bit of debris.

Our newest member, Mikoto, was basically given another set of what she already owned. When we had met her down on the eighteenth, it looked like her Familia was wearing a single suit of traditional Samurai armour, divided over the four of them. She had ended up with a shoulder piece, and a bit of the hip and upper leg armour, as well as a single gauntlet. Welf had simply made her another set of that for the other side. I wasn't sure if he had time to take her measurements, like Bell and I, but they fit, and matched almost perfectly.

For me, with the opening comment of 'you killed it, you wear it,' Welf gave me a short sleeved jacket, that covered my rear and hips, and a pair of... I think they were called chaps. Belted like a normal pair of pants, but only covering about ¾ of my legs, and not joined at the crotch. It made me think of those things horsemen wore. Not only were they fairly tight on my legs, with belts to adjust them, they had a spot for my tail, and were lined with salamander wool too.

All made of drake skin, uncoloured, so it was almost uniformly rust red. The jacket even had a hood, with ear protection built in, in case of bats.

And pockets! And little loops for the standard sized potion bottles. And a loop for my jitte! And those war shadow claws I'd given him were rounded out, and used for ribs so the jacket hugged my form and protected my ribs!

"Welf can't breath! I give I give!"

I put the smith down while the others laughed.

"Ahem." After recovering, he looked over to Ryuu, shook her hand properly, and said, "I have something for you, but its not quite done."

She nodded, and all eyes turned to me.

"With Lilly's help, as well as a few small favours from Eina..." I looked at Bell, "You owe her dinner, by the way."

Lilly laughed quietly, Welf sniggered, and Mikoto raised an eyebrow. Bell became a stuttering idiot. Welf had to pat him on the back a few times to get him to recover, and I continued, "I had her dig around in the old archives, and found a map of the castle we are going to siege. With our numbers... We have to play a little dirty. Hyakinthos, for all his arrogance, is a skilled leader. So, we have to do things that will either be beneath his arrogance to deal with, or out of his experience. I think, with our assorted skills, we can do both."

Mikoto raised her eyebrow again, when I used the phrase 'play a little dirty', but didn't interrupt.

For the next two hours, we planned, unplanned, worked, and reworked our assault. The phrase 'no plan survives first contact with the enemy', was kept firmly in mind too. With just how well organized Apollo Familia was while they chased Bell and I, we had to plan things exactly right.

"The siege starts as the moon rises, and I plan on having breakfast in the throne room." I said with a smile, "All set?"

Afterwards, I handed out the various potions and such delivered by Nazza, and Lilly and Ryuu needed to go run one last errand. All that was left was for us all to visit our Goddesses and get a good nights sleep.

* * *

So busy was I with training and planning, that I hadn't noticed the festival-like preparations the city had undergone. The Gods took their entertainment seriously, and all over the place there were food stands, streamers, and of course, betting booths. Hestia Familia didn't have very good odds, but I wouldn't have bet on me either, if I didn't know what we were planning. I was thankful that the weather was not only nice and clear, but warm. It would be important for later.

As evening set, I walked towards Babel, dressed in my new properly intimidating rust red drake scale, I heard a voice, projected from on high throughout the city. As the first words were spoken, a giant projection, almost like a TV, appeared about mid way up the tower. Like a stadium TV. There, in a dark room lit by torches, not magic stone, sat a serious faced man, with white hair, black hood, and piercing blue eyes.

"I, Ouranos, allow use of your divine power, to watch this war game." That was all. His voice was deep, booming, and authoritative. But... wait... Wasn't Ouranos the god of the sky? And him, giving permission for the Gods and Goddesses to use their divine power? He was in charge? Hmm...

Instantly, I felt the fur on my tail stand on end, and many MANY smaller windows popped into existence. The image of Ouranos vanished, only to be replaced by the elephant masked face of Ganesha, and a young brown skinned man. They looked to be on a quickly made stage.

"GOOD EVENING ORARIO!" The young man started. He certainly had the right voice for this kind of thing. "My name is Ishi! And for the duration of the war game, between Hestia and Apollo Familia, I will be your announcer! I'm here with the God Ganesha! Anything to say?"

"I AM GANESHA!" The elephant masked God said proudly.

You could almost hear a city wide face-palming.

Wind taken out of his sails for a moment, "Well... Right..." Ishi sighed, "Apollo Familia has been setting up the castle for most of the last week, and just this morning, sent out the last of their Familia and supplies. Hestia Familia has just departed, and seem to be trying to make it there in a hurry!"

A pause as a bit of paper was put on his desk.

"Wait, no, almost all of them have departed!" The image on the screen was replaced with 45 degree angle of me, walking towards the tower. Surprised, I looked around to spot some one on a rooftop, looking down at me through a small circle of what might have been metal. Divine cameras? I gave the man a wave. "This one seems to be walking AWAY from the battle, towards the tower?"

"I am Ganesha?" It switched back to the announcer's table.

"No no, you ARE Ganesha..." Ishi said frustratedly, "They say this girl started her out as a homeless girl, picked up by the loooooovely ladies at the Hostess of Fertility! Unable to even speak the language, she became an adventurer with Hestia Familia! What's this? And in three WEEKS! Became level two! What? Seriously?" Another bit of paper, supplied by someone just off screen, "And her senior in the Familia, Bell Cranell, managed level two in only FOUR weeks? What is going on with that?!"

I was almost at the tower entrance now, so I turned and looked for the camera man again. Spotting him, I gave him another wave, and waited for the screen to switch back to me.

"Oh? Does the Crazy Kit have something to say?" Isha asked, voice ringing out through the city. The view of me wobbled and warped around a bit as the camera guy jumped off the rooftop and ran over to me. I instantly recognized him as the man who gave me his sash after I managed to kill that hard armoured monster.

I had to admit that on the big screen, I looked good in my new armour.

I motioned for him to stay still, positioned myself so that the camera was looking at me, and the setting sun. Using the picture on the big screen as a guide, raised my hand, as if to hold the flaming orb up, then crushed it, blocking it from view with my armoured fist. I said nothing. I waited until it switched back to the announcer's booth before moving again. I gave the camera guy a thumbs up and thanked him for the help again, before turning and entering the tower.

"WOW! That's a bold declaration of war if I've ever seen one!" Ishi howled, "But if she plans on fighting, why isn't she with the rest of her Familia?"

At the doorway, just inside, I saw another screen, it switched from the announcers to a picture of my back as I walked inside. Turning, I said to the cameraman, "Icarus was an idiot." before continuing towards the elevator in the middle of the main lobby.

Surprisingly, Ottar was waiting in the elevator for me when it opened. Dressed in long shorts and summer vest, he looked much more comfortable then at the Gala.

As the doors closed and the elevator ascended, I could hear Isha go on and on about what to expect, and even heard the faint voice of Hestia and Apollo.

"What is in that box?" He asked, his deep voice feeling like it was shaking my ribs.

"Nothing to worry about. But, nothing like you've ever seen, I'd bet."

We spent the rest of the trip up in silence, his presence not as... looming, as I'd imagined in a small space like the elevator. Probably because he wasn't moving. It was like having a statue in there with me.

The elevator 'ding'ed quietly, and the door opened. Moving past me easily, Ottar simply said, "This way."

Stepping out, I realized that we were in the centre of a large apartment. Loft style. There were a couple of rooms, but for the most part, it was just a wide, extremely well decorated, tastefully lit, apartment. It was perfectly clean too. Aside from a couch with haphazardly thrown pillows. A sturdy carpet, out of place with the soft reds and purples of the room was near a patio door, where a large coffin sized wooden crate was resting.

As I followed Ottar towards the box, I spotted the open backed gown of Freya, who was looking towards a personal sized screen of her own.

Without knocking, Ottar opened the sliding glass door, and said, "She is here."

Again, I felt my heart doing flip flops as the Goddess looked at me, again, my tail wrapped itself around my leg to distract me. "Lady Freya. Thank you for your assistance." I bowed to her, breaking eye contact again, and feeling my body calm down slightly, even with only a half second of not looking at her.

"You said you would show me something spectacular..." She said, approaching, the scent of her making my tail twitch, even though it was still around my leg. "I do hope you are right. As you may have noticed, we Gods do enjoy unique things."

"Well, if I could ask for Ottar's assistance, an extra pair of hands would help." I replied, looking at her ear, instead of her face.

"Certainly."

* * *

Ottar cleared off the balcony, while I unpacked the box. Rods, fabric, rope, loops, it was all there, in perfect condition. If I was right, and memory served, this would work. If I was wrong... No, don't think about that.

By the end of putting things together, Ottar and I had assembled... A glider. Taking up most of the balcony, with the tail sticking a little bit inside the apartment. The cloth, a tightly woven canvas sort of material, was one of the many I had tested. I had managed to make a balloon out of it, back at the Hostess. It had also been oiled, making it even less permeable to air. The frame was made of strong piping, and Welf had said he could hang off any part of it, and do chin ups, with all his equipment. Welf also managed to get the little bit on the tail perfect. It was a simple pair of flaps, that would let me turn, albeit slowly.

Using the wood from the crate as a ramp over the rail of the balcony, and lining up the glider, I looked to Freya and Ottar. "Well?"

"Oh... You are full of surprises. Both you, and the Little Rookie. But, will it work?" Freya asked, running a hand over part of a wing.

"If it doesn't, I will have to do a lot of running to catch up with the rest of my Familia." I replied, pulling the last item out of the box. Nazza had given me a pair of goggles, for when she made her more volatile potions. Popping them over my head and tightening the strap, I made sure my one and only safety measure was secure in my coat. It wasn't much, but it was a simple circular bit of fabric, attacked by string to an iron ring. With my strength, I could use it one handed, but I hoped I wouldn't need it.

Really hoped.

"Well, in that case... Shall we show the rest of the city?" Freya asked, moving her viewing window, and pointing it at me as I got under the glider and secured myself. I had opted for a simple triangle of metal at my ankles, one for my middle, and a larger one for my hands. If this thing came apart, I didn't want anything actually tied to me. I looked over myself, then to the view screen, seeing myself in it, looking rather silly, laying down under some kind of weird looking tent.

Waving at the camera, I looked back to my feet, and said, "Hey, could you push me over please?" Hearing the voice repeated for the entire city to hear, I looked back to the camera, gave the city a thumbs up, and with a brief squeak of the little wheels on the corner of the front 'triangle' I was off.

* * *

For maybe the second time since I arrived, I had cheated with my knowledge of 'future' technology. The entire city erupted into cheers of excitement as I, a mortal, was flying. Not with magic, but artifice. Thankfully, I was actually flying, and not say, breaking apart and making a mess for someone at the bottom of the tower. Also in my favour was the warm and sunny weather we had had all day. As with any city, the cobblestones had been soaking up the heat, and now, as the air cooled, they were giving that heat off again, giving me a bit of lift as I glided over the city walls.

From the map in my head, I had a little course correction to do, but...

I was really enjoying this. My status as an adventurer was keeping most of the cold away, the feeling of motion was making my blood sing, and honestly... I had managed to actually build the thing and make it work on the first go. Sure, I had help. Welf had made all the components perfectly. But I had managed to put to paper what was basically a scale drawing I had seen some where in high school and having been hand gliding exactly once. Skydiving too, but I was glad I didn't have to do that just yet. The sun was still going down, and I had about two or three hours to kill before I was due for the siege.

I thought over the plan again, keeping an eye out for the landmarks we had found on the map to orient my on my flight. A small village, a hill that looked like a giant golf club divot... I took my turn very slow. It wasn't that I didn't trust Welf's craft, but my own skill.

Flashback

"Before we begin, we want to deliberately give a few things away. It will be up to you to make sure they notice." I told Lilly. "Nazza has given us special glowing bottles. And we will light them up in order."

"Lilly understands."

Return

I could see the castle from my current height. The air was starting to cool, and I was slowly losing altitude. I was still above the sparse clouds, and was actually getting a little damp from catching bits of them. The sun was down, and the moon was steadily moving up, the half full pale face clear and bright.

My eyes, amazing in the dark, spotted a faint blue wisp of light near the tree line. Reaching into my fancy new armour, I plucked the first bottle out of its little holster, pushed the cork in a little further, and shook it. The coating on the cork, and the liquid in the bottle mixed, and started glowing a dim red. The little blue light bobbed once, twice, three times.

I did my best to gain as much height as I could, slowing down slightly as I eased the flaps behind me to angle me up. I moved my red glowing bottle from side to side twice, then returned it to my coat.

I spotted, off in the distance on the wall, a second light, this one a dim green. It only flashed once before vanishing.

Flashback

"Here." Welf handed Ryuu a long wooden box, "It's not my best work, but they don't need to be..."

Ryuu accepted the box, placed it on the table, and opened it. Inside were three long thin blades. At first glance, they looked like poorly hammered steel. The edges uneven and jagged, the hilts wrapped in simple cloth. But running down the centre of each blade was multicoloured line. Looking almost like a crack in the metal, it switched between subtle shades of red blue and green. He had made Magic Sword. Three of them. And had presented them... To an elf.

Historically, as Welf had told me, Magic Sword were nearly the end of the elven race. His ancestors had supplied a war against them, burning their forests and homes.

"I will take care of them." Ryuu said. She wasn't smiling, but neither was she upset. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Welf nodded grimly, and after a moment of looking at each other, and the three Magic Sword, we went back to planning.

Return

The first sound of alarm rang within the castle. Magic stone lamps, with mirrors inside of them tried to light up the area around the wall where the green glow had appeared.

"3...2...1..." I counted down.

And a wave of blue light, like the reflection of a blade in the sun made solid, arced from the tree line, to the wall. It took almost a second for the noise to reach my ears, but it was loud, even at my height. Position wise, I was nearly above the castle itself as another, and another and still another wave of blue light crashed into the stone wall. Shouts of alarm, pain, crashing stone, all were ringing out in the moonlight.

Time for phase two.

Flashback

"Shortly after Ryuu begins, I'll signal the other two teams."

"What's the signal?"

I grinned, holding up a bottle.

Return

For this one, I used two bottles. Above my head on the glider itself were two slots. Reaching up, I placed first one, then the other next to each other, pressed the corks down on each, then flipped the tops off the both of them.

Nazza, with her mixing skill and surprising mind for experimentation, had helped me put these potions together. Both required their own catalyst, then both of those, required each other to work. The result?

Smoke. Thick, black, nearly impenetrable smoke. It curled along the underside of my glider, and filled the air behind. It smelled terrible, and even though it was above me, it still tried to obscure my vision. I started to circle above the castle now, filling the air above it.

I pulled out my little glow bottle as I circled, having lost my sense of direction momentarily with the sudden onset of darkness. I spotted the little blue light, and now, a purple one. Again, I moved my light from side to side and put it away, watching both blue and purple lights bob once, then vanish as well.

The constant assault from Ryuu had slowed, then with a flash like lightning, I saw the elven sword-woman clearly as the first blade shattered. From the wreckage of the wall, I saw a group of magic stone lamps, like fireflies in the near darkness, rush towards her.

Until they got about half way... And she started with the second Magic Sword.

On the opposite side of the castle, a little green dot bobbed once, followed by a purple bob a moment later. More shouts, more firefly spots of light, and more of Apollo Familia went to reenforce that side.

Then Mikoto used the third Magic Sword.

This one, from Welf's trio, was both the weakest, and strongest, he said. It might last for two swings, but it would break any wall you pointed it at.

And boy howdy did it ever. Ryuu had attacked what was basically the 'back' wall of the castle. It was the most solid, with two high watch towers guarding the back of the main tower inside, where the throne room would be. The wall itself was very badly damaged, but would still be solid enough to defend, provided you didn't just send out your defenders to attack the lady with the Magic Sword. The wall Mikoto was attacking was the actual main gate. Fallen slightly into disrepair, Apollo had at least replaced the doors, as well as the portcullis leading into the courtyard.

Except with a single swing, the huge double doors, iron portcullis and a good portion of the stone holding them all up, were wrecked. Mikoto's form lit up as the Magic Sword shattered, but before the sparkles around her vanished, I saw her already running forward.

Flashback

"Can you do it?" I asked the young samurai girl.

"It is not 'can'." She replied seriously, "It is 'must'."

Return

I lost sight of her for a moment, then caught sight again as she started glowing. People were lining up on what was left of the wall and gathering to meet her in the courtyard. I couldn't make out what was happening in great detail, but I hoped she would be safe.

As safe as one can be, charging solo into the teeth of what was probably twenty to one odds.

I was circling around again, losing sight of Mikoto, and focusing again on Ryuu. Her battle was going as I'd hoped. Gone was the second blade, and she was now engaged in a fierce melee with a half dozen others. I respected her too much to ask what had happened to her, for her to live with Mia at the Hostess. But she had told me her Goddess didn't even live in Orario, and so long as we didn't give her name to anyone but the guild, for registration in the game itself, she would help.

Like some sort of superhero. Or retired villain?

I shook my head to try and focus myself again. My job as coordinator were mostly done at this point. Down below I saw, briefly, a pair of people running around from the back of the castle, to a small building in the courtyard. The building itself, was attached to a bridge that led to the second tower, where we figured the throne room would be. The diagrams had the bridge over an inner moat, but it had long gone dry. It was still a deep pit, and the tower itself had no ground floor entrance, so the bridge was the fastest way. I was just coming back around to see that, when a pillar of purple light began to descend from my fake cloud cover. Turning as quickly as I could, so I wouldn't get caught by it, I looked over my shoulder to see Mikoto herself at the centre of her spell. She had done it. Almost everyone near the gate was now in her little gravity bubble, the otherworldly glow lighting up the area enough for me to see it all clearly.

And explosion on the bridge leading to the main tower made me smile. They were closer to the tower, not the bridge entrance, meaning that it was the defenders who were getting blasted.

Then an arrow went past my shoulder, into the canvas over my head.

Looking straight down, I spotted the white and gold armoured form of some one with a bow. Standing on a balcony, and aiming again. My smoke bottles had run out, and the glow from Mikoto's spell had lit up the sky. The glider, not meant for evasive motion couldn't do much in the way of dodging. The second arrow ripped a hole through a wing, and the third passed through the front pipe on the other, right in the middle.

As I watched the wing fold upwards like a bit of paper, my logical mind was boggling at just how much power was behind the bow. My now much more dominant adventurer mind replied with 'I can punch through nearly a meter of solid wood, break wooden weapons over my body and not bruise, and glow when I get angry, and this surprises you?'

Letting go of the glider, and trying not to get tangled up in the wreckage, I grabbed the iron ring inside my coat, and hoped.

Just as the bottom of the tower glowed an incandescent blue, right through the windowless stone foundation.

* * *

I didn't have time to stabilize myself like a real sky diver. I simply pulled out the iron ring, grabbed the part that wasn't occupied by thin but strong rope, and hoped the folded bit of fabric attached to it would get the idea and unfurl. Spinning wildly for a moment, and seeing a massive column of blue light spear its way through my black smoke cloud. There was a roar, the sound of collapsing stone, and screaming.

Then the fabric caught enough air, and my shoulder nearly popped out of the socket when my crazy downward tumble was replaced by a sudden slowing. The few seconds I'd fallen had brought me more than half way to the ground, and I still falling fast enough that I wasn't sure 'tuck and roll' would help.

Not that it mattered, I wasn't really able to steer the circular parachute, and the now punctured roof of the main tower was coming up fast.

* * *

Fighting. Some one was fighting. The floor under me was uneven, but carpeted, there was the smell of burnt wood and stone in the air. And fighting. I tried to get up, but was suddenly pushed down again, my body suddenly hurting all over.

"Stay down, girl. And just watch your friend get beaten by Hyakinthos."

Eyes snapping open, I looked around as best I could with two people pressing down on my back. In the centre of the room, Bell, his armour scratched and bloody, marked by fire too, was fighting Hyakinthos. Resplendent in gold and silver, he wasn't unmarked either. Both were fighting hard, but Bell was slowly losing. Battle experience was winning out, but the look on his face... The arrogance was gone.

Frustration. He couldn't seem to figure out why he wasn't just steamrolling the younger man.

I tried moving again, not very hard, but to get a better idea on how bad I'd fallen. I had two hands on each leg, smaller, maybe female? But nothing felt broken. Arms too. Held down, sore, especially my right shoulder. But again, nothing broken. The hands tightened on me again.

"Please, just stop struggling." It was Daphne. "We don't want to hurt you."

"Yeah. After that fall, I'm surprised nothing was broken. I mean, except the second hole in the roof." The first speaker said.

"Once Hyakinthos wins, you won't have to worry. Until then, just keep still." A second male said, the rounded ball of a mace entering my vision just to the side, leaving my view of the fight unobstructed.

I took a deep breath, not relaxing, but no longer trying to struggle. "The fire burns, the cage glows red." This time it was Cassandra.

"Hush! You were right about the flying... thing... But you just happened to look out the window." Daphne again.

"Worried about your friend?" Hykinthos said, voice angry, "Once I deal with you, I'll make sure the two of you are brought to Apollo in chains!"

Bell said nothing. Though his face was twisted in rage, the look strange on his usually pleasant face. I took another breath, feeling my skin heat up.

"And you added to your little Familia too!" The Apollo ace kicked Bell sharply, sending him across the room, but without even slowing down to roll, the white haired boy was on his feet and charging back almost instantly. "The Eastern girl... Apollo will like her."

Bell simply fought harder, instead of answering his taunts. I was feeling the cage inside me starting to melt. Cassandra hands on my leg were shaking too.

"And your smith! Once I win, his contract will come to us... And his Magic Sword with it!"

This time it was Bell who sent Hyakinthos for a tumble. It was a lucky punch, low to the side, but Bell had left a clear knuckle print in the fine armour. "I'm done playing around with you BOY."

This time, as he charged, he started chanting, "My name is love, precious child of light. I offer my body to my sun." Sword and dagger clashed, yet his chant continued unabated, "My name is sin, jealousy of wind. I call a gust of wind to my body. Released ring of fire - come, wind of the west..." Again, Hyakinthos kicked Bell away just as his long blade and Bell's Hestia knife crossed, "RUPELE!"

A brilliant disk of white light formed just behind Hyakinthos, streaking towards the still recovering Bell. To his credit, Bell managed to dodge, ducking under it, then springing up again, only to see the magic arc around, then come back at him.

"FIREBOLT!" Unused until now, the disk was struck by the lance of electrical fire, only to pass through it.

"USELESS!" Hyakinthos shouted, raising his sword again, "I've chosen you as its target! Until the ends of the world it will chase you! SUBMIT!"

I felt my blood almost boiling, watching this, helpless. Pinned down by four level twos, I was stuck where I was. Four? No... Three. Cassandra only hand her hands on my leg. Trembling almost like she was freezing. I could hear her mumbling, her fingers twitching against my leg.

Bell was slowly losing ground against the flaming disk, dodging it by less and less each time. Bits of his clothing and hair burning as it passed.

I could feel my magic reaching a boil, but I couldn't lose myself to it. I had to wait for exactly the right moment.

Cassandra finally broke down, crying, "The gate closes! The forgotten child brings disaster!"

One of Daphne's hands left the back of my leg, just as I heard a familiar 'snap click'. I gripped the carpeted floor with both hands, curled my legs up under me, and threw myself against the two holding me down, even as I pushed forward.

Black smoke filled the room as something shattered against the far wall. The two holding me down lost their grip on me about half way towards Bell, and I fell over the boy just as the disk descended on him.

* * *

An explosion, smoke, heat, lungs burning, hands feet and tail feeling like they were touching a stove top. I couldn't breath, let alone cough, but my nose was filled with the terrible scent of chemical smoke.

Some one coughed under me, then something bumped into my breasts. I felt the body under me stir, and then cool metal against my chest. I heard the pop of a cork, and a single gulp.

I was just recovering my breath, still holding my spot above Bell, as the air started to clear. Hyakinthos was standing there, looking at us, eyes full of fury.

"Impossible!" He shouted, "How can you still be alive after that?!"

I only smiled, my face stiff.

"Fine! I will simply BURN YOU BO' *snap-click*

There was loud 'tonk' noise, as a small metal bolt jammed itself between two plates of Hyakinthos's armour, right in the side.

Finally working enough soot from my mouth, I said, "You forgot someone." I lowered my head, and gave the back of Bell's head a kiss, "To you, little brother."

With a steel point jammed into his armour right about where his lower lung would be, Hyakinthos was suddenly unable to fight back as well as he had. Leaping out from under my protective cover, Bell cleared the distance between them and, to put it simply, took him apart. Bell had been pretty much supporting me, so I simply tried to recover. Numb hands managed to find and bring a potion to my lips. I felt my hurts fade, but could feel that my back was slick with something. My coat was intact, so I couldn't tell what it was.

The observers, the people who were holding me down, were simply sitting there, stunned, as the tables turned. Having used every second not fighting to recover, Bell while not fresh, was certainly far more energetic than a moment ago. Hyakinthos fought desperately, but in his anger, he overextended a single swing, and instead of cutting Bell's head off, the shorter man ducked under the strike, grabbed Hyakinthos's wrist, and slammed his forehead into the now straight elbow.

With a wet snap, and the clang of metal, Hyakinthos dropped his red glowing blade, and fell, coughing blood and holding his shattered arm, to the floor.

* * *

Most of Apollo Familia were at least gracious in defeat. It may have been that they knew the event was being covered, live, in Orario, and while they lost, they didn't want to be seen as dishonourable, as well. Cassandra and Daphne tended to me personally, while the rest were being tended in one of the still intact rooms.

"You are going to want to clean this when you get a chance." Daphne said, holding my somewhat blackened coat out at arms length. "Pants too."

In my boxers and nothing else, I caught the familiar smell of burnt skin and blisters. "Thank you. I'll be sure to ask Welf about how to clean it properly without shrinking it." I looked behind me, at the timid girl Cassandra. "Thank you too. I'm sorry I upset you so much though."

Her hands, wrapped in a healing light were roaming over my back. Everywhere she touched seemed to hurt less, like a tense muscle finally relaxing. "You believed me, didn't you?"

"So did Bell. I had to count on everyone else," I gave Daphne an accusing look, "Dismissing your visions, for this plan to work." My tail disobeyed me, curling around one of the girls arms, "Mind of its own, I swear... But yes. From the start, you saw everything about me. How I think of my magic, Lilly being the key to our plan, why I follow Hestia..."

"Saying we had let her in too." Daphne said bitterly, "How you would eclipse the moon... What was that anyhow?"

I was just about to explain, when the door opened, and a grumpy looking Pallum walked in. Brown hair and large eyes, he shut the door behind him, and looked at the three of us.

"Ah. Was wondering." I said, grinning, "Looking for some place to change?"

"Yes." He said, before glowing, his form shifting and then settling again, Lilly's child like face replacing the other one. "Lilly is tired."

"Lilly is a hero." I replied with a smile, "Daphne, Cassandra, meet Lilly. The key to the entire plan."

"Lilly didn't do that much..." She took off some of her disguise, discarding the blackened shirt and scrubbing her soot covered face with her undershirt. "Miss Kodori was flying!"

"Sure, I gave out signals, made sure both sides of our force struck when they needed too. But you made sure that those strikes would do the most damage. And I have to say, your aim with that last shot was perfect."

"Wait... She was right about that too?" Daphne exclaimed, holding her face with a hand, "All this time..."

Cassandra ran a hand through the fur of my tail, making me shiver, "Hey... Careful." I mumbled to her, "Are you done? I'd like..."

The door opened again, and in walked Bell and Welf.

* * *

The two boys, both with fresh lumps on their heads, were sitting down now, along with Mikoto, who had a few arrow holes in her shirt, but had been healed, and Ryuu, who was untouched, though as tired as I'd ever seen her. And for the record, I wasn't the one who... disciplined the boys.

"Well. Apollo is packing up, and tomorrow will be a busy day." I looked to each of them, grinning, "Ryuu, thank you, for everything. Without you, we couldn't have kept that side busy. Welf wouldn't have lasted in a melee like that."

I gave Welf a thumbs up though, "Without you to deal with the mages inside, and your amazing job on our equipment however... I'll need help cleaning my coat though."

Welf gave me a return thumbs up. He looked like he wasn't totally perfect in his managing of the mages, but he looked like he would only need to replace his shirt, and oddly, his right boot.

"Mikoto, let it never be said you failed in any way this day. You took the gate and held down almost everyone inside the courtyard. You do your Familia proud, both Takemikazuchi, and Hestia."

She nodded to me, giving me one of her rare smiles. "And thank you for overlooking some of our less honourable practices too. I know it bothered you, but..."

"Kodori-sama is wise." She commented, "But, while not pure, our victory was necessary. Both to save Hestia Familia, and correct Apollo Familia and their ways."

I nodded to her, pleased she was at least accepting our victory for what it was.

"Bell, you did it again. You not only held back a level three, but... broke an entire tower... There is hardly enough floor here to sit on." We all looked around the throne room, the once restored room so badly damaged that not only it, but the entire tower would need to be replaced to make it look like it once did.

I felt a little bad about that honestly. Bell did too, by the look of him scratching the back of his head and fit of nervous laughter.

"I had an image... A picture in my mind about a single hero, breaking through and defeating a mad king..." He scratched the back of his head some more, "And fighting him, if Miss Kodori hadn't protected me..."

"That was my job. To make sure everyone was doing what they needed to do, when they needed to do it. But even that, was only possible because of Lilly."

"At great risk, knowing they had a seer, no matter how ignored she usually was, Lilly replaced one of the Apollo Familia, and told them, at exactly the wrong time, where to be when we struck. Making sure Ryuu took the wall down with as many of them as possible. To get as many people inside the courtyard when Mikoto took the gate... And to provide covering fire and cripple Hyakinthos exactly when we needed it most." I scratched my back, where Cassandra had healed me for severe burns, again.

The others, while I gave Lilly's head a pat, raised wooden mugs in cheers for her. The usually unflappable girl blushed at the attention, but stood and gave us a bow anyhow.

"Now, it might be a little early, but, who's hungry?" I said with a grin.

* * *

Notes.

Well, aside from the aftermath of the war game, that's it. I do hope you liked it. Again, with the limit/freedom of first person, I kept all the story in one place, and re-capped it in the end, instead of the original story, that told of Bell and Welf fighting on the bridge, Lilly sneaking around the castle telling Apollo Familia where to be, just in time to get blown up, or Mikoto's brave and valiant dash to the middle of the courtyard, to use her gravity magic and hold everyone in place.

Some of the ideas I used were borrowed from other anime I've seen. Jormungand, for one. Where soldiers used dim glow sticks on their backs, so the sniper behind them didn't shoot them. Good anime too, if you haven't seen it, and are looking for a good action show.

Until next time. :)


	22. Chapter 22

As of writing this, let it be known I have just gotten a copy of Final Fantasy 15...

I'll still try and keep things steady. :)

Lets move on, shall we?

* * *

Chapter 21

The following day, was very busy, as predicted. With the fall of Apollo Familia, and Hestia's bet with them, we had won their home, everything within, Familia valis, and basically everything that wasn't a person, or that person's belongings.

Also as per the bet, Apollo himself was banished from the city. Hyakinthos, bitter at his loss, but still willing to follow his God, left with him. A fair number of others did as well, even though the guild protested at the sudden exodus of many level two adventurers.

At my urging, or rather, insistence, (holding her by the collar and patting her head until she submitted) Hestia did not go to gloat, and we, Hestia Familia, had a quiet celebration at Takemikazuchi's residence.

When asked why I wouldn't let her go and see them off, my reply was simple.

"We won. The city knows it. They know it. We know it. What more need be said?" I put her down on the cushion next to me while Takemikazuchi himself poured her tea and placed it on the low table for her. "The guild is making sure they are taking only what is theirs, and dealing with the shuffle of people who want out of Apollo Familia." I gave Takemikazuchi a small seated bow as he placed tea in front of me, "We don't need to be there."

Takemikazuchi chuckled at the two of us, "Miss Kodori is wise. How is the tea?"

"Miss Kodori just spent most of the morning dealing with interviews about what happened, how it happened, and what sort of special skill is needed to fly." I sighed, "And a little bitter. Just the right amount of..." I defaulted to the English word, "Ginger?" He smiled and nodded.

The rest of the Familia, both of ours, were in the other room. Having a quiet little party for the victors. I had been pulled aside by the two gods for my own after action report, and to stop Hestia from marching over to our soon to be new home to rub it in Apollo's face that he lost.

"Speaking of that..." Takemikazuchi started.

"It's... not that complicated." I started hesitantly, "Just something from back home."

It was obvious they knew I was leaving something out. It wasn't the first time I'd used a similar excuse, either. Thankfully, they didn't pry. "I already promised Lilly to fly with me. So you'll have to wait your turn. Provided we can build another one..."

That made them both smile.

"So, aside from that flying... Glider? You called it?" I nodded to Takemikazuchi. "Everything else?"

"Planned by me, refined by them." I replied, "You've done well with Mikoto-chan. She did you proud last night." The God looked a little awkward for a moment, "Please, be sure to tell her so. You are her Lord, no matter the Familia she is in." To Hestia, I said, "And please, forget your grievance with Apollo. And give Lilly a pat on the head? Height is about the only thing she is short on."

Hestia nearly spit out her tea as I sprung the joke. I would have to try harder next time.

"Oh... And can I give Welf the day off?"

Recovering, Hestia nodded, giving me a glare while Takemikazuchi laughed.

* * *

"Ah! Sister!" Welf raised his tea cup to me, the rest of the room looking in my direction. "Everything okay in there?"

"Just had to calm our Goddess down a little." I sat next to Bell, setting my teacup down and sighing. "She has, after much head patting, agreed to let the guild handle the cleanup of Apollo Familia home, and not stand at the gate saying 'nya nya I told you so'."

There was a nervous ripple of laughter.

"She can be a little..." Bell started, earning a light punch to the shoulder from me, "Yeah..."

"Lilly is surprised still." I reached over and pat her head lightly, "I know... Lilly isn't complaining!"

"Hm." Mikoto stared, giving Lilly a pat on the back, just for a moment, before returning to her tea, "You were very brave. We all did well. So what is left to do?"

"Well." I started, scratching an ear before Lilly tugged my sleeve, making me lean down so she could do it for me. "Ahem... Well, lets see. Mikoto-chan, what ever you wish to bring to the new home, have ready... Whenever. Honestly, the place is large enough to fit both our Familia, and since our two Gods, and the rest of us, are good friends..." I had hinted at the idea, but Takemikazuchi said he would let his children decide.

My tail was starting to curl around Lilly lazily while I continued. "Welf, they have a place for you to work there, so, any tools you want to bring, do so. You can set up shop easily enough, and not have to walk all the way to the artisan quarter and back."

"Woo-hoo!" He cheered, "I've been meaning to find a place with more leg room. With all the stuff I've been building I almost can't get to my kitchen anymore."

"Oh, and take the rest of today off, tomorrow too. I'm sure you have some sleep to catch up on, and we'll arrange a cart to get the heavier stuff over to the new home." He nodded to me, slugging back the rest of his tea and standing to leave. "As for the rest, I need a bath. Bell needs a bath. And Lilly? Go see Hestia... I mean... When ever you feel like stopping..."

"Lilly broke Miss Kodori!" I heard her say as I blinked up at her.

* * *

And woke up, the room dark, the sun down. I was laying down on a couple of cushions, with a thin blanket over me. The room sounded empty, the only sound that of my own breathing, and the trickle of water outside the common room of Takemikazuchi residence.

Thinking on it, I hadn't slept since... the morning of the previous day. Lifting my head, I noticed that I hadn't even been moved. Everything was cleaned up, and I was simply left to sleep. A towel and a change of clothes rested on the table, next to the only remaining teacup.

Picking up the clothing and towel, I stood, stretched myself until the ache of sleeping on the floor faded somewhat, and went to find the bath room. From the sound of things, the place was almost empty. I could hear a few voices at the other end of the house, some on the street outside the low fence surrounding the small Japanese building, and... nothing. I wondered where everyone had gone.

"Ah, Kodori-dono." Mikoto's voice surpised me. Dressed in a long housecoat robe sort of thing, she had a towel in one hand, and a small basket in the other, "If you are looking for the bath?"

I nodded and followed her, still dusting the sleep from my mind, "Where...?"

"After you fell asleep, we moved to another room." She opened a door and stood aside, "A short while later, a guild representative arrived." After entering, she motioned to a small set of shelves, for me to store my clothing, and a hamper for anything dirty. "Mr. Bell, Miss Lilly, Lady Hestia and Lord Takemikazuchi, as well as most of Takemikazuchi Familia went with them to the new place."

"And you stayed behind for a quiet bath?" I asked, stripping down, wrinkling my nose at the smell of burnt Kodori that clung to my clothes.

I noticed the other girl look away, sighing inwardly that I really should pay attention, or at least pretend I was, to other people in the room and my own state of dress. "Kodori-dono is wise."

"I might be a while, so if you want to join them, I know the way from here." I said, stepping into the next room.

* * *

The two of us walked together towards our new home. She had insisted, looking insulted that I'd even suggest she shouldn't wait for me. It did however, give me a chance to chat with her. And help me keep an eye out for more reporters on the war game, and the aftermath. I really didn't like being the centre of attention after walking back to the city looking, once again, like a recovering burn victim. Having the rather stern girl near by actually made me feel more comfortable. It was hard to explain. She was present, but didn't announce it. Like some one who will let you read a book, undisturbed, but still sit next to you.

Until once again, we stood in front of what used to be the Apollo Familia home. Just as impressive as last time, the only thing different, at first glance, was the Sun and Bow emblem was missing from the front.

"I have been curious." Mikoto asked as we both stood at the gate. "Why has Hestia not chosen an Emblem?"

"I'm not sure. I've never thought about it myself." I paused, then put my hand on the iron gate. "Still feels a little... unreal." I gave the gate a push, "But we really did do it, didn't we?"

"Yes. We did." Came the curt reply.

Entering, and closing the gate behind us, we walked to the large wooden doors that lay past the Greek pillars of the front step. Opening those, we were greeted by Eina, who was talking with Takemikazuchi and Hestia.

"While not unheard of, you do know, now that your Familia has reached this size, you have gone up in class. And will be expected to pay a higher tax to the city." Eina explained, making Hestia groan, while Takemikazuchi put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "Considering your Familia, this shouldn't be a problem." Eina glanced towards Mikoto and I but only gave us a nod, "Please have it ready by the end of the month."

"Fine..." Hestia pouted, then spotted me as well, abandoning the comforting pat of Takemikazuchi for my tail. Playing along, I gave my distraught Goddess a pat on the head. "Save me from the Guild, Kodori!"

"Nope." I replied, "Eina is just doing her job, and she's right. We own a bigger house, and take up more space in the city. And she is also correct, in that with us, we shouldn't have trouble paying a monthly fee. Sorry for being so reckless, Miss Eina."

"I have already scolded Bell." She replied, "Be sure to be careful in the future." She made her way to the door, "And, good job."

"Thank you, Miss Eina. And we will try." I watched her close the door behind her, and sighed, "Well, lecture avoided."

"You took her side." Hestia pouted.

"No, I took the side of the laws, she is only the repri...repre? Representative." It had been a while since I stumbled on a word. "So, we have a question." I nudged Hestia away, though she kept hold of my tail. "Why don't we have an emblem?"

Hestia paused, my tail slipping from her fingers, "Um... Well, I was thinking of one... But couldn't decide on one. I've never had a real symbol before..."

"Fair enough. When you do decide, we can put it up front. Now, where is everyone?" I asked, looking around front room. Apollo Familia, what was left of them, had taken the artwork and such with them, but that was to be expected. They wouldn't let us have everything, just what ever was nailed down.

"The children are exploring." Takemikazuchi said with a smile, "It will be their new home, after all, and it is, admittedly, a very large place."

"I'm going to join them. A place this large must have a few surprises."

* * *

A few surprises indeed. The kitchen was immense. Considering they housed and fed several dozen members at once, this was no surprise, but still, it was a well appointed setup with everything we could possibly need.

There was however, no food. So I wrote that down.

Next was the bath house. Two full rooms, made for about ten people each. Both of them had stools to sit at, mirrors along the walls, showers, and a large reasonably deep bath. All of it was appointed in white marble and black granite. All the taps were brass or copper.

There were however, no towels, curtains, washcloths or even soap. So I wrote that down too.

The barracks were where I found Takemikazuchi Familia. They had already started on cleaning up, and inventorying what was left behind. Each room could comfortably fit two bunk beds, as well as desks or the like. With our numbers being low, there was plenty of rooms available for us each to have one.

There were however, no beds, desks, chairs, or curtains... So I wrote that down as well.

Outside, I found Bell and Lilly. With what little light was left, they were both laying down on their backs, looking up at the sky. I didn't blame them, without the glare of artificial light, the stars weren't just plentiful, they were vibrant against the black of night. The moon, full now, bathed the entire place in a pale blue that made the white marble of our new home practically glow.

They were also, on closer inspection, sleeping. So I drew a picture.

Then I put the paper away and wedged myself between them as gently as possible, and closed my eyes.

* * *

To my surprise, no one bothered us. I woke on my back, with Bell using my arm as a pillow, back to me and hugging my arm. While Lilly was curled against my side, my arm hugging her.. The sun was just hinting at dawn. I was a little damp with morning mist, but was otherwise fairly comfortable.

I then heard the tiny little snoring of Hestia, who was leaning against a pillar, covered in a blanket.

Huh.

Looking at my two Familia members, I hugged them a little tighter, then gave them both a little shake. Bell woke up almost instantly, his hands patting my arm as if to figure out what exactly it was he was holding. Before he had a chance to freak out, I poked his nose, and gave him a thumbs up, before laying my arm down and nudging him to move.

Lilly... Just curled up tighter against me. Unlike Bell and I, she was only a morning person when she really needed to be.

And I figured, she really didn't need to be today. So, carefully, I sat up, picked her up with me as I stood, and tucked her against Hestia's side under the blanket. The two of them managed to crack an eye open, but I waved at them to go back to sleep.

Bell watched it all, smiling. The two of us shared a fist bump, and we walked around to the front of the building to spar.

* * *

Not terribly surprising was the rest of Takemikazuchi Familia, and Mikoto, waking up to join us. By comparison, the usual morning for Bell and I was a little over the top for their usual morning exercises, but they were willing to turn it up a little, just for us.

This of course, ended up being a bit noisy, drawing a grumpy looking Hestia, and squint eyed Lilly to the front yard as well.

And... A gathering at the front gate? I gave my current sparring partner a 'hold on a moment' signal, and went to the gate. There were dozens of people there. All adventurers by the look of it. And apparently spying, or at least watching, our morning practice.

"Can I help you?" I asked the one closest to the gate.

It was a werewolf I didn't recognize, though, that wasn't surprising. "Sure! We were all watching, seeing what kind of training you guys do. Most of us were interested in joining!"

There were a few calls of 'Yeah!' and 'We saw you at the war game!' and many others, before I looked back over my shoulder at the sleepy looking Hestia. Probably too much to handle for her morning, I wondered how to deal with this. Bell, curious, had broken away from his sparring partner and stood beside me.

More calls of 'hey! The little rookie!' and the like rippled through the crowd.

"They say they want to join." I told him, eyeing the group.

Jaw almost hitting the floor, Bell took a moment to recover, then said, "But... So many?"

"I know, we just moved in too." I pondered, unable to really come up with an idea.

"More people would mean more tax... Our Familia is already in debt..." Bell replied, scratching his chin, "I happened to see the receipt for my knife..."

Bell told me how much it was. And you could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed. To be fair, considering what his knife did, and who made it, it was probably a reasonable price. But it would take a long long time to pay it off.

"What? They're that broke?" Some one said. "All this and they can't even pay their bills?" "How cheap are they?"

And just as suddenly as they appeared, they started to disperse. I watched them go with a chuckle, but Bell... "What happened? What did I say?"

"You said exactly what you needed to, to get rid of them. We don't need people with so little... Resolve." I replied, turning, then stopping, as my nose caught a familiar scent. "Almost all of them. Daphne? Cassandra?"

The two of them appeared at either side of the gate. Looking at us for a moment, it was no surprise that Daphne was the one to speak first. "You look better, do you like your new home?"

I looked back over my shoulder, then to the two of them again. "Aside from it being a collection of very nice walls... Apollo Familia stripped it clean of almost everything." I shrugged and waved her next comment away with a hand, "I expected that. But, what about you two? You probably don't want to live here anymore, but..."

"The Fox is wise." Cassandra mumbled, Daphne putting an arm around the shy girl protectively.

"No, we actually plan to join Miach Familia." Daphne said, "Both of us are skilled healers..."

Bell perked up at the mention of Nazza'z Familia. "Really? That's great. Miss Nazza and Lord Miach could use your help."

"We also came to thank you." Cassandra spoke this time. "For freeing the ones he claimed for no other reason than to own."

I nodded, trying not to frown. The idea of that sort of thing was something that really bothered me. I had to unclench my jaw before replying, but Bell beat me to it. "It was really to stop Him from claiming Hestia Familia... But we are glad we could help!"

I put a hand on Bell's shoulder, and kept my piece on exactly what I thought about Apollo, instead, "How many did we..."

"Some gave up on being an adventurer. Others are wandering the city looking for another Familia. But many left the city with Apollo. He never abused us, no matter our reason for joining... So some still love him." Daphne replied, "But, that's all, be well, you and your Familia."

As they turned and left, I wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind that wouldn't be seen as pity or condescending. After their foot steps had left my hearing, I looked down to Bell, "It might have been a game, but it was still war. We should visit Nazza some time, help the two of them feel welcome. But... It's time to do some shopping."

"Yes, Miss Kodori." He said, his face telling me he understood what I meant, even though he didn't like it.

"Excellent." Both to his understanding and agreement to shop.

* * *

Aside from dodging more reporters, our shopping trip went fairly fast. Among Takemikazuchi's Familia were the other orphans, not yet old enough, or trained enough for his gift of falna, but still capable message runners.

By the time lunch rolled about, we had food brought in, curtains ordered, lumber and tools for building furniture, and various other things that made a home feel like... well, a home.

Like soap. Despite my best efforts, I still had a hint of 'burnt' about me.

After lunch, Hestia found and gathered the five of her Familia. Welf had arrived exactly on time for lunch, making me think he was just waiting for it some place hidden. But he had brought his gear as well, loaded on a cart and pulled by a very familiar horse.

"We've been busy, but, I think now that we have some semblance of a home now, not just... a collection of pretty walls." Bell and I chuckled, hearing my words almost mirrored, "I should update your status."

I was wondering when she'd get to this, but we had been very busy. Besides, now her work had almost doubled... Not that it seemed like much work? We decided to go on seniority, sending Welf in first. He entered Hestia's new room, closed the door, and for a moment, there was silence. There was a ruffle of paper, and a moment later, Welf walked out, smiling. "Gonna have to make more stuff now." He commented, folding up his paper and rolling his shoulders, "Hey sister, help me with the furniture later."

"Sure. I'll make some nails or something." I replied, sharing a fist bump with him.

"Mikoto?" Hestia called, our warrior woman standing and entering the room with a formal 'Hai!' in way or reply.

Again, our party member entered, there was a moment of silence, much longer than before, but I figured that since Mikoto had an extra layer to remove, and used a chest wrapping, and not a bra... Another rattle of paper, a much longer pause, then Mikoto stepped out, bowing to the three of us still sitting down, "Thank you for your help with my training."

"We're all Familia, and friends, Miss Mikoto." Bell replied, "We help each other. It's what we do, right?"

And for the first time I could recall, Bell actually touched another girl of his own free will in a non-combat situation. Putting a hand on both mine, and Lilly's shoulder.

Mikoto smiled slightly, nodding, "I will help Welf-san with the furniture." And she departed.

Lilly, no fool, used this opportunity to lean into Bell, not quite, but very close, to snuggling with him while he had a hand on her shoulder. Bell, realizing he had in fact put a hand on her, and that she was leaning on him, started to freak out, as was usual, but, Hestia's voice saved him from a total babbling-idiot moment, by calling Lilly in.

I filled the short silence by commenting, "You should give her a hug some time, you know. Just ask her."

I could imagine the gears in his head starting to weld together by the look on his face. "Oh come on. It is pretty much the first way of showing a... umm.. e... no..."

"Affection?" He supplied, my need for help overriding his near crippling shyness.

"Yes. That. So, next time, when Lilly, or Hestia, or Syr, or even me, wants a hug from you, they really actually DO want a hug. It's your duty, as a hero, to give them one." I swear, imparting wisdom needed a crowbar sometimes. "Heck, by putting a hand on her shoulder, you showed support. You didn't even have to think about it. That's what makes it special." I chuckled, "Lilly just wanted a hug too, when she realized you were doing it."

Annnnnnnd back to the gear grinding. Sigh...

And a noise of surprise from inside the room? The door was thick wood, so even my ears could only pick up the tone, but Hestia was certainly happy about something. Lilly joined in a moment later, and then the door was thrown open, and a very excited Lilly dashed out, and all but jumped on Bell and I. The two of us put an arm around her to keep her from bouncing off of us, and some where in the happy noises she was making were the words 'level two'.

Bell and I both made our own pleased noises and before I realized I was doing it, the three of us were practically dancing in a circle.

After years of stagnation in a Familia that hardly noticed her, let alone cared about her, she had finally hit level two. And for the second time since I'd known her, she looked truly happy. Hestia herself had left the room to watch the three of us, smiling one of her rare godly smiles. Like a true deity looking at her children. But, she then called my name, and we settled down.

I closed the door behind me, and started shedding my shirt. "I thought that might happen." I said, sitting backwards on the only other chair in the room. "After intense practice, careful planning, and being in the right place at the right time, and doing exactly what needed to be done."

"Oh? You were all training... And I didn't get to see any of what you did, only what was written on your back before you left." Hestia sat down behind me, and my tail decided to curl around her leg this time. "Both you, Bell and Lilly were... Well... The three of you broke rules that day. Or at least... What we saw as rules."

"Oh?" I turned around to face her, curious.

"We knew, that S999 was the limit. All of your stats work like that. But... With Bell, and his special skill, and you, with yours, the two of you had stats that went over that. Lilly had one as well, and grew more in that one week, than the years she spent in Soma Familia." She paused, "Not nearly as much as either of you, but... The three of you, all have, or had, a stat over the supposed limit."

"Makes sense how Bell was able to keep up with an experienced level three." I turned back around, resting my chin on my arms, and telling my tail that it was not allowed to try and hug Hestia while she was working.

"Your tail got longer again..." I felt the touch of her slightly damp finger on my back, and shivered as she drew it down my spine.

"I know... Thankfully it seems to know how not to get dirty... or in the way... But likes to be a little too friendly some times." I had noticed it could just touch the floor now, if I took control of it and straightened it out. "Hestia?"

She had stopped, her drawing stopped just above my belt line. "You did it too..." With a shaky hand, I felt her place a piece of paper on my back. "H...here..."

Taking the paper, I mumble read it to myself, what putting my clothing back on.

Kodori Level: 3

Power: S 957- S 982- I 0

Endurance: SSS 1251- SSS 1273- I 0

Dexterity: S 933- S 938- I 0

Agility: S 941- S 955- I 0

Magic: SSS 1182- SSS 1194- I 0

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats and magic resistance.

-Home of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant natural armour.

-Judgement of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant increased strength.

Boost is greater in the defence of others.

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

Titan's stance

Becomes immovable when Titan's grip is active.

Kitsune's Rage

Grants a boost in all stats.

May lose control.

Fire resistance

Is immune to most normal fire, and some magical fire.

Mage: G - F

Developmental ability choices.

Magic resistance

Spirit Healing

Fist Fighter

Crafting

Strong Defence

I paused, hand on the doorknob, and re-read one particular spot. "Well... Maybe I'll keep my eyebrows from now on..." I turned to Hestia, who was smiling, though she looked to be in mild shock. "Should I send Bell in?"

"Yes please."

Stepping out, I spotted Bell, sitting ram rod straight, with Lilly next to him, clinging to his middle. He had one arm around her back, while she had both arms around him. It looked rather adorable, except I think poor Bell's brain had shorted out. He looked like he had been carved from stone and placed there, for Lilly to hug.

It was better, I suppose, than running away.

"Bell? Bell!" I got his attention, and gently pried Lilly off him, "Your turn."

Like a switch, he came back to himself, looked at me, and replied, "Yes Miss Kodori." We traded seats, and he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Don't break him? I just got him comfortable with -thinking- about hugging you." Lilly looked a little abashed, but only a little. I chuckled, patting her head and letting my tail wander around her. "Looks like we both have thinking to do... And Bell too, I suspect..."

"Miss Kodori is level three now?" Lilly asked.

"Yes." I showed her my sheet, her eyes widening as she went through it. "And, apparently, the Gods who aren't here, have a sense of humour too."

"Maybe Miss Kodori will keep her eyebrows next time."

* * *

Bell, unsurprisingly, also leveled up, but the three of us, instead of sharing it immediately with the rest of our new home, decided to wait until after dinner. The rest of the time until then was spent building things. Our new home was basically bare floor, and we needed beds, chairs, tables, shelves, and all manner of things. Using a combination of super strength, Welfs wide assortment of tools, the tiny army of helping hands from Takemikazuchi Familia and orphanage, and cleaning out their old home, and some gentle strong-arming to get a few of our visiting friends to help as well, such as Ryuu, Lunoire, Syr, and even Nazza, (the lazily cheerful dog person coming to remind us of our bill, ended up running first aid for any number of splinters.) we managed to get a solid start on making the place home.

At dinner, the cooking done mostly by Syr, who had stolen Bell to help her, I fetched the box Soma had sent me just before the war game. I placed it, still in the box, at the centre of our new dining table, a huge monster of wood, that could seat twenty people comfortably. I made sure to turn the simple label Soma had put on it outwards. "Victory Drink".

Being my bottle, I was the one to (carefully) pull the wooden box apart, and (carefully) pour everyone a small amount. We had a fairly full table, with our closest friends present, so I was limited to giving everyone a single shot of it.

"Today, we celebrate a whole bunch of things." I started, standing up, holding up my little stone sake cup, "Hestia Familia, with the help of many people, most of whom are in this room," I made sure to make eye contact with my two masters, as well as Nazza, "We defended ourselves against Apollo Familia and his ambition to dissolve our little Family, but with training, careful planning, and unwavering support from our friends, we pulled through."

There was a cheer, but I held up a hand, "Through acts of bravery, hard work, and luck, Bell and I, have reached level three as well."

Before anyone could begin to cheer, I brought my foot up, then sharply down again, not quite hard enough to break the stone floor, but the sudden act of violence froze the cheer in everyone's throats.

"But. We are the front, the shield, the sword. Of us, it's expected that we will reach those heights. More important, is the one who works tirelessly behind, making sure the messages get sent, the swords are sharp, the shields are solid. Today, our supporter, Lilly, after running her feet off, practising until her hands were bloody, and being the centre point for our entire plan at the war game. Has reached level two." I raised my little cup to her, "To me, she is the hero. To Liliruca Arde." I had to ask Hestia for her full name, and practise saying it to myself a few times to get it right before dinner.

Her tiny voice, sounding rather emotional, said "Just Lilly please?"

"To Lilly!" We all said, "Cheers!"

* * *

After cleanup, and taking a little consensus on how our victory drink tasted, we all started to disperse. I made a mental note or two on all the things we still needed to do, but otherwise spent a relaxing evening having a very hot bath, brushing my poor neglected tail, and putting things in their proper places in my room. For the sake of simplicity, I had chosen one of the Eastern styled rooms. The previous occupant had set down tatami mats and everything too. I had ordered a futon style mattress and put it in the middle of the room, the giant flat pillow of a bed feeling exactly right under me as I brushed my tail with Haruhime's gift. I wondered what she was doing suddenly, feeling a guilty little twitch someplace in my middle. I shook my head side to side to banish those thoughts for now.

Tomorrow would be a busy day as well. More construction. Telling the Guild about our levels. Deciding our skills. Visiting people to say thank you... We couldn't take too long with the cleanup either. Our Familia was in debt, and the moving in was costing us. We would have to hit the dungeon soon, or risk going broke. The modest sum of valis left behind by Apollo Familia was nearly gone.

* * *

Dimly, I remembered waking up a few times that night. Super powered adventurer or not, I was bone tired, and only remember opening an eye wide enough to see it wasn't time to wake up, and rolling over.

The next morning, feeling that tiny call of nature, I found that I wasn't alone in bed. Hestia, for no other bosom would engulf my tail like that, was behind me. The curled up form of Lilly was tucked into my middle, not quite touching me, but close enough to feel her warmth. And Bell... Was sleeping at the edge of my room by the door.

Trying not to sigh, I managed to slip out from between the two women, and watched them gravitate towards each other to claim the warm spot I left. Bell remained asleep while I dressed, thankfully. Not thinking I'd need privacy in my own room, I hadn't bothered to get a screen to change behind or anything. Last thing I wanted was the poor boy having a heart attack or something.

* * *

After a usual morning, and a rather large crowd at breakfast, Lilly Bell and I went to the guild. We had a number of tag a longs from Takemikazuchi Familia for errand running, but by the time we had gotten there, it was just us three again.

We had been gathering looks and whispers ever since we left the gate of our new home too. Mostly, it was because we were 'the new thing' in town. A little underdog Familia, making it big. But the odd time you could hear whispers of 'dirt poor'.

It probably didn't help that we were all dressed for combat, minus Lilly's monstrous back pack. Bell in his newly polished adamant alloy armour. Me in my (properly intimidating) rust red and black drake scale coat and leggings, and Lilly in her usual robe. People knew us now. And while I never really liked being the centre of attention, we had an image to at least pretend to uphold.

Eina wasn't exactly surprised to see us. She was surprised we looked ready for battle, considering we should have been still making ourselves at home. One of her (many) topics for Bell's talk about the war game, was getting proper rest after.

In the consultation room, with the three of us sitting down, and her just about to sit, I timed our opening words just right.

"The three of us leveled."

And she froze. An almost perfect statue of some one about three quarters of the way to seating themselves.

"Miss Kodori broke Eina..." Lilly commented, while Bell rushed to make sure our guild representative finished sitting down without incident.

It took a few moments, but Eina recovered her poise. Giving me her best glare, then sighing as I gave her my best smile, she got down to business. Among her information for us, now at level three and being now high rank adventurers, was the urging to do quests. Most of these were simple things like 'gather monster bits' or 'find adamant.' But others were requests from merchants who went out of town. Or crafting items. Potions in bulk. Find a lost animal. Escort to the Eighteenth floor. All fairly mundane, but while Orario was a city of adventurers, they were still outnumbered by the actual citizens a great deal.

Even the guild, for all its power and influence, put up requests to rebuild parts of town, or decorate it for events. Need tons of rubble removed? Find some bored adventurers. Need a basement dug after you removed the rubble? Find some bored adventurers. House built? Windows placed? Roof shingled? While the average group of people could do anything an adventurer could, when something needed to be done in a hurry, or there were no more average people around who could do the work, you hired some adventurers.

With a clever reward system to actually pay them for the work, not to mention your Familia emblem being put on any document stating a job's completion, it was a good way to just... Get things done.

After her tutorial and general encouragement about taking job requests, we told her about our selection of developmental skills. Bell's were rather assorted, but he finally chose 'luck'. Eina didn't have much information on the skill, but, it seemed to make things go your way more often than not. Lilly, for all her time not advancing, but still adventuring, had a staggering amount of choice. She chose 'Abnormal Resistance' however, saying that if we worked hard to keep her safe from harm, they shouldn't have to worry about her falling asleep from poison or something.

I was some what conflicted on my choice. Eina was puzzled as well, at my skill of 'crafting'. It seemed unspecific, and to be fair, I hadn't really dedicated myself to a particular craft either. I helped Nazza with her mixing of the smoke and glow bottles. Welf with his metal working. My own wood carving for my next surprise for Hephaestus. The glider...

The rest were pretty common. Be tougher, hit harder, resist even more magic, and even less chance of hitting Mind Down from excessive magic use. To be fair, I wanted them all at some point. But, with my own magic, I could fake them.

I put my thoughts aside for her next lecture, this one about the floors past the eighteenth...

* * *

"Kodori's brain feels numb." I said, running a hand through my hair, "But, if we were looking at a way to make some money, we have been given the information to do so." The other two nodded, while also shaking off 'lecture shock' from Eina. "I've a dozen places to visit before going home. Bell, Lilly?"

"I have some people to see too. And some shopping for home. Miss Mikoto and Mr Welf asked for a few things. Lady Hestia too... She wants pasta for dinner." Bell replied, patting a pocket, supposedly where a list of things was written.

"Lilly will help!" Volunteering herself to stay by his side, Lilly took Bell's gloved hand in hers happily.

"See you at dinner then." I waved to them, and headed towards the tower.

* * *

My first stop, was to see the old dwarf at the adventurer thrift store. I just had to show off my new coat, saying that I did in fact kill a drake. I also picked up a few pointers on where to look for scrap metal, as well as shop names around the city that dealt with imported goods.

Next, I went to see if Hephaestus was around.

"What brings you by?" She asked, setting her quill aside and sighing at the bit of paper in front of her. "Good news I hope? I swear I lift a quill more than a hammer these days."

"Hire a scribe?" I supplied, taking three little blocks of wood out of a pouch. "I have another idea for you too."

What followed was basically a description on a 'printing press'. The blocks I held were three carved letters, of a set I had yet to finish. At first, she was unimpressed. But, with a rag, a small container, and a bottle of ink, I showed her what these simple blocks could do.

And that was, to stamp the letter on the block, onto paper, exactly the same. Every time. Without need to write things by hand, all you needed to do was not pick up the wrong block to print things. Set them in a rack, keep the ink fresh, and now, you can make copies of something. The idea itself could be refined any number of ways, but I kept the idea simple for now.

"But... Why bring this idea to me?" She asked, toying with one of the blocks, "The guild could use this idea far more than I could."

"Because..." I held a block of my own, and snapped it in half, "Metal would work far better. Thank about it. You can cast these, make a dozen sets, and then show the guild just how fast they can print posters for events. Pictures can be done the same way, though you'd need an actual artist for that sort of thing to make the master copy." I smiled as her expression changed to one of deep thought.

"Okay, what do you want for this one?" She asked, frowning, "Not more adamant, I hope."

"No... This one I'd like to very quietly, put towards Lady Hestia's debt." I held up a hand to stave off her reply for a moment, "But, only on units sold. If it sells well, good, if not, oh well."

"O...kay. Yes I can accept that." We shook on it, "Anything else? What about that... flying thing?"

"That... It's not for sale. I promised to take some one with me next time I do that. Now... If you asked Welf... He helped me put it all together. Maybe he remembered it all?" I grinned, seeing the Goddess blush.

* * *

Next stop, was Soma Familia. Oddly enough, I met Zanis at the front door. I had heard he was tossed into a cell for nearly burning the block down, but, hadn't heard about his release.

He took one look at me, saw how I was dressed, and simply stood aside. We shared no words, but I could see in his eyes that he feared me. But, his silence also told me I was expected as well. No matter how much he might not want to, if I weren't welcome, he'd have said so.

I knew the way, and with a tap on the door, I let myself into Soma's personal garden. As usual, the God was tending his vines, the scent of grapes filling the air. But also, the hint of something else.

"Ah. I have been expecting you." His voice sounded less... vacant, than I remember. But only just. Like some one who had been waiting to say 'I told you so' except, to himself. "So?"

I took a bit of paper from my pocket, unfolding it for him and handing it over. "Yes. I made sure to get as many people as I could to try it, with a variety of ages, and foods." There being no law about drinking age, everyone at the dinner party tried a little. But, being no law on drinking age, some of the feedback on the strawberry wine was simply 'sweet' or 'tasty!'

He took a moment to read the list, then tucked it away inside his apron. "I will adjust my next batch accordingly. Is that all?"

"Lilly reached level two." I said, "I thought you might want to know."

"Hm... I am glad I let her go, without a fuss. I had thought to ask a fee to let her leave, but... Her conviction, and yours made me think better of it. My negligence had already made her suffer so much." He turned his back to me, hands raising to tend to a vine, "And while Zanis has returned, he is... Much better behaved. You're fight with him, and Bell, seems to have shown him something."

"Good. Isn't it nice when people learn from their mistakes?" I think I managed to keep the sarcasm from my voice.

"Indeed. If that is all, Miss Kodori?"

"Let me know when you want another taste test done. But yes, that is all, thank you Lord Soma."

* * *

Next, was a trip to the edge of the 'entertainment' district. Being early afternoon, it was fairly quiet, but it still didn't take long to find some one from the Ishtar Familia walking the streets. My new popularity meant she knew exactly who I was, and when I gave her the little paper crane, she knew where to take it. I had to suffer my ears getting petted for the service, but, even I had to admit it was a fun thing to do.

* * *

Before making my last stop, at Nazza's place, I visited a few of the shops that dealt with imported goods. Orario had little in the way of local raw materials. A good deal of the land just outside the city was farmland. There was some forest area around, but aside from that, not much. Thanks to our constant supply of magic stone related goods, we were able to trade rather well with other places, keeping the city's costs low, but it still meant that supply was prone to flux. I managed to find a few places that our Familia could buy things at, at a slightly better price, so long as they had it in stock. Useful for our near penniless accounts.

Nazza, as usual, was sitting behind the counter, her fluffy tail just visible as it swished back and forth lazily at my entrance. I could see Cassandra behind her, fiddling with weird looking set of glass tubes and beakers. "They're settling in okay then?" I asked Nazza.

"Well enough..." Cassandra's shoulders stiffened slightly at the sound of my voice, but relaxed a moment later. "It's nice to have some extra hands around. Especially this one. She seems to know what not to do, before she even picks something up."

"Good good. Speaking of, we're going back into the dungeon soon..."

Thankfully, she trusted us enough to accept credit. While I had spent a fair amount on food, raw materials, and all of that for the new home, a single potion cost almost as much as a bed, or a simple meal for almost twenty people.

* * *

Notes.

Okay... So here's the thing. Between the War Game story arc, and the next one (no spoilers for those who have no idea) there is a break in the time line. The author doesn't say how long it is between books, like... at all.

For example, Bell and company get home, Hestia decides on a Familia Emblem, and the book ends. The next book starts with them in the dungeon, doing a quest for the guild.

So, while this chapter might be a little long winded, and probably a little boring, I am taking a little bit of an opportunity to world build, character build, and generally do what I please, before putting my head down for the next arc.

Also, Lilly never hits level two in the books, so far as I know. But, some of you may have noticed, she's one of my favourites.

Until next time.


	23. Chapter 23

So, now that I have reached this point, I have decided to spend a bit of time world building. From various comments I have gotten, there have been a few comments about 'romance'.

It's a little bit of a touchy subject. Now, by now, you may have forgotten, that our protagonist WAS a man. Being stuck in a woman's body but having a male outlook gives Kodori a rather interesting perspective. Things would have turned out quite different, if say, Kodori was a raging pervert. Funny, yes, good story? Maybe not? (Imagine Kodori being like that guy from 'Heaven's lost property' )

But, as well, Kodori was some one who lived in today's society of caution. Might does not make right, or if it does, it isn't for very long. While Kodori has been growing stronger, 'preying on the weak' was just never a thing for her. Things are changing, Kodori is adapting, but it's hard to erase life long habits of pacifism. (Monster hunting aside. That's just a workplace hazard.)

So, before I hit the next 'big thing' on the overall plot line. I think I will take a few pages to build on a few things.

* * *

Chapter 22

I realized, that since my arrival, butt naked some place on Daedalus alley, I'd been constantly on the move. From working at the Hostess of Fertility, training with Ryuu and Lunoire, learning the language... Then meeting Hestia, learning more of the language... Dungeon, Bell, Lilly, floor eighteen, the war game... I don't remember a single time in my entire life, where I was so active. One crisis to the next, or preparing for a crisis we knew was going to happen, or that we were about to cause.

It probably didn't help that Bell and I were considered 'hot commodities' by the various Gods and Goddesses. Bell was desired by Apollo, and I suspected a few others, for his innocent looks and insane potential. And while I knew Bell was better than me, as an adventurer I was a little ahead of him. I was also good looking, and my 'innovations' were catching the attention of certain others as well.

So it was with a little surprise, that I almost didn't know what to do on my first real day off since my arrival in Orario. Our new home, Apollo's old one, was well on its way to being furnished. We had everything we needed for the moment, and no looming crisis was threatening us again. The only real problem we had right now, was our Familia funds were almost gone. But, with Takemikazuchi Familia, and Hestia Familia living under one roof, and all of us were level two or higher, a few trips to the dungeon would be all we needed to cover that.

"Kodori..."

It had only been five days since we won the war game, and I'd already gotten a half dozen requests to show them my flying machine. I did plan on building it again, not wanting to disappoint Lilly, whom I promised to take with me next time.

"Kodori?"

I had also taken the 'Crafting' skill, just because I didn't want to be 'Kodori who hit things', until I retired, when ever that might be. I ran a few ideas through my mind on things to try my hand at.

"KODORI!" I felt a hand grab my tail and run along its length right to the end, all my thoughts dissolving in a tingle that nearly made me fall over.

"Huh? What?" I said in English, then again in the local language.

"Stop pacing, you're making me dizzy." I looked behind me, and saw Hestia, a hand still on the tip of my tail, brushing it against her cheek. "You've been pacing back and forth for almost an hour..."

My tail, mind of its own, started trying to curl around the Goddess's arm. "Oh... Sorry. I'm not used to having time to myself these days." Realizing that I hadn't even left the dining room after breakfast, Hestia was sitting in her usual spot at the table, and I'd apparently been pacing back and forth past her.

"Oh... Well, what did you do before? You know, before you arrived?" She asked, tugging my tail gently to get me to sit down.

"Well, not much really. Work left me with little will to do much else but idle around my home. And when I did do things, it was... Rather dull. There weren't really any adventures you could go on..." I couldn't tell her some of the things I'd been doing. Like playing video games. Or wandering the internet.

"Not much help then..." She brushed her fingers through my tail, and I felt myself leaning closer to her. I wondered how much of that reaction was instinct. "You said you were older... What about... umm..."

"Not for a long while." I chuckled, "Never had children either."

"Well... umm... you need a man for that, right?"

We both shared an awkward laugh, for entirely different reasons.

"What's it like?" She asked, quiet enough that even with my ears, I might have imagined it.

I could almost feel the alignment of the cosmos shift with the weight of that question. My ears did a quick twitch around the top of my head to make sure the room was clear of people before I answered. "Well... Before that... How much do you know personally?"

* * *

I stepped out of Hestia's room with a sigh. Poor girl. I think Bell was the only other person more innocent than our Goddess. She simply short circuited as soon as I clarified my question of what 'personally' meant. For as much as she wanted Bell, she had basically no idea what to do with herself, let alone some one else. I wondered if she had ever looked at herself with a mirror. Sigh... Being a big sister was hard.

Of course, Bell was walking down the hall of the barracks section of our new home just as I stepped out of Hestia's room.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"I think Lady Hestia has a little bit of a headache. So I carried her up and put her to bed." I replied.

"Oh... Well, I suppose it wasn't that important. Want to help with some more furniture? Welf said he could use some help with making nails." He said, scratching his head.

"Sure. Wasn't doing anything constructive so far anyhow."

* * *

Until dinner, I spent time in Welf's workshop, randomly making things. Nails, leather straps, pottery... I'm pretty sure he just wanted to see what it was I could do. In my previous life, I'd managed to dabble in just about everything. But only to the point of not hurting myself with what ever tools were involved. I was just finishing up a leather collar when an idea hit me.

"Hey Welf... Why aren't there more pets in the city?"

He nearly missed the anvil with his next swing, the only sound for the last hour being that of tools. "Wha...? Oh, well, there are, just... We adventurer types don't really have a use for them." He found his rhythm with the hammer again, "I mean, we can't really bring it into the dungeon. We won't always be there to take care of it... And well, we might leave it behind."

I stitched a metal clasp onto one end of the collar. It made sense when he put it like that. A dog would be either too noisy, or a quick casualty. A cat would be too small. "Ganesha Familia... They deal with a lot of captured monsters right? What about something from the dungeon?"

"Too violent, mostly. They are born hating us. Only the best of Ganesha Familia can truly tame a monster, and even then..." He replied, setting aside his work.

"Hm." I thought about the monster festival.

* * *

Hestia was rather... subdued at dinner, refusing to look at me aside from the odd sideways glance. I could tell she was trying to work up the courage to ask something, but also she was trying not to blush thinking about it.

I suppose 'experience' varied between Gods. Loki was rather free with her hands. Apollo was obviously one who played both sides, and Ishtar pretty much ran the 'entertainment' district. So I suppose that would put my dear Goddess at the very opposite of Ishtar.

After dinner, the ever observant Lilly had asked me what was going on. By far the sharpest at the table when it came to social skills, she picked up on something, but asked me exactly what.

"Our Goddess asked me a rather... interesting question, earlier." I replied.

"And what was it?"

I looked around to make sure we were alone in the hallway, before I leaned down and mumbled, "She was curious about how it worked... Between two people." My obvious stress on the word 'it' made Lilly blink.

"And Lady Hestia...?"

"Did what Bell usually does."

"Ohhh. Lilly understands. That was why she was napping this afternoon?"

"Well, I don't think she was trying to figure it out on her own..." I hid a smile behind my hand for emphasis. "Maybe I should get her a hand mirror..."

Lilly was trying not to giggle, "Miss Kodori is very naughty."

"Not as naughty as I could be. But, I also don't want to get in the way of things... I mean... well..." And now it was my turn to falter. I had my own moral code when it came to such things. But, I was also from a time when that moral code made more sense.

My tail had wandered over to Lilly, snaking its way around her back and hip. "Miss Kodori's tail is honest." She teased, playing with the fur.

"Hey... No fair."

"Lilly is thankful you are only giving little pushes." She said with a smile, "But you should remember yourself too."

"You are certainly making me think about it, that's for sure." I mumbled. "It's not like I can just... well, I suppose I could... But... Bleh. Now I'm over thinking it."

We shared a laugh, then Lilly asked, "Lilly does wonder, what's it like?"

To her credit, she didn't faint, like Hestia, when I asked her the first question.

* * *

I wasn't able to sleep that night. The combination of... Interesting talks, and my up to this point lack of down time, made me feel that I had to be doing SOMETHING.

So, I wrote a little note, 'gone for a walk', and left it on my pillow. I put on my gauntlets, went to the little balcony attached to my room, hopped up onto the railing, braced, and jumped, clearing our new home's wall with ease.

* * *

Aside from bits of drunken memory, and my visits into the entertainment district, I really hadn't experienced much of the night life in the city. To be fair, Hestia obviously didn't want her 'children' misbehaving. And only grudgingly forgave me when I had returned home after my 'chat' with Haruhime. Totally worth it.

But, now, with a mostly clear head, I decided to just... wander. I knew of a few places I could go for a drink. Or I could have visited the entertainment district. Or even wandered into the dungeon for a while. Figuring it wasn't worth the lecture to go into the dungeon alone, I opted for looking for a tavern. Unsure on where to go, I found my feet leading me down half remembered streets until I happened upon the same place that we held Welf's party. Seeing that the place was open, and in full swing, I shrugged and entered.

No one seemed to notice me as I walked inside, dressed in my casual clothing. The smell of spilt beer, oily food and drunk people assaulted my nose, and I could tell that my stay would probably be a short one. The bartender wasn't the same as last time, but he did look... a little... wait...

He recognized me at about the same time, though he was far FAR angrier. As I got close, he pointed his finger and started turning purple, restraining himself from simply swearing at me.

Understandable. He was the Pallum Lilly had replaced during the war game.

"Come to gloat huh? After ruining me at the war game? Once wasn't enough?" He was just barely getting his words out.

I sat at the bar, the rest of the patrons starting to pay attention to us. "I'm sorry that us needing to play dirty to win against twenty to one odds has put you out a bit." I tried to keep the smile off my face. I couldn't help it. When Lilly had picked this guy, from a potential list, he was already the bottom of the bottom in the Apollo Familia. That put him at the top of our list to be alone long enough to have Lilly replace him.

"Since that game, Apollo wouldn't take me with him, and no other Familia I've tried to get in to has been good enough by my standards." He replied, "Because of what you did, everyone thinks I'm some kind of traitor." He huffed, "You just going to take up space, or are you going to order something?"

I suspected his sudden change of tone was due to the owner, the huge man from the last time we were here, sticking his head out of the little plate window that looked out from the kitchen.

* * *

After my one drink, and taking pity on the guy and leaving a tip, I wandered off again. That stupid war game had upset quite a few people, all in the name of entertainment. I was feeling a little better, a little less on edge, and was thinking of heading back, when I felt that distinct pressure of aggression.

Not bothering to confront who ever it was I thought was following me, I simply flexed my legs, and took to the roof tops. It was such a simple thing, to propel myself ten meters into the air, grab hold of the edge of a roof, lift, and flip myself onto the rooftop itself. I didn't even bother to speed up as I walked towards the edge of the slanted roof, feeling that sense of scrutiny slide off of me.

"You are very quick... yes..." I stopped as I heard the voice. A cold, hollow voice.

But not unfriendly. Just... Cold, and hollow. Like some one speaking after a long fight with a chest infection. "I've worked hard to become so." I kept my hands open, but ready at my sides.

"And a good thinker. Surprise doesn't make you aggressive..." The voice, once to my left, was now on my right. My ears followed the sound, though I stayed still otherwise. "Cautious, but willing to take risks. Considering all that has happened... Tell me... What keeps you going?"

Not wanting to play this game, but, not wanting to be outright rude, I opted for a middle ground, "Good food, mostly." That drew the smallest of chuckles from my as yet invisible interrogator. "But seriously?"

"Yes. You see, I've been watching you, and your Familia. You've adapted quite well, since your arrival, and fallen in with... Good people." A pause, the voice switching sides again, "But you, yourself, are still a bit of a mystery. You conduct yourself with a certain... Experience. Like you've done this kind of thing before."

"Second hand experiences. Lots of them." If one named a good RPG, I'd probably have played it, after all. "Motivation came with my new surroundings," And body, though I didn't say, "And my age brought with it wisdom to follow the backs of great people, no matter their age." Bell may have had a small back, but he shouldered an awful lot. "Now... Was there a point to this? You seem to know a lot about me."

"To be honest, I hadn't expected to be caught. But, as a show of good faith, I am telling you what I know, or at least, what I think is true." A pause, and again, the shift in position. On impulse, I hopped quickly to one side, hand extended, and closing, on the first thing I felt. "Oh... Very close." The voice was now behind me, and in my hand I held... what looked like a liquid black robe. Like pure black ink that felt like smooth cloth. "I've overstayed I suppose." The voice stayed directly behind me as I looked back and forth. "You may be a true outsider to the city, but you are more than welcome to continue as you have been. Now, don't lose that, you might need it some time."

"I usually get a name before I take the shirt off..." I mumbled, holding the inky fabric in one hand.

No reply.

Huh...

* * *

My encounter had left me more wound up than when I left. The voice. The person knowing I was an outsider. Continue as you have been, it said...

As I walked towards home, I wondered what to do with the robe. My unbreakable grip seemed to be the only thing letting me hold it at all, the fabric seemed to try and run like ink too. At one point, I tried balling it up, folding it into a crumpled ball, and it... stuck like that. Taking up far less space than something that was the size of a full grown man should have. It was at about that point, I just stuck it in my pocket like a bunch of paper napkins.

Hopping over the wall of our home, then again to my little balcony, I was met with the sight of Hestia, laying just left of my usual spot on the bed. Lilly, just to the right, and Bell, wrapped in a blanket by the door.

The note I had written had been moved to a low tea table I'd made a couple of days ago, with fresh writing on it.

'We couldn't sleep either. Welcome home.'

Stepping behind my new dressing screen, I got ready for bed, putting the balled up inky cloak quietly in with my extra socks. I had to try not to sniffle as I did so. With a welcome home like this, how could I not feel like staying on a good path? No amount of power, fame, or fortune, would be worth giving this up. Carefully laying in the spot the two girls had left for me, I moved my tail around for Hestia to cling to, and put an arm close enough to Lilly's back to feel her warmth.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, I woke at my usual time, with the familiar warmth of Hestia holding my tail, and Lilly against my middle. I could see that the slight noise of me shifting had woken Bell, a single red eye open slightly and looking at me. Quietly, he stretched, his shoulders and back making quiet little pops as he moved around. Equally as quiet, he gave me a small wave, and slipped out of the room, taking his blankets and pillow with him.

With equal care, I slipped out of bed and got ready for the day.

At breakfast, we decided it was time to start earning our keep, and head back into the dungeon. We were running low on valis, and we hadn't earned anything since the war game. Granted, the people we did owe money to were our friends, but eventually, we needed to balance the books.

We must had looked a sight. Both our Familia together only equalled eight people, but on our way to the dungeon, everyone seemed to know us. When we stepped in front of the massive guild job board, people stepped aside to let us all see what was posted. It felt good, honestly, if a little weird. Like we were some kind of gang.

"Well?" I asked, trying my best to read the various papers. Some one had some messy writing, that's for sure. "Don't be afraid to take some work out of the dungeon. It's all money, and it's all helping out."

In the end, we ended up splitting up into three groups. Bell and Lilly took a job to visit a 'pantry' in the dungeon. A place where monsters who weren't killed, went to eat when they inevitably got hungry. Takemikazuchi Familia and Welf took a construction job, rebuilding part of a sewer system, and I ended up with Mikoto, to go take down some orcs for their leather.

A little shuffling, and Chigusa, Ouka's fan girl and supporter, decided to come with Mikoto and I.

Not much needed to be said about the trip. Mikoto was very business like, Chigusa was quiet, but very good at her job, and orcs were... easy. If I felt like a bully the last time, I was feeling like a tyrant now. I reminded myself, part way to lunch time, as I buttoned down my hood to protect my ears from bats, that I was still on the clock, and being careless caused accidents.

And accidents could get you killed in the dungeon.

"Kodori-dono." Mikoto started as we settled down for lunch, Chigusa using a tiny but effective magic stone stove for rice. "I have been curious."

Hoping she wasn't about to ask what Hestia and Lilly had, I raised an eyebrow and lowered my hood so I could hear her better.

"The Renard are from the East, but..."

Always polite, she was having a hard time finding the words to ask the question she wanted, without potentially offending me. It was easy to see on her face. "I'm a bit of an orphan. And my arrival in the city was probably magic in nature." I saved her the trouble by just answering.

"Hm. Yet you know some of the language, when you didn't know any of the local one?" She asked, accepting a bowl of rice from our supporter.

"Lessons, and a deep interest in the culture." I couldn't say I was learning mostly from subtitles, and online classes. "Admiration from afar, if you will."

"Hm. We knew a Renard once. Back home at our first home." Chigusa answered this time. "She was so happy, but..." Strangly, Mikoto glared at the other girl, and the both of them fell into what I guessed was an almost guilty silence.

Curious, I pressed, "I'm guessing something happened?"

"We were friends, her home near the orphanage. Even though she was of royal blood, she would sneak out, or we would sneak her out, of her home to play with us." Mikoto smiled, but then frowned, "But, her father disapproved, considered her a dishonour to his family, and the next time we went to play, we found out she had been disowned, and sold."

I blinked, "I would like to meet this man." Selling your own daughter for... playing with orphans? Mikoto looked up at me sharply, but probably saw the direction such a meeting would take by how my tail was lashing about behind me. "Do you know what happened afterwards?"

"We pleaded with Lord Takemikazuchi to help up find her, but the trail went cold. She had been sold to a merchant, but he had been attacked by monsters on the road." I noticed her knuckles were white on the hilt of her katana. She herself noticed, and forced her hand to relax and return to her half finished bowl of rice. "He fled, leaving her to her fate."

I ate a few spoonfuls of my own rice, wondering myself what happened to this other Renard, when I realized something... No... But... "Um... What was her name?"

"Haruhime Sanjouno." She replied, blinking as I suddenly facepalmed. "Kodori-dono?"

"Royalty... Little princess... From the east..." I sighed, put my spoon back in my bowl, and said, "Um, actually, put your spoon down, and don't interrupt..."

So I told them how Haruhime and I met, where I met her, and all of the less personal details. "So... Yeah..." I picked up my spoon and ate the last bit in my bowl.

The two of them looked like statues, before Mikoto finally said, "She's alive..."

"Very much so." I replied. "If nothing goes wrong, I might be going on a date with her some time soon." I scratched at my ear, a little nervously.

"Yes. Please, Kodori-dono." The both of them said, standing and bowing to me.

"Relax, please. If you were good friends then, she would be happy to see you now. Just... Let me just tell her bodyguard before hand. She seems an understanding lady, so I'm sure she won't disapprove."

* * *

The two of them were a little distracted for the rest of our trip, but only enough to notice, not reprimand. Excited that their long lost friend was alive, yes. Foolish enough to let themselves get careless, no.

We all returned back to our home at roughly the same time. Welf and crew were dirty, but happy that they made the most of the daylight hours repairing bits of the city. Lilly hadn't traumatized Bell too much, and they were both in high spirits, having completed their gathering quest on the first day. And Mikoto and Chigusa were finally able to enjoy the news of their childhood friend being alive.

After setting aside all the money earned, dividing it up, and setting aside some for the 'house funds' we considered the day's work concluded, and I told the rest of Takemikazuchi Familia what I had told Mikoto.

Much as she was, the rest of them were both happy and relieved that she was alive and well, even though her place of work was less than optimum.

Now all I had to do was wait for word on when I could see her next, and hope Aisha would let them.

* * *

Our second day of 'recover the Hestia/Takemikazuchi Familia funding' was well on its way to being a good day. We had all taken a few different requests and split it up according to skills. Bell had actually gone on a solo mission for the Hostess of Fertility, running messages and the like. I only managed to read half of his mission slip, my reading skills not up to my spoken ones, but it had something to do with a shortage of goods, and finding new suppliers. Mikoto had gone with the rest of her old Familia to hunt more orcs, while I worked with Lilly this time. Welf begged off, saying he had a date with his workshop, and would surprise us later. Easygoing man that he was, he must have had something important to work on.

Today, my job with Lilly was another run to a Pantry. She and Bell had done so well, that the quest giver had asked for Hestia Familia personally for their next request. Eina, caring lady that she was, had warned us that such things were rare, but welcome, as it meant a steady customer. Not quite a contract, but certainly close.

"So this is what those blankets were for." I mumbled quietly, close to Lilly's ear. She had pointed cat ears today, saying we had to be both quiet, and good listeners for our work.

We were both laying belly down under a sheet of dungeon floor coloured fabric, peeking out from under it while watching the area around this 'Pantry'. It was a pretty place, with small crystals growing from the normally plain walls. Its biggest feature was a sort of pillar in the middle of the room. Also covered in small crystals, it leaked a milky liquid that smelled very sweet. Even from the farthest corner of the large room, we could smell that almost sugary scent. We had watched several groups of monsters, like goblins, killer rabbits, and the occasional poison butterfly approach it, sip at the water, then find a corner to nap in.

Lilly was as close to me as she could be. I was honestly thankful, as laying on the cool dungeon floor was slowly getting chilly. "Yes, Lilly is always prepared for work." She replied quietly, "We are waiting for a special one of those." She looked towards a trio of poison butterflies currently perched on the central pillar. "The wings can be used for potions."

"Why wait here? And not just wander around looking for it?" I asked, counting the number of creatures in the room.

"It is a rare monster, but, it likes to hide, so it usually lives long enough to get hungry..." She wiggled next to me, "Miss Kodori's tail tickles."

Also feeling the chill of the dungeon floor, my tail had decided to lay over Lilly's back. "Must be the cold." I mumbled, "But I don't blame it. So you were like this with Bell yesterday?"

I watched a group of killer rabbits enter, passing by a pair of goblins as they left. Lilly let out a quiet 'hee hee'. "Yes."

"Well, I suspect the only reason he didn't melt, was because of the cold floor, and that he is not easy to distract in the dungeon." I put an arm over her back, and hugged her, "Now... Is that it there?"

I had spotted a rust coloured butterfly as it floated towards the pillar. I had missed it until it was nearly half way to it, the wings and its lazy fluttering, blending in with the red walls of the dungeon quite well. I felt her hair brush my cheek as she moved her head to look at my face, then towards where I was looking. "Yes. It isn't dangerous, but it heals monsters near it."

"Okay. I only have a mask, for the other butterflies, so keep your crossbow ready." Lacking the 'abnormal resistance' skill, I was susceptible to any number of effects from the other butterflies poison dust. Lowering the goggles from Nazza, and putting a bandanna over my nose and mouth, I hopped out from under the blanket.

* * *

"Miss Kodori looks miserable." Lilly said, after we finished turning in the wings. Once I had a hand on our target, it was a simple matter to tug the wings apart. But, this made almost everything in the room turn its attention to me. Goblins, killer rabbits, butterflies, frogs, a few kobolds, a single lizard man, and a stray hard armoured. At level three, and with my magic, it wouldn't have been a difficult fight, except despite my precautions, the butterfly dust was apparently contact poison too. So not only was I tired from an almost full hour of killing monsters, I was covered in slime, teeth marks, and itchy. VERY itchy. It was almost like poison ivy, and it was taking almost all my willpower to not scratch at every bit of exposed skin I had. I dreaded to think of what would have happened had I not had my goggles or bandanna.

On the plus side, we had made a huge profit on monster parts. As per usual, just about everything that bit me left teeth behind, and my unbreakable grip meant every one of those butterflies donated to our cause.

Our task was relatively simple compared to the others, so we made it home just a little after lunch. Puffy eyed, red skinned, and tail twitching, I made a beeline towards the bath, giving Hestia a wave on the way by. She gave me a raised eyebrow, but Lilly covered for me as I entered the bath room.

After basically showering with my clothes on, then striping out of them and showering again, I still had to stop myself from scratching the worst of it. It reminded me of the time I had second degree sunburns when I was growing up. I had blisters all over my back and shoulders, but could not scratch them, no matter how itchy I got. Or the time I had walked past some poison ivy, the tiny little rip in my pants letting the little plant brush bare skin. I hadn't even known what it was until my scout master noticed I had basically scratched myself bloody without thinking about it.

Finally in the bath, the entirety of my clothing hung haphazardly around the room to dry, I finally started to feel less itchy.

* * *

Bell was oddly absent that evening for dinner. For the first time ever, aside from when we screwed up and ended up on the eighteenth floor. Everyone else had finished work, except Welf, who was still in the shop, with a 'do not open' sign on the door. Hestia was worried, but, when we told her that he was working for the Hostess of Fertility, she settled down. We all knew them, and they were all good people.

We all started to worry about him as the moon started to reach its apex in the sky. Welf had finally stepped out of the workshop as well, though he locked the door behind him. Telling him about Bell, he scratched his head and shrugged.

"He's a big boy. He can take care of himself, right?" Was his comment on the matter.

* * *

Hestia wasn't convinced, and neither was Lilly. I found them both at the dinner table waiting for him, sitting next to each other with their heads down and snoring. After picking them both up, and putting them in Hestia's bed, I took over the vigil and waited, wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the steps of our home by the door.

"Miss Kodori?" I snapped awake at the voice, blinking once and trying to focus on the shape in front of me. The shape reached out a hand at me, and I made to brush it away, but it took hold of my hand and held it lightly while my eyes adjusted to the predawn light. "It's me."

Eyes focusing, I found myself looking at Bell. He looked out of breath, haggard, and like he had been rolling over gravel. "You look..." I paused to yawn, feeling my neck protest at having slept while leaning against something, "Terrible."

He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Well... I met Miss Haruhime last night..."

At my raised eyebrow, he explained. His job was going well, running messages back and forth, but at some point, as evening descended, he got lost, and found himself in the red light district. Some Amazons, knowing who he was, and that while he looked timid, Bell is rather strong, decided to chase after him. At some point during the chase, Haruhime called out to him, knowing who he was, and that if he was running, he was in trouble. He hid in her room a while too.

"She saved me when she gave me a hug and pushed me down. An Amazon came into her room but thought she was... umm... busy..." He blushed his usual crimson as he managed to get those words out, "And they left."

Unable to resist, I asked, "Is she as soft as Eina?" I smiled, standing and gathering the blanket I was using.

I turned and saw Hestia standing there at the door, looking at the two of us with sleepy fury. Bell managed to not run away, replying, "She just fell asleep on my chest! Honest! I didn't mean to stay but if I moved I might have gotten caught and pleasedontyellatme?"

Hestia's angry glare lasted a moment longer, but she simmered down after looking at me, then back to Bell, "Fine. Tell me exactly what happened again. You come in too, its chilly out." She pointed at me.

One repeated explanation later, over a quartet of hot tea mugs, and Hestia had calmed down, a little. Lilly was trying her best to stay awake, but was alert enough to giggle occasionally. I simply nodded, knowing the mindset of the Amazons, and understanding why Bell would be a target.

"Well, hopefully, that's not going to happen again." I said, "Maybe we can ask Aisha about it next time I see her." Looking at Bell, I realized that while Haruhime may have slept on him, he didn't sleep, at all. Not that I blamed him, she was rather soft.

Shaking my head to set those thoughts aside, I motioned to Bell, "Take the morning off, have a nap. And a shower." He also smelled like her, and I had to admit, it was making my tail want to wander. I mean, more than it was. Lilly was still half awake and holding my fluffy appendage like a teddy bear.

"Yes." He yawned as if to punctuate his exhaustion, "Miss Kodori."

* * *

Having actually slept, if not very well, I still managed to join the Takemikazuchi Familia for the morning spar. I filled them in on what had happened, making the lot of them worry somewhat. But at the very least, they were all glad she was alive and well.

Then Hermes showed up.

As usual, he was with Asfi, her cool 'wish I were somewhere else yet duty dictates I must babysit' face giving the bunch of us a critical eye as we gathered at the gate to meet him. Hermes himself was still the same scruffy looking God, his easy smile kind of annoying me for some reason.

"Good morning, Miss Kodori, everyone. I've a letter, two actually, just like last time." The first he handed me, smiling that infuriating smile. It was a paper crane, made out of a gently scented bit of red paper. "I'm sure you know who that's from."

I nodded to him, but didn't unfold the paper, "And the second, isn't really a letter, but a message." He paused, looked us over again, and... Stopped smiling.

For all that his smile annoyed me, his lack of one seemed much worse.

"Maybe you should come in and sit down." I said, unlatching the gate.

He and Asfi stepped inside, and the lot of us arranged ourselves on a couple of benches we had made for people who wanted to either watch us spar, or enjoy the nice open lawn we had. "How much do you know of the top Familia in the city?"

I heard one of Takemikazuchi Familia head back into the building, while I considered his question. "Well... Freya Familia is the top. Something to do about another Familia failing a quest..."

"Yes, Zeus and Hera Familia were once the top Familia of the city, but they failed to kill a very powerful dragon. The failure weakened them, and Freya, with Ottar, as well as many other high levelled adventurers seized the top spot, and banished the other two."

Ah, interesting to know. Eina had mentioned them briefly, in one of her many lectures, but I put that thought aside, "Next, Ganesha, though they are more quantity, and popularity focused."

"Yes, while not the most powerful, they have a large membership, and deal with a great deal of the day to day stuff in the city. Guards, monster taming, caravan guards, helping the guild run a lion's share of the errands." Hermes confirmed, smiling, "You've come a long way since I met you."

"Good people, and bad events." I nodded my head over to our new home, and gave Mikoto a pat on the shoulder, "I've had to learn a lot. Loki was next, if I remember. Or second... What ever. Also high membership, but they do far more dungeon delving. And are very good at it. Many high levelled members, wide variety of skills and trades."

"Very good. Next?"

"Hephaestus. They all but run the equipment trade in the city." And because of that, they were basically the biggest economic power in the city, though, I didn't mention that.

"And last?"

"Ishtar." I said, "Not just for high member count, but a great deal of them are Amazons, level two or three, and the entertainment district's owner in all but name." If I was going to date someone from Ishtar Familia, I should at least look into them, right?

"And this, bothers Her. A lot." Hermes said, nodding to Takemikazuchi and Hestia as they came out, tea cups in hand, as well as Chigusa, who carried a platter with enough tea for everyone present. "Ah, good morning. We were just finishing the history lesson, and getting to the actual matter at hand." He sipped his tea, waiting for the other two Gods to sit. "I suppose you have heard of dear little Haruhime?"

Takemikazuchi smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, we are pleased she is alive, and well, despite all that has happened." He paused to sip his own tea, his eyes troubled, "I regret deeply the incident that caused her to be..."

"Well... Ishtar has plans for her. And her story may end up a tragedy after all." Hermes replied with his usual smile, "Twice now, I've delivered an item from the East, called a Killing Stone."

I had no idea what it was, aside from an ominous name, but it made my tail poof out angrily. I had to grab it before it started to lash about.

"Secretly, of course, Ishtar commissioned me to find one. I don't know exactly how it works, but I do know that under the full moon, a sacrifice is required, and it will grant a certain number of people great power, equal to the sacrifice." He paused, looking at me, "And it requires the sacrifice to be of a royal, magical blood line." He frowned, "I would imagine Ishtar would do this, and use that power to try and oust Lady Freya from her spot at the top of the Familia rankings."

"Secretly, huh?" Hestia asked, eyebrow raised.

"My job is done. So my oath of secrecy is too." He finished his tea, and placed it on the bench next to him. Asfi did the same. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

He stood and left, the rest of us watching in silence. I had a death grip on my poor tail, feeling my anger seething underneath my skin. It vanished when not Hestia, but Takemikazuchi put his hand on my shoulder. His divine calm pressing down on me.

"Hestia Familia." He said, "I ask you to save that child." I felt his hand give my shoulder a little squeeze, "Though, I'm sure you need little encouragement, I still ask it." He looked to his own Familia, Mikoto included, "We failed that child once, and would like to make it right."

Hestia added her own hand, to my other shoulder. They both knew I had a bit of a personal stake in this too. "We accept."

"Lilly will go wake up Master Bell."

* * *

Right then.

This puts us arounnnnnnd Book 6 now. I do hope you are all enjoying the story still. :)

But this also brings us to a bit of a problem. If this is book 6, and so far there are ... well, nine translated books, and I think eleven total so far... Sooner or later, this story will have to end. And then it will either be archived, or I might simply put the books aside and go about making my own continuation. But, that might be a year from now, for all we know.

Until next time.


	24. Chapter 24

*ahem*

I realized this about half way through the chapter that I MUST!

Must

Must

ABSOLUTLY MUST

put in a warning.

This chapter has some rather extreme (for what you've read up to now) content. I'm probably not pushing what the site allows, but for some people, this might just... not be for you.

Warning given.

That being said, I can't really skip it. It contains a few things that tell you a little more about the kind of world this is. As Bell, in the books, mind you, gets more involved in 'politics' and the like, he sees more of the darkness in the PEOPLE around him. It's not just monsters who are the well... monsters. Apollo was a good 'start' to it. Just as I (hope I) portrayed him, he was obsessed with the things he wanted. Doing what ever was needed to get them, even if it was clearly wrong. It gets worse in many places in the books. And our hero finds himself fighting not just whats underground, but above too.

* * *

Chapter 23

Our first problem, aside from yet another case of being the underdog, was that we also had no pretence to run off and bother another Familia. As far as the guild was concerned, Familia business was Familia business, so long as it didn't bother the city at large, or another Familia. Soma's case was a good example.

But with a name like 'Killing Stone', one wouldn't expect a nice dinner and tea. This was going to be murder. Blood sacrifice. What were they? Primitive... Okay, maybe compared to 'when' I was from...

"Kodori?" I heard the voice the first time, this time around. "You're pacing again."

"Yes, Lady Hestia, I am." I replied, not stopping my back and forth walk, "This situation is... Difficult."

Everyone was watching me as I spoke, I had only half noticed it, but they were all looking to me for guidance. Learning to lead small teams on a work site was a transferable skill I suppose. "Do you have any ideas?" Bell asked, "If we asked them? Told the Guild?"

"Politics." I tried very hard not to sound like I wanted to bite that word, "We have no 'war game' to hide behind. We have no official 'reason' to basically go and 'rescue' some one from another Familia. The guild won't step in unless an actual law is broken. And if we go and try and pull Haruhime away from Ishtar, we would be breaking the law."

"But we cannot allow her to come to harm." Mikoto declared.

"No, we cannot. Bell, you said the Amazons wanted to capture you?" I looked at him, his worry about some one else, overriding his embarrassment.

"Yes. While I was running, I heard one of them say they were under orders to." He replied.

"You're young, handsome and strong." I said, "No surprise." This did make him blush, as well as raise a few eyebrows around the table. I paced a couple more times before continuing, "So they will be on alert for you." I felt the beginnings of an idea forming, but hated myself for the direction it was going. "Bell..."

"Yes Miss Kodori?" The look in his eyes was one of absolute trust.

"If we can't rescue her, we can rescue you." I felt my heart twist, knowing I was about to suggest that the rabbit jump into the wolf den. And he would let me.

Hestia was instantly out of her chair, and gripping my tail with RIGHTIOUS FURY... That I hardly felt. "You can't possibly mean that!"

"Mean it? Yes. Want it? Not in the slightest." I replied, my tail trying to wiggle free of its own accord, "It isn't like the war game, but we can still use a similar tactic." I sighed, giving up on my tail freeing itself on its own, and gently prying the Goddess off it. "They want Bell. Fine. While they go after him, we have an excuse to go into Ishtar Familia territory. Now, if we just happen to rescue Haruhime while Bell escapes..." I looked to Mikoto, "You're light on your feet. Think you can do it?"

Again, she answered me with the same thing she had said before the war game. "It is not 'can'. It is 'must'."

* * *

Of us all, I was the only one who knew anything about the entertainment district, aside from Lilly. She was certainly capable of sneaking, with her ability to change shape, as well as being naturally quiet. But she was no fighter. However, the two of us laid out a map for Bell and Mikoto, giving them locations, paths, and other such, in case they needed them. If the ritual needed a full moon, we had very little time.

First in our act of deception, was to pretend that we knew nothing. Gathering up our things, we set off for a day in the dungeon. Takemikazuchi Familia and Welf went off to do their own work, purposefully taking a job that was as close to the entertainment district as possible. That left Bell, Lilly, Mikoto and I to head to the dungeon.

The first hint something was up, came around the eighth floor. Business as usual for us, we methodically cleared rooms, cleaned up our kills, and moved to the next. But, every so often, one of us would slip up. First, Mikoto played her part, backing down from a group of frogs, falling back until she was near the edge of the room, before working her way back to Bell and I as we fought together.

We all knew they were waiting. It was hard to miss the number of Amazons waiting outside the dungeon. Or seeing a small group here and there on the way down. But now, they were no where to be seen. THAT was the suspicious part.

In the next fight, Lilly was the one to get separated. A few too many killer rabbits, making the poor supporter move away from the rest of us. I went to rescue her, trying to make it look like I was put off by the effort.

Then it was my turn. We encountered a pair of hard armoured, and I let one of them chase me away from the other three. We put on a great show of me playing matador, jumping aside, twisting away at the last moment, and generally playing down on how easy it was.

Then, the Amazons entered the room.

A half dozen of them, bronze skinned and tall, they came in from two different tunnels, trying to cut us off from each other. Right on time. I watched, between dodges of the hard armoured, as a seventh entered the room. A HUGE monster of a woman, she carried a mean looking battle axe in one hand. Of all the members of Ishtar Familia I'd met so far, she was... well, not very good looking. He face reminded me of a bullfrog, and her figure looked like what ever primordial clay she was formed from was shaped to be a woman as a kind of afterthought.

Her voice was ugly too, harsh and mean, "You guys are total amateurs! We've been watching you screw up all day, and figured we might as well put you out of your misery now." One of the Amazons tossed a spear at the monster I was toying with, the simple metal pointed shaft slamming into the beast and pinning it to a wall with what looked like a casual effort on the thrower's part. "Get them both!"

Both? I felt a sinking feeling as I watched the frog faced one focus on Bell, and the other six focus on me. As planned, Bell needed no inspiration to act like a cornered rabbit, turning tail and dashing down the closest tunnel as the giant frog lady stomped after him, axe raised.

Not as planned, I had to do the same.

* * *

Leaving the other two behind, I was confident that they would be fine on their own for getting out of the dungeon. If what I knew about the Berbera, the Ishtar Familia's team of aces, the one chasing Bell was their level five, one Phryne Jamil. I'd heard her described as 'monstrously strong' but had no idea the description was literal. I hoped Bell could at least avoid getting hurt as he ran. I on the other hand, had the other six after me. I felt flattered that they thought I was that dangerous, but was still puzzled on why they were after me at all.

Run now, think later.

They knew the only way out was up. So, instead, I kicked my brain into remembering the way down. The tenth floor was covered in a thick fog, almost always, and if I wanted to lose them, and double back, that would be my best chance. But they were fast, REALLY fast, and by the sounds of the feet, they wouldn't lose sight of me unless I did something drastic, or found a way to speed up.

Trying to forget the fact I was probably being chased by six level threes, I started to heat up my inner magic. Glancing over my shoulder I caught sight of two of them, a fair bit ahead of the others. Legs pumping furiously, I drew my fist back as I entered the next room, aimed myself at the other end towards the next tunnel, and with a push down with my magic I launched myself forward, hurling myself towards the exit like a catapult stone and slamming my fist into the wall next to the opening.

I heard the shout of alarm as the tunnel started to cave in behind me, my sudden burst of speed carrying me through before the falling rock could bury me with it. I heard some one shout a few orders, but I couldn't hear it over the sound of falling stone. I had bought myself a window of invisibility, now I just had to find a way down. A turn, another, through a room, down an S shaped hallway, and...

"Damn it." I said, entering the room with the path to the ninth floor. Four Amazons were waiting for me. Not the same ones who were chasing me either. They had been one step ahead of me all along.

Swords, spears, shields, they were all armed like a Spartan warrior, though not quite as uniform. Wordlessly, three of them simply braced their shields, levelled their spears and waited. The forth, her outfit, a red leather breastplate and shorts, where the others were plain brown, stepped forward. Team leader maybe?

"We don't want to get rough." She started, "But, we have our orders."

I didn't answer, other than to raise my hands and lift my heels off the ground.

"Suit yourself." She drew her sword and as one, the four of them advanced.

* * *

I'd like to say I won. My blood pumping, my magic burning within me like a bonfire... I did my best to break through. I had rendered every one of their shields worthless. I had broken all their spears and shattered each of their swords. I ducked, dodged, kicked, punched and thrown my way around that room for at least five minutes. Every second of it spent at nearly full power.

Then the other six caught up with me, having worked around my dungeon remodelling.

The day I can fight a mix of TEN level two and three Amazons, each with YEARS of fighting experience, and win, is the day I walk up the side of Babel and steal all of Ottar's left boots. Eventually, their ability to work together, corner me, and start to simply slow me down enough to land blows on me brought me down.

Beaten bloody, I glared as best I could through eyes swollen almost shut at the Amazon in red. She had just pulled herself out of the dungeon wall I had thrown her into, and was breathing heavily. No words passed between us as she curled her hand into a fist.

Both arms held out, unable to resist, I simply glared and clenched my jaw.

* * *

I remember nothing past that until I woke up next. I had an absolutely epic headache, and my nose stung with some sort of acidic smell. That meant I was probably drugged to keep me out long enough to get... Where ever I was. My eyes were either blindfolded, or swollen shut entirely, but with the pain in my head, I couldn't tell which. My arms and legs, as well as my middle, and under my breasts were bound by what felt like smooth leather. It didn't feel cold, so it probably wasn't metal. Even my tail was bound in what felt like a very heavy sock.

I was also tilted backwards slightly, and my feet, both bare, weren't on the floor.

And I was naked, the feeling of smooth wood against my back.

Of all the things I have done, in this life and my last one, I'd never have expected to end up on some sort of torture table. I would probably have panicked, or struggled, or something, but it felt like my heart had moved to the centre of my skull and was running a marathon without the rest of my body. About all I could do was try and take deep breaths, and think about not panicking.

About thirty breaths later, I found that I could blink, meaning I was blindfolded tightly. I could still move my head about, though every motion I made felt like it was sloshing my brain around inside my skull. I also realized, while naked, I didn't feel cold, or bruised. That meant some one had fed me a potion while I was out as well. And the room was warm.

Thirty more breaths, and my head stopped feeling like it was filled with jagged bits of obsidian. It was still throbbing, but my heart had slowed down again, and the acidic sting in my nose was now just an annoyance. My ears, free from the utter distraction of skull grinding pain, tried to pick up sounds now.

Nothing. My own breathing, the slight creak of my straps when I clenched and unclenched my fists, and what ever was binding my tail brushing against the wooden board I was on.

Another thirty breaths. I started tilting my head to the side, trying to rub my shoulder with the side of my head and maybe work the blindfold off. Who ever had put it there had done a good job of it, because about all I managed was to make my head hurt again. Okay, so that didn't seem to work. Next I tried my arms and legs. But they were both firmly secured, and while my struggles proved useless, it didn't chafe my wrists or ankles.

I couldn't help myself. I realized exactly what I was on, remembering who had caught me. "I'm on a bondage table." I mumbled in English, "And here I thought I'd never try any of that." It always seemed like too much effort, and I'd never been one for anything more restrictive than say, a really good hug.

Some one took a deep breath to my left, as if they were either waking up from a nap, or taking shallow breaths for a while, to keep me from hearing them. "Hm, maybe she hit her a little too hard?" I heard who ever it was say. "All awake now?" I heard the voice get closer, but no footsteps, meaning carpet, or very light feet. A single fingertip poked me right between the breasts.

I felt my heart pick up again, my head thankfully not cranking back up to its former levels of pain. I couldn't help but gasp at the contact. "I don't know the word for what ever it is I'm on." I tried to command my body to calm down, tell it that if I was going to be killed, I'd be dead already. Or if they wanted to torture me, I'd be in a cold stone room with a much less gentle form of restraint.

Logical mindset can only yell so loud in the face of near total helplessness however.

"Aw... I'd heard you were a foreigner. It's just a table, for some one who likes to play at being helpless... Orrrrr play with some one who is helpless." The finger traced a line up to my throat, then down again, the touch gentle. "It's not my thing to be on your side of things, but... I'm told I'm very good on this side. Tell me, how are you feeling?"

"Like my head was used for a mace head... And strapped to a board. And naked." Panic was making me babble.

"Mmmm," The lady purred, "Well, we didn't want you waking up on the way here... You or that lovely boy. I suppose that," She used a word I didn't know, "may have been mixed a little strong." The single fingertip became two, then three, then four, tracing themselves over my shoulders, around my breasts and across my belly, "Then again, you did manage to fight against ten of us. And proven yourself very strong." The purr again, stretching out 'very' in a way I would have found pleasing, had I not been strapped down. "Ohhh, I just love how your heart is beating." the fingers were now an entire hand, lightly brushing over my breasts, simply tracing over my skin. "Could it be you like this kind of thing?"

I tried to test my bonds again, hearing the leather creak some more, as well as something else, faintly audible through the wood behind me. "No... I'd much rather be free." My panic was slowly fading, settling on a much easier to deal with state of worry. "Why am I tied here? Aside from being dangerous."

"Welllllll." She seemed to be taking great pleasure in simply brushing her hand over my skin. I suppose I didn't blame her, it was something I enjoyed a lot too. "You see... Lady Ishtar wants you to join her. Wouldn't it be nice? Being in the same Familia as the only other Renard in the city?"

I wanted so hard to slap my forehead right then. I had no idea if I were royalty, for all I knew this body was some sort of homunculus created for my soul when I was taken from my world. But, I was a Renard, and had magic in my blood. She wanted me as a spare, and if not a spare, I was strong, and good looking.

"And..." I focused on her voice again, trying not to think about her wandering hand. "Our little Princess simply adores you."

I felt a little tingle of anger, "I adore her too, but, I will not abandon my Goddess."

"You just haven't felt Lady Ishtar's love yet." I felt something twisted about how she said 'love', like the word didn't mean what it did to her, as it did to me. "But..." Her palm settled on one of my breasts, then curled up slowly, fingers gripping my nipple and pulling sharply. "That just means I have to make you beg for it."

The sudden pain was quickly followed by what felt like a slender stick against my ribs. I cried out at both the pull, then the lash, the suddenness of them surprising me before I could clamp my mouth shut.

I tried to struggle again, to brace against the next strike, to do anything but just lay there and get hit. But I couldn't. Every time I tried to focus myself and call on my magic, the next touch of the lash would dissolve my concentration. The bonds holding me were obviously meant for adventurers, and resisted my twists and tugs. And without being able to see, I couldn't prepare myself for the next hit. Nothing I did seemed to work, and all I was accomplishing was tiring myself out.

I don't know how long she was at it, but when she stopped, I had been reduced to a twitching mass. I felt dampness down my cheeks, and down my legs. My mouth tasted bloody, and every single part of me either stung or tingled.

When I realized she had stopped, I tried to get my breathing under control.

"Aw... Poor fox." Her voice disgusted me, "Would you like me to stop?"

Unable to do more than gasp, I remained silent. I felt helplessness well up inside of me, but refused to let it free. After catching my breath, I 'looked' at the spot I heard her voice coming from, and said, "Bring it."

Defiance was about all I had left at that point, after all.

* * *

She gave me another two rounds of torture after that. Taunting me occasionally, trying to shame me by asking if I was actually enjoying it. Making lewd comments about how at least my body was being honest, or if I'd just ask her, she would switch to something less 'aggressive'.

She had taken my pride. Made my body helpless, tormented me, touched me. But now, with every strike, I thought about just how much I would enjoy being the one doing the beating. I didn't try and bring out my anger, but I held on to it, and let it twist my thoughts to keep my mind off the pain.

And then, as I recovered my breathing, another voice said, "Maybe, we should let Mr. Tammuz work with her?" It was Ishtar, her voice brushing against all my senses like a warm breeze.

I felt a lump of ice appear in my gut, my tail trying to wrap itself around my leg. The anger I was holding curled up around the lump in my gut.

I heard the quiet flutter of fabric, and the scent of spice filled my nose, "Oh my, you are a mess..." I felt a hand on me again, then another, gently brushing over my sore skin, exploring. "Such a shame to mark a beauty like yours... Much like my little princess, so smooth, so pale."

I tried to hold on to the anger in my gut, but the ice was starting to thaw, the gentle touch of her hands, along with her voice, was turning all my pain into that pleasant tingle I felt when some one brushed my tail. Independent of my body, my tail was starting to almost panic in what ever it was bound by.

"I wonder what..." She trailed off, her fingers getting very personal for a moment, before slipping away, "Is keeping you bound to that immature Hestia..." Damp fingers traced over my hips, up my sides, "Back in the Gods Realm, she was a virginal Goddess after all." I could feel her voice, like a physical pressure, my anger all but gone, my heart feeling like it was being cradled by a soft glove, "Ohhhhh, you resist... Interesting...You've never known the touch of a man, either..." Her hands moved up further, and I felt her body press against me, warm and comforting against my abused skin. "You are obviously a creature with needs..."

If it wasn't for my tail, trying to lash back and forth, its connection to my spine throbbing with effort, I might have lost my will to her. Straining, trying to control the building wave of of pleasure Ishtar was causing, I said, "I gave Lady Hestia my heart..."

I started to shudder, my body giving in to Ishtar's touch. She held me through it, purring into my ear and mumbling gentle encouragements to let myself fall to the feeling of her touch.

But after, as my middle stopped twitching, as my ability to breath returned, I said into her ear, "And she gave it back, better than it was."

Ishtar growled then, a little frustrated sound that made my abused pride want to dance. "Show me her back. I want to see."

"Yes, Lady Ishtar." I heard a new voice say, this one male. I felt my original 'attendant' grab one wrist, while a different pair of hands gripped the other. A moment later my tail came free of what ever was holding it, and the wooden surface I was on seemed to vanish. I heard the quiet squeak of metal and wood clapping together, and assumed the table I was on folded away some how, leaving me suspended by what ever the leather cuffs were attached to.

"Bring the potion." I felt the air hit my skin differently now, as people moved about. I felt a small drop of liquid on my shoulder, and my back suddenly heated up, as if my status were being updated. Ishtar's finger traced over my bare back, and I tried my bonds again, feeling them give a little more than before, now that the wood was away from them. "I see..." She mumbled quietly, my sensitive ears almost not hearing it. "No matter! I think I will just keep you here until I take over Freya's spot... Yes... Just in case... It's not like I don't already have a useless Renard around."

I pulled again at my shackles, feeling my anger sluggishly wake up again.

"Until then however... I think I will let you stay here. Do keep her entertained for me." The scent of Ishtar receded and the room went quiet for a moment.

Free from most of other bindings, I could breath properly again, and I counted about ten good breaths before my tormentor spoke again.

"Well..." I heard my original tormentor say, a smile in her voice, "I suppose, since this side is all exposed..." Her voice made its way around me, my ears following her until she stopped behind me, "Maybe I can get more of a reaction from here?"

I felt, and heard, her manipulate something. What sounded like a crank, and maybe some chains. My angle changed, and my arms were moved upwards above my head.

"You know... Maybe we should call Lady Ishtar's man back here... If my touch isn't good enough, maybe that's not what you need?"

I felt that lump of ice return, and my anger curled around it again. Free from its bonds, my tail lashed angrily. "But, not until I have my fun first. Maybe I'll play with your tail too... It looks like so much fun."

* * *

Again I had lost track of time. But, suddenly something other than the steady random 'whip-snap' of what ever she was hitting me with caught my attention.

A bell. Loud and clear, steadily ringing out. An alarm. My tormentor stopped, and I felt myself smile. "What..." I felt a breeze over my abused skin, her voice a little further away, perhaps by a window? "How did he escape?" Her voice moved again, this time towards where I thought the door was, "I suppose you can just hang about here. Don't g..."

Something that sounded like what I had been experiencing for how ever long I'd been dangling here, hit my tormentor with a solid meaty sound. A moment later, something heavy hit the carpet. "Kodori-dono?" A familiar voice asked a moment before gasping, "What... have they done to you?"

I wanted to make a joke, but the sudden rush of relief silenced me as I felt my eyes go hot. "I..."

"Shh..." She said, her voice getting closer.

"No. Secure her first." I couldn't stop myself from crying, but I managed to at least keep a little logic together. If she woke up, or called attention to us, we'd be in trouble. "What happened?"

I heard something, maybe a bed sheet, being manipulated, and the quick friction of fabric on fabric, as well as Mikoto grunting as she secured my tormentor with knots. "Bell-san was caught, and as planned, Lilly-chan kept watch. I followed, and attempted to free him, but was chased and caught as well..." I could hear the self inflicted shame in her voice, but she continued, the feeling of sudden air pressure against my front, and a pair of hands tugging the blindfold away from my eyes.

I squinted and blinked rapidly, eyes clearing themselves of tears. She made a disapproving sound, looking at my other bonds and trying to puzzle them out. "Haruhime-chan... She saved me, and led me back to where Bell was, before we were separated again." She shuddered, but kept working on freeing my wrists. "I freed Bell-san, and with Lilly-chan, we found where you were being held."

My wrist came free, and I let my hand fall to rest on Mikoto's shoulder. The shorter girl's face held concern, but she worked my other wrist free continuing her story. "Bell-san is distracting them, while I do this, and Lilly has withdrawn, to get help." She gasped as my wrist popped out of the cuff, and I all but fell limply on to her.

"Sorry." My arms, my entire body, felt weak, like I'd just gotten over a bad fever. I tried not to feel guilty, but I felt so good with Mikoto supporting me. Her warmth heating up my skin and making me shiver at suddenly 'feeling' as naked as I was. She knelt, lowering me as well, the normally distant seeming girl hugging me tightly for a moment, before her hands went to the cuffs at my ankles.

"It's okay." She mumbled, "Just sit still, I'll have you free soon." Having the hang of it now, She got my legs free quickly, and she continued talking, "Can you move? Night is falling, and we do not have much time." Her arms wrapped around me again, rubbing my back.

"Wait... Night?" For the first time since the blindfold came off I actually looked at the room. I'd been almost hyper focused on Mikoto, my heart in turmoil and latching onto her. I was where I thought, in a nicely decorated room, with a fluffy bed in one corner, shaggy carpet on the floor, and... The rack. With a shelf of various other tools that I was suddenly very thankful I wasn't subjected to. It was all done in red too, a nice satin red.

Looking out the window, with its red curtains drawn, I saw the rising moon, big and full.

"You've been held since yesterday." Mikoto answered my question before I asked it.

I felt anger again, burning hot and savage inside of my chest. I looked around the room quickly, my eyes spotting the tied up form of an Amazon. I started to rise, pushing Mikoto away, but she grabbed my hand, tugged me back down to my knees and slapped me, hard, across the face.

Again I felt shame, my hand going to my stinging face.

"Can. You. Move?" She asked me again.

I looked back at the Amazon, then to Mikoto. "Yes. Bell needs us."

* * *

Quickly, I cobbled together some clothing. My equipment was nowhere to be seen, and the Amazon on the floor was tied up well enough that I'd be wasting more time taking hers than just using a what I did. So, dressed in an evening red pillowcase, folded and tied around my bust, and a cut blanket around my hips, I had what amounted to basic decency in the 'entertainment' district. It was a little breezy, but I was in a hurry.

Looking about the room, I spotted a couple of candles. I shuddered, remembering what they were used for, but they were still lit. On the shelf of... Novelty items, I spotted a small bottle.

"Kodori-dono? What..."

Picking up the bottle, I opened it, tested a drop between my fingers, making the girl stutter a bit more, then gasp as I sloshed the contents over the wooden bits of the table I'd been put on. I grinned at her, and dropped the candle onto the freshly oiled surface.

"Lets go." I said as the oil caught fire. I picked up the still unconscious Amazon, making a point to not look at her any more than I had to. I suspected Ishtar had done what she tried to do to me, to her, and it twisted something inside the proud warrior. Despite that, I wouldn't leave her to burn. I was better than that. "This should distract some of them from Bell." I finished, flopping the Amazon over my shoulder.

* * *

"Lilly-chan said that there was some kind of altar, set up past here." Mikoto said as we climbed a set of stone steps.

The entire place seemed to be a sort of theme park of different styles. It was at least six or seven times the size of the new Hestia residence, and had a building designated to each style that the city itself contained. We had exited from a Victorian style manor, had taken a flight of stairs to a walkway, overlooking a great deal of the complex. From there, I saw the other styles, Roman, Eastern, Arab... It was all there. Mikoto herself was pointing to the middle of the complex, a small castle like structure that made me think of the Disney land castle. Behind it, on one of the high towers, was what looked like an open stone platform. I dropped the Amazon over my shoulder, figuring that she would be safe from the now voluminous smoke pouring out of one of the windows in the manor behind us. I also noticed another fire getting started off in the Eastern section, and a flash of red from one of the windows in the centre castle.

"Bell is in there." I said with certainty, "He's trying to get to that platform too!"

The distance wasn't far, but the walkways were twisting and indirect. If we jumped down to the ground, a long way down, but not impossible to land, we would still have other walls to climb. "Then we must run." Mikoto said simply, putting her left hand on the sheath of her sword, and dashing forwards along the stone wall.

* * *

I couldn't help myself from constantly checking the windows of the centre palace, hoping I'd see another glimpse of Bell's signature red flame. But as we got closer, I saw no such sign. We did however, spot several groups of Amazons running not towards us, but to the fires, as well as other places. It seemed we weren't the only ones here. We hadn't met a single group of guards in the short convoluted run to the castle gates. That would change once we entered I was sure.

"Kodori-dono. They will surely have people inside," The young samurai knew what I was thinking, "Shall we try something less, forward?" She looked up, eyeing the windows.

Looking up as well, I spotted a good target, "I'll jump, you follow." I knelt down, feeling my legs protest with the deep movement after a day of torture. A couple more flexes though, and they felt a little more like they should have. Taking aim, I pushed down with my legs and felt my heart leap with me as I sprung into the air.

I could have made the jump to the window myself, but I wasn't sure Mikoto could. Half way up, I touched the wall, fingertips latching onto the very edges of some of the brickwork. My Goddess given ability kicked in, and I stuck fast, grip unbreakable. I looked down at Mikoto, and extended my hand. Smiling, she jumped as well, catching my hand, then bracing herself as I tossed her up further, her body feather light against my adventurer strength. She caught the edge of the tower window with her own hands, and pulled herself inside quickly. Like a spider, with my bare feet finding the smallest of edges for my toes to cling to, and my hands sticking to the brickwork literally like magic, I crawled up the wall myself and entered the window.

Mikoto was already at the door of the room. Well appointed, this looked to be an office of some sort. Shelves of books with titles that looked more like dates, (I still hadn't bothered to figure out the calendar and no one else had noticed I didn't know) than proper book titles lined the walls. There was a nice hardwood desk too, with all of the usual things you'd find on an office desk on it.

"I hear yelling..." She said from the door, "Kodori-dono?"

I was hearing it too, and it was Bell. Body on automatic, I ran past Mikoto, my caution gone, my magic not so much heating up, as suddenly burning within me. All the shame, anger and frustration of my time under Ishtar Familia's tender care was driving me forward.

To make sure it didn't happen to Bell.

Down a short hall, up a flight of carpeted stairs, a left turn, the sound of Bell's voice reaching a frantic pitch, before stopping. I heard Ishtar's voice then, behind a double door at the top of the last flight of steps. The caged flame of my magic melted through the bars, grew, consumed, and poured out as far as my skin would allow it.

And. I. Broke.

Two stood in the way, voices demanding, the door behind them snapping like ribs as knees and body met. Eyes burning, body under me gurgling, the one I hate is there, over my sibling. Pointed spears, brilliant shields, stepping forward as the hated one backs away.

Forward, another crash, burning along my side, claws grabbing, pulling, breaking. I face four, throwing a broken thing away, as the sibling struggles to rise beside me. A voice, a demand, fury burning, wind over skin, a cry as claws meet shield, as teeth sink into flesh.

Another line of fire over my skin, the sensation of weightlessness, throbbing in the side. A giant between me an my sibling.

Suddenly flat to the ground, many hands over my body. Panic! Fire! RAGE! I WILL NOT BE CONTAINED!

"GUILLLLLLLLLTLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

The sound of thunder, my mind echoing with it, as I flopped to the floor, looking out a massive hole in the wall. Bell was next to me, Mikoto too, the room around us filled with the smell of blood, fire, and fear. "Bell, go to her." I heard myself say even as I spat blood, "Please, I'll be there soon." My body felt like it was filled with broken glass.

He made to protest, but Mikoto pushed him away from me, a look passing between them. This time, he kissed the top of my head, "Yes, big sister."

I watched him go as best I could, struggling to stand, or just move really. I had fallen in an almost kneeling position, one knee down, one elbow down, but feeling that my other leg and arm were broken. Without my gauntlets, the skin tight protection they offered also keeping my hands from breaking when I hit things, who ever I had hit last...

"Mikoto, help me up, please. I have to..."

"You're hurt, Kodori-dono... Please, trust Bell-san." She said, helping me sit properly.

I turned my head to look at her, and all I saw was... Devastation. No less than a dozen bodies were on the floor. Broken spears, shields and swords lay next to people who were simply laying on the floor, bloody and still. Claw marks, over flesh and stone walls alike were all over the room. One Amazon, leaning against the wall, was holding her shoulder the white of her collarbone exposed under a bite mark.

Again, Mikoto slapped me, the tears forming in my eyes blurring my vision enough to draw my gaze away from the wreck of the room.

"Focus." She said, touching my side, making me wince, "Use my shoulder, careful."

I put my right arm over her shoulder, using my unbroken left hand to hold what was probably a slash that hadn't gotten through my stone skin. My legs felt broken, but they still supported my weight, though they too were bleeding from more slash marks. "Who..." I nodded my head towards the giant hole in the wall.

"It was the one who chased Bell. She kicked you away from her..." She pointed to the one who had the bite mark on her shoulder, "But then you punched her. You broke your hand on her axe." She pointed with her chin at a humongous battle axe, that had its metal handle bent into a shallow V shape. "Was that how you killed the Drake?"

"I'm... Not sure? I lost myself... I only sort of..." What I did remember flashed through my mind, and I pushed away from Mikoto just before we got to the foot of the steps Bell had ascended, my mostly empty stomach heaving out what little was in it.

Mikoto just rubbed my back until I was able to stand straight again, "Can you move?" She asked.

Tasting more blood in my mouth, I simply nodded, leaning on the samurai as we went up the steps.

Suddenly hearing the sound of combat, I tried to will myself upwards faster. But my berserk rage had sapped all but the most humble of effort from me. Mikoto helped me as best she could, and I noticed that she too was wounded. Glancing behind me, I saw that it wasn't just claw marks and broken limbs on the wounded, but sword marks too. Looking forward again, she pushed open another double door, and we found ourselves once again on a stone walkway. Like a European castle wall, the smooth stone pathway was lined with square edged crenellations and led to a small platform. That platform had yet another set of steps, this one leading up a short way to the altar we had seen on the way here. And there, on that platform, stood Haruhime, looking down at the lower platform, where Aisha and Bell were fighting.

Back and forth they went. I'd never seen Aisha fight, but she was certainly very good. While not as fast as Ais, or as strong as one of the Amazon twins, she fought with a near perfect economy of motion. No wasted moves, no fancy acrobatics, her kicks and punches exactly where they needed to be when they needed to be there. She even carried what looked like a wooden great sword, but for now, she was just using it to block the occasional strike from Bell.

Bell on the other hand, was fighting how he usually did. Quick, nimble, trying to confuse and twist the opponent on themselves so that they would leave themselves open without meaning to. But Aisha was just not buying into it. The much larger woman carried no arrogance with her.

But no joy either. Gone was her easygoing manner. The look on her face was one of dispassion, this wasn't something she wanted to do, but had to. It made me think of the twisted personality of my tormentor, how she had kept telling me to give in and accept Ishtar's love.

I suddenly realized why she was also the only Amazon here too. It was no secret she was Haruhime's friend. The easy way the normally shy girl acted around her, the way Aisha kept trying to encourage me to visit more often, or how she did her best to help Haruhime fit in with the rest of my friends.

But, before Bell arrived, it was only her and Haruhime.

Exhausted as I was, with blood loss making me cold, ribs hurting, legs feeling like they were supporting me through nothing but willpower, I felt my rage burn again. Ishtar, with what ever twisted method she had tried on me, had charmed Aisha, Haruhime's only friend until recently, to be the one to use the killing stone on her.

Knowing Bell, he'd already tried to talk to her. As good as he was at killing monsters he did it because he was an adventurer, not because he enjoyed it. He was even less of one to turn his hand on a person, Hyakinthos the only one I'd seen him attack outside of sparring.

But Aisha simply fought him, with that look of resignation on her face.

But, beaten up as I was, no matter how angry I got, I would only be a hindrance to Bell. But, while I couldn't help him fight...

"Haruhime!" I called out, Mikoto and I now only maybe ten paces away from where Bell and Aisha fought.

Aisha kicked Bell, sending him crashing flat against the wall of the platform. He tried to move, but could only gasp, the wind knocked out of him. "One more step, Demon Fox." She swept her wooden great sword around, and pointed its tip at Bell's throat.

Haruhime looked at me, her eyes red, but her face... resigned. She'd all but given up, it seemed. "You didn't read my letter..." She said, "I told you that you didn't have to come... I don't deserve to be rescued anymore." Tiny tears glittered down her cheeks, "I'm not worth saving anymore..."

That got a tiny reaction from Aisha, but her face quickly switched back to the same kind of resignation as before.

"You took the time to fold it into a crane," I replied, trying to stand on my own, "So, no, I didn't read it." I honestly didn't read it. Male mind not thinking about it, I'd assumed it meant she was simply copying my method from the first time I'd sent a letter. "And I won't ever read it." I was about to move forward, but Bell gasped as the wooden point of Aisha's blade touched his skin.

"I am under orders, Kodori." Aisha said, "I must kill Haruhime, tonight, and anyone who tries to stop me must be dealt with."

Something clicked in my mind. Hermes said it was the second stone he had delivered. Aisha was being punished, by being told to kill her friend. "You must resist, Aisha. We are all friends here, no one has to die, but you must resist!"

"I tried once." She said, her voice slipping from that almost robotic tone to a bitter one. "And now, I must kill her. For Ishtar to love me again..." She turned away from Bell, though the point of the sword still rested on him, "I must kill her, and give the last of her blood to the stone..."

"Is her love worth it? Is that all your friendship with Haruhime is worth? The empty love of some over...sex...ed? Goddess?" I stumbled on the word as I tried to put it together. "A Goddess who uses the word 'love' and 'control' like they mean the same thing?" I was about to move forward, but my legs buckled and forced me to lean on the wall, "Some one who would tell you to kill your friend, because it would bring them power?"

Mikoto was by my side again as I coughed up a mouthful of blood. My anger and frustration wasn't letting me ignore the broken glass feeling inside of me any more. "Is her 'love' worth losing hers?"

Aisha was crying now, and so was Haruhime. The Amazon's feet kept going forward, towards the golden haired Renard. Except now, Haruhime was backing away, while Aisha was fighting it. No longer convinced she wasn't worth saving, seeing the conviction of her friends, Haruhime was trying to move away. Every muscle on the Amazon's body was twitching, straining, trying to go forward and pull away at the same time. Bell, desperate, clung to her leg, but it hardly slowed her down.

I felt so useless, my breathing felt like it was being filtered through burnt metal, my arm only staying on the wall because of my unbreakable grip. "Mikoto... Help her." my body tried to cough, but couldn't.

Having told her to leave me, Mikoto ran the ten paces towards the Amazon, latching onto her side and trying to slow her down. It hardly mattered, but Haruhime was trying to talk her down too, moving away until her back touched the farthest point of the dais.

* * *

Notes

You know, I think it is the writer's privilege to do this kind of thing. I'm not sorry, but I also hope you don't hold it against me too much.

This chapter was very... difficult to write. It challenged me in many ways, from writing about being blind, the torture, the (ahem) not quite graphic sex, (must follow rules after all) and even the half aware state of a berserk mind running amok.

And honestly, I'm not happy with some of it, despite smashing my head against the keyboard until it at the very least read well enough to say 'good enough' to. Oh, then coming back the next day, and shuffling words about again. Twice.

Until next time, dear readers.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24.

It seemed, with Bell, and now Mikoto hanging onto the Amazon, and simply not accomplishing much, that all was lost. I was in no condition to even walk, let alone help, and even the act of trying to talk the Amazon down had aggravated my injuries to the point of coughing up blood.

Haruhime was trying her best, but being a head shorter, and only level one, she could only ask Aisha to stop. I think I felt true despair when I saw the Amazon raise her wooden great sword, unable to ignore what ever charm the Goddess Ishtar had laid on her.

But, then the world itself seemed to pause. An instant of silence. And there, in the courtyard of the Arabic styled manse, was a pillar of light. Small at first, both blinding and beautiful, it grew, expanded, then rocketed skyward, growing until it parted the clouds, until it simply vanished, leaving not an aftereffect of light on my eyes, but a great sadness on my soul. I could only guess at what had just happened, my eyes crying tears of sadness for witnessing something that only my soul could comprehend.

Then Aisha dropped her sword.

The clatter of wood drew my attention back to her, and I watched as she dropped to her knees, covering her face. Haruhime, her red kimono some what rumpled, wrapped the sobbing Amazon in her arms, hugging her tightly.

Then I understood. Ishtar was gone. Not dead, for the Gods and Goddesses were immortal, but the corporal body Ishtar had been in, here in the realm of mortals, was gone. Her ability to directly effect anything here in this world, had come to an end.

Quickly, I looked back towards where the light had spring. And there, in that unmistakeable shade of purple, was a single person. She had two people near her, Ottar, for no other could be that size, and another. I wasn't sure, but it looked like some one I'd seen during my rage.

It was over. Haruhime was safe. Ishtar could never return from the realm of the Gods. And...

"Help..." I managed to say, as my eyes went dim.

* * *

Not for the first time, I woke up feeling like I'd done something incredibly stupid, while looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling. Unsurprisingly, everything hurt. My hand especially, my ribs almost as much, and... My heart, most of all. We had come very close to total failure, and only Freya's intervention, or rather, her taking some time from her day to end an upstart Goddess, had saved us.

Mouth tasting of blood, I looked around without moving my head. Where ever I was laying, it was comfortable, and the back of my head was the only thing not hurting. Even my tail felt like it had been stepped on.

Only able to see the ceiling and a bit of the walls, I figured I was in a cellar someplace. Wood above me, wide cut stone walls, the faint smell of alcohol... And the subtle scent of some kind of exotic wood. Having smelt that only once before, I moved my head a little, and found myself looking up at the sleeping face of Aisha. I wondered how many people in the world had ever gotten an Amazon Lap pillow. Raising my right hand, slowly, as my shoulder and elbow felt like I'd had them twisted backwards, I tried to brush her cheek with my apparently mummified hand. Some one had bandaged it and possibly splinted it as well, it was hard to tell under the oven mitt sized bundle of white cloth.

"Meh?" She said, opening her eyes and blinking at the hand about to boop her nose. "Oh, you're awake. Comfortable?" She straightened up her back, obscuring her face with her athletically perky bust, before realizing we couldn't really have a proper conversation like that, and leaning back again. "We're hiding out for now, in case you're wondering."

I worked my mouth around a bit, trying to get the taste of bloody sand out, then, "Why?"

She leaned over to her left, and I followed the motion with my head slightly, seeing a wooden door, a table, and a magic stone lamp resting atop it. She picked up something just out of sight, and a moment later she sat me up a little, and brought a cup to my lips. "Well... Hm. After you passed out, the fires, and Ishtar being sent back, brought the Guild." She helped me sip a bit more water, then put the mug down again. "Bell said," And she imitated his voice quite well here, "Ah, we're going to get in trouble with the guild again... Lady Hestia will be so mad..."

"Sounds exactly like him." I replied, "Then?"

"Well, being the sort of place it is, and being unable to resist the little Princess's sad eyes... I herded you all down here." We shared a quiet laugh. Haruhime had amazing eyes after all. "They're in the next room. Lilly too."

I nodded as best I could, Aisha helping me with another sip of water. "So, as much as your lovely legs make not only a pleasing sight, but pillow too..." I adapted to her open sense of humour, giving her one of my lamest attempts to flirt.

"Well..." She shifted her legs a little, the back of my head feeling the steel corded muscle under her skin, "Part of it is punishment. I hate sitting like this for too long." She scratched her cheek, "Haruhime thought, being a strong woman, you wouldn't want to be seen like this..." She motioned a hand over me, and while I didn't feel broken inside anymore, I probably still had more stripes than a zebra with all the bruising I'd suffered. "She's grown up around us Amazons, and well, we don't like showing weakness generally."

"I find a good humbling time being bed ridden reminds me to not be so..." I felt my words catch in my chest, and coughed to try and hide it.

"And I figured, you might want to talk."

"Help me sit up? I can almost hear your legs going numb." I replied, Aisha's strong hands gripping me under my arms and helping me shift about. I was apparently laying on a blanket that was over a couple of crates than had been slid together. Still half numb from exhaustion, I don't think I'd have noticed if it were roots and rocks.

I also noticed I was wearing a new bed sheet and pillowcase, and that a few others bits of me were bandaged in white, with more than a little red straining. "Better?" The Amazon was rubbing her legs and groaning as the muscles twitched.

"Not quite... You're heavier than you look."

"Ha ha." I sighed, "I... I'm not used to being helpless. My own idiocy, and recovery aside, that is."

Aisha looked at me, then nodded slowly. There was no pity, no sadness, no trace of 'I'm sorry' in her eyes. She knew enough, and that was not what I wanted.

"I'm... Not..." I felt the words tumble around in my head, "On my back, it says, 'May lose control'. And it's true. Whether I let it go, or I get angry enough that it gets free..." I paused, feeling my heart skip a beat, "Did... Back in that room... Did I..."

"I don't think so, no." She said.

I brought my knees up to my chest, hugging myself, "Good... That's something..." even my tail joined in, wrapping itself under my rear. "But, that control is a matter of discipline. I choose, or fail to hold it back." I shivered, "But for the first time since coming here, I had no control."

Aisha remained silent, simply waiting for me to speak, or not. "Can you do me a favour?"

"Name it." She replied instantly, "You gave me the strength to at least try and resist that..." She stopped herself from what was probably a very long line of swearing, calming herself with a deep breath, "If you hadn't..."

We both knew what it meant, to simply, not be in control.

"Yeah... Can you do that thing... with my ears?" I wasn't sure why, but I just... Needed this exact thing right now.

"Sure you don't want Haruhime to do that?" She made a halfhearted effort to tease me, before reaching out a hand and toying with one of my ears. "You know, the first night you met her, you made quite the impression."

I scooted closer on the crate, making it easier for the Amazon to reach my ears, "Not too much of one, it was unexpected to find out that..." It almost felt like I was trying to purr.

"She passes out when ever she sees a man's bare chest. You were her very first customer who didn't demand a refund." We shared a chuckle, "But...?"

"Oh... Well..." I really had to ask her how she was making my thoughts go all fuzzy from this. "Honestly, I seem to be the leader in Hestia Familia."

"Oh?" Her hands moved away from my ears, and to the sides of my head where my ears would have been.

"Bell sees me as a mentor, and rival. Lilly sees me as... Well, I'm not sure exactly. Big sister, maybe a mother figure. Lady Hestia looks to me for advice, and doesn't let her pride speak when I give it. Mikoto... A leader, or teacher, who's word is second only to Hestia, or even Takemikazuchi."

"Really?" I nodded, and her hands moved back up to my ears, "Being a big sister is hard." She said finally, laughing as my tail flicked out around one of her arms in its usual manner. "I understand."

I think I just wanted someone stronger than me to just... Acknowledge me. I felt incredibly selfish for it, but... "You can stop if you want... If you keep going, I might either sleep, or pounce you."

"Well, with Ishtar gone, I don't need to be on the clock for that." Her arms wrapped around me, but didn't really squeeze, just, held. "But I think Haruhime would hate me if I did something like that without her permission." She let me go and slid herself off the crates, "Cover yourself a little more, unless you want that adorable little brother of yours to explode." She grinned, "Unless you want him to explode."

"I'm not going to add to his list." I replied, readjusting the bed sheet around my hips.

* * *

We spent a few hours down there in that cellar. After letting the others in to see me, and collecting a hug from everyone, even Bell, who didn't actually hesitate like he usually did, Lilly saw to my hand, making sure the bones were still set properly before giving me another potion. After Lilly's hug, Haruhime nudged Mikoto forward, who as usual after I'd done something for her, bowed, then hugged me for helping her rescue her friend. For someone as stiff and formal as she was, who would thank me with the same graciousness for covering her back in the dungeon, as collecting her dishes after dinner, the hug was a welcome surprise. Haruhime didn't so much as hug me as glomp onto me, suddenly bursting into tears and sobbing about how badly I'd been hurt coming to rescue her.

Trying to calm the poor girl down by petting her head, I looked to Bell, "How bad was it this time?"

Lilly answered instead, "Miss Kodori had a broken hand, again... And a foot print on your side." She made a 'this big' motion with her hands that was bigger than her head, "Master Bell says Phyrne kicked you." She sighed, giving me her best 'silly big sister' look. "Many cuts too. But Miss Kodori has made Lilly good with bandages!"

"You are the best supporter Lilly." I reached over and gave Lilly's head a pat with my newly mended hand. "I suppose getting kicked by a level five would do bad things to a person..." Lilly nodded, looking up at Haruhime, who was wondering where her head pats had gone to. "Now now... I have only two hands to pat heads with, and one is holding you." I bent my legs a little, getting Haruhime's feet on the ground and letting her go. "Any other news, while I was out?"

"Not much. Miss Aisha has had a few others come by to tell us a few things, but..." Bell started, "The fires are under control, and Freya has been questioned by the Guild. But aside from that..."

"Chaos." Aisha said, "It's not often a Familia's God gets sent back. We have no Goddess, our leadership is in shambles, and soon there will be a mass of Amazons in the city looking for a new Familia. Phyrne apparently picked a fight with a half dozen of Freya's best, and was last seen crawling her way to a healer. Her biggest flaw was thinking strength was the only beauty."

"Just like that stupid war game." I mumbled, "Anything else?"

"Mr. Welf and the others of Takemikazuchi Familia just happened to be around for when the Guild asked for help to clean up and look for survivors." Bell said with a smile, "Not quite what we had in mind for them... was it?"

"No, but 'help if you can' is such a wide statement." I replied, "We'll have to take them out for dinner or something at the Hostess later."

"Oh? Big spender there little sister." Aisha said with a laugh, "Though, I suppose it is a great place."

"It was my first family, when I arrived." I said with a smile, "And I'm sure Syr will want to know Bell is okay too." I gave Bell a wink, turning him into a stuttering idiot. "So as much as I like not being in pain, and with most of my favourite people, how long are we waiting down here anyhow?"

* * *

"Miss Kodori needs to stop losing her clothes." Lilly commented as we all walked towards the Hestia Familia home, just as the sun was hinting at the new day.

"I dunno, I like that look." Aisha said, putting a hand on my hip and running her fingers over my tail. Instead of my usual reaction of locking up in place and making the usual noises, I took a half step away, and let my tail wrap around Haruhime's shoulders. "Aw, you're being adorable again."

"Careful, or I might get her to kick your ankles." I said, putting my hand on Haruhime's shoulder, "Besides, this is... A little too breezy for my liking." It had taken a few tries to wrap it right around my hips to allow for my tail to move about, AND not show off my rear at the same time.

"Good thing it's not raining then. I know for a fact those are see through when wet." Aisha laughed, making Bell blush, Lilly giggle, and Haruhime hide a laugh behind her hand. Even Mikoto was smiling, though her cheeks were red as well.

"Haruhime-dono." Mikoto started, then stopped as I looked at her. She took the hint, nodding to me as the gold haired Renard looked at her, "It is good to see you again. The others... They are all waiting as well."

"When we get back," I gave Haruhime's shoulder a light squeeze, "You can all catch up. I'm sure you all have much to talk about, right?"

The two looked a little nervous, like a pair of people wondering where to start in a difficult story. "Ahem." I gave them both my best stern look, muted a bit by the smile I was trying to hide, "Right?"

"Yes, Kodori-dono." They both replied.

"Good. Bell?" I waved the white haired boy over to my side, and put my free hand on his shoulder, "We are going to have to explain this to Lady Hestia." He gulped, but nodded, "But, no matter what she says, we know we did what we always do."

"We were out there, for her, trying to fix a problem." We nodded to each other, sharing our customary fist bump, "Yes, Miss Kodori."

To say Hestia was hysterical, was a gross understatement. She was happy, angry, and sad all at once, or randomly, many times during her lecture, and by the end of it, Bell, Mikoto and I were all kneeling on the floor foreheads to the stone, bowing to her for forgiveness. With news of the fire, the sight of Ishtar being sent home, and being gone an entire day longer than we were supposed to be, and some of the details of our report, it was no wonder she was so upset.

I honestly, would have wanted it no other way. Knowing that after everything that had happened, something hadn't changed, brought me some comfort.

After her pacing back and forth in front of us, our heads still bowed, she gave us each a karate chop of justice, and told us to go get cleaned up. Aisha had stayed for the 'show', earning herself a few questioning glances, but while we were getting lectured, Haruhime was staying close to her, so no one asked her to leave.

After, she spoke quietly to Haruhime, then looked up to us as we were standing up from our divine discipline.

"Well. I'm off." She said simply, "My job of getting you home safe is done, and now, I have to look for a new place in the world." She raised a hand as both Bell and I started to open our mouths, "No, not here. I'm more than a little flattered you would ask, but, I see what you have here, and it's too much for me." She grinned, "But, may I still visit?"

Hestia answered for us, putting a hand on both Bell and I's shoulder, "Yes you may, for taking care of my children, you are always welcome. My tail flicked around Hestia's hip in approval, though I used my own control over it to give her a hug too.

"Thanks, I'll be sure to visit, though I doubt my little princess will be lonely here." She smiled, though she looked very tired all of a sudden, "Take care you." She knelt and hugged Haruhime tightly, whispering something in her ear, though I only saw her lips move. Haruhime herself hugged her back tightly, giving the Amazon a shy smile. "Good, take care, I'll see myself out."

And she left, the rest of us waving goodbye.

I sighed, watching her go, I had hoped she would ask to join Hestia Familia, but, for an Amazon, this wasn't exactly the sort of place she would be looking for. "Lilly?" Hestia asked suddenly, "When do you think the others are getting back?"

"Lilly would think Mr. Welf wouldn't miss breakfast." She replied.

Hestia looked to Bell and I, then let us go and swept her eyes over all of us, "Then, just for today, I am ordering you to skip your morning exercises." She gave us her best 'serious finger waving' then said, "Welcome home, everyone."

* * *

I might have stayed in the bath until lunch, if someone hadn't come to get me. I hadn't realized I was still scrubbing my skin until I heard Mikoto gasp and her bare feet started slapping quickly over the stone floor of the bath room.

It was then I realized I'd been on a sort of auto-pilot, and my skin started to burn with that 'dragged over carpet' feeling of excess friction.

"Kodori-dono? What... Here." She plucked the now well worn brush from my hand, and picked up a cloth. "We, Haru-san and I, were wondering if you had gone for a nap. You skipped breakfast, and did not join us for any of the talking..."

"I..." No, I was a different person now, new body, new routine. "I've never had to deal with anything like what happened. Not personally." So long as it didn't bother anyone else, I never liked admitting there was a problem. She didn't reply, but instead started to lightly brush the excess soap from my skin. If I wasn't an adventurer, I'd probably have scrubbed myself bloody. "Careful with my ears, oh... You would know already."

"Yes, Kodori-dono." I saw her tiny smile in the mirror in front of me. "Thank you for helping me rescue my friend."

"Mondainai." No problem, I said. "She's my friend too. While our first meeting might have been mostly business, her insight into my magic has saved almost everyone I love at least once now."

I realized I'd said something a little insensitive, but it was true. The short relationship I'd shared with Haruhime did start off, literally, as business. Her time, my money. But, something about her wanted me to show her to my friends, to try and bring her out and show her something new...

"She was trapped in her room, after all..." I laughed, a bitter ironic laugh, "She reminded me, of me, and I hadn't even noticed. Ouch..."

"Sorry, you moved." Mikoto said, holding the tip of one of my ears and resuming to sprinkle it with water. "She is worried about you."

"Are you and the others caught up then?" I asked, my tail wandering off and finding one of Mikoto's ankles.

"No. But, we have time. She has asked Lady Hestia if she can join her... Us." She corrected herself, smile returning.

A little weight that had been sitting on my heart dissolved. "Good."

* * *

Unsurprisingly my apatite had returned for lunch, and I was, for once, the last to leave the table. This meant that I was stuck helping dry the dishes, but I hardly cared. I considered it due punishment for skipping breakfast, and worrying everyone with my spacing out in the bath. Afterwards I was kind of at a loose end. Welf had returned, and after being given a brief report on what had gone on, and being rather pleased no one was either killed or in prison, went back to his workshop. The rest of Takemikazuchi Familia had spent their time with Haruhime, and spent a lot of that time either smiling or crying over lost time.

Haruhime herself was now with Bell and Hestia, overseeing the transfer from one Familia to another, meaning they wouldn't be back for a little while yet. Knowing Eina, she would maybe let them cut in line a little, but with a very large Familia being suddenly left without a Goddess, the Guild would probably be swamped with such transfers today.

My thoughts were interrupted by one of the Takemikazuchi orphans running into the kitchen. A little human boy, he was rather excited when he told me some one was at the gate for me. Curious, and getting the exact number of people (one) I put my apron over a chair to dry, grabbed a pair of stone cups and filled them with tea.

The instant I opened the door of the main building, I saw the familiar mass that was Ottar, easily looking over the outer iron gate at me. Even more, he had a bundle under one arm.

"Ottar." I said, holding both cups in one hand, and unlatching the gate. "I am... Why are you here? Not to be rude but..." I offered him a cup of still steaming tea.

Without hesitation, he accepted, and traded me the bundle under his arm. "For the crime of..." He stopped, sipped his tea, the little cup laughably small in his hand, "No. Not important. The Guild has fined Freya Familia. And I am performing community service." I'd never heard him talk much. Even when he helped me put together the glider, he only spoke, maybe, four words at a time.

"Oh... OH! You found them!" I'd knelt down to unfold the bundle, and discovered my equipment inside. Neatly folded, my drake scale coat still showed signs of my fight with the Berbera, and my gauntlets hadn't been cleaned off either, but it was all here. Even my jitte, the simple sword breaking tool responsible for most of the shattered swords I'd left behind in that fight.

"Yes. Lady Freya..." He paused, and very gently pried me off of him. "No hugs, please. I have many more things to do."

"Sorry."

"Lady Freya said you would be pleased to have them back." He sipped his tea again, and handed me the now empty cup. "She asks that you take care, and be more careful."

"Part of the job." I replied, accepting the cup, "Tell her..." Thinking about the look in Freya's eyes, when she looked at me, I felt that same icy hot feeling that I had when Ishtar tried to charm me, but, I couldn't be impolite, "Thank you, from all of Hestia Familia."

He gave me a nod, turned, and left. I watched his massive form trundle away for a moment, then returned inside the compound and picked up the bundle of equipment. Welf would need to look at it and make sure it didn't need any serious repair. Humming happily, I walked around the side of the building to the workshop, sipping the last of my tea and enjoying the bright sunny afternoon.

"Welf? You in?" The workshop door still had a 'do not disturb' sign on it.

"That you sister?" I heard the sound of tools being set down, their metal clunks and clanks distinct through the heavy door. "You're just in time, come in!"

Well lit by magic lamps and a glowing forge fire, the workshop was currently a cluttered mess. Welf, who leaned towards a more Eastern style of smith, usually kept his tools and the like neatly arranged but... "Welf, what... Have you been doing in here for the past week?"

Diagrams, tools, bits of metal all littered the benches and floor. The man himself walked around the corner that lead into the storage area, where we would eventually, time permitting, put together another glider. "Is that your armour? Found it after all? Good good!" He had the air of 'just finished something big' about him. This usually made him excitable, and almost unintelligible. "Just needs some cleaning up, and these too." He gave my coat and gauntlets a quick look, and tossed them both over a chair. I blinked at him in surprise, but he just grabbed my hand and tugged me towards the back room. "Come look!"

His good mood was infectious, and I was chuckling as he all but dragged me along. "Okay okay, what's got you in... such... oh my..."

"I had to make almost everything from scratch, just to get it this size." He stood next to his project. "I talked to some of the people you mentioned, those merchants from out of town, to get all the metal I needed. Well? What do you think?"

I looked at it and smiled, "It's perfect."

"Good! You get to help with the last step."

* * *

It was only thanks to being super strong, and Welf having built some simple but sturdy machines that we were able to get it placed in time for Haruhime, Hestia and Bell's return. Using some iron brackets, and bolting it to the very stone of the main entrance's archway, I had just gotten a blanket over it when I saw the distinctive white mop of Bell's hair coming into sight of the building. Climbing down quickly, I handed the unveiling rope to Welf, and went to the gate to greet them.

"Welcome back, I said, grinning. Welf had really outdone himself, and I couldn't help myself. "I trust it went well, Lady Hestia?"

"Yes." Our Goddess smiled at me, and suddenly pulled Haruhime into a hug, the red kimono'ed Renard 'eeping' at the suddenness, "Little Hime is now part of our Familia. Not that I need to say it, but, please, make sure she feels welcome."

Bell and I shared a laugh, while Haruhime's big fox ears twitched as Hestia cuddled her on the spot. "HEY! CAN I PULL THIS YET?" Welf yelled from across the yard.

"Oh right. Welf finished his project." I said, stepping behind them, and herding them through the gate, before stopping and putting my hands on Bell and Haruhime's shoulder, with Hestia in the middle. As one, we all looked at Welf, then up the rope to the covered object. At my nod, the blacksmith pulled the rope.

A perfect circle of metal, bright and bold in the sunlight. At its centre, made of polished bronze, was a bell, shining almost gold in the sunlight. Around the bell's edge, not as polished as the middle, was an outline of flame, almost red with its lack of luster, and there, along the bottom of the bell itself, a black, resting fox, one paw on the circle of the bell's clapper, the one eye that faced outward polished gold. All the lines had been chiseled in, and stained black to make them stand out clearly.

A flaming bell, with a fox motif along the bottom edge.

Hestia Familia had an Emblem now.

* * *

Well! A little shorter than usual, but, its another sort of transition phase again.

You're probably tired of this phrase by now, BUT...

In the books...

The Hestia Familia gets its emblem right after they finish moving into the new home. And, it is of a Flaming Bell. Kind of what I have here, but well, its not JUST Bell, now is it?

Anyhow, the next chapter, I think, will be pretty much unrelated to the books. Now, for those who haven't read the books, (another one I'm sure you're tired of me saying), the arc of rescuing Haruhime was MUCH longer than what was written here. Bell gets captured, and that titanic frog lady ALMOST has her way with him. More than a few times, the other Amazons complain about her 'ruining' or 'breaking' all the good men before they get a chance with them. No joke at all. It's frightening just how close Bell got to having his hips broken.

Another part is the capture, and rescue of Mikoto. Our samurai girl had a good section of the book on how she ninja's her way about, before getting caught by some one who is simply better. Then, being rescued by Haruhime.

Back to Bell, Ishtar nearly rapes him too, but was too curious as to why Bell wouldn't submit to her (literally) godly charm spell. Because of the first person view, I am both limited, and liberated, to relating these events by summing them up with a few lines of recap.

So, if you haven't already, go get the books. Seriously. They are very good reads. If you can't find a physical copy, you could probably find the audio books.

Until next time.


	26. Chapter 26

Lets do something totally (well as original as you can get in a FanFic) original. The next story arc is rather... I dunno, I found it the least memorable of them, but only because it opens the world up and fills in some of my least favourite things. Like politics.

Because it IS storyline, I'm not going to skip it. But, before I hop into it, I'm going to have a bit more fun. Stretch out the legs, as it were.

* * *

Chapter 25.

"Right there?"

"A little further."

"How about this?"

"Oh, that's the spot."

"It's not too hard?"

"No... Ouch, don't push like that."

"Sorry."

"Lilly is surprised you can bend like that."

"I am too, actually."

"So Lilly likes to watch?"

"Heehee."

"You could join us, I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"She is rather tiny. I think she'd have space."

"Lilly doesn't want to bother you two.

"Has anyone se..ee..eh?"

"Master Bell broke..."

Haruhime, with her rather soft life, had asked me to help her train. With her lack of combat experience, other than say, being protected and using her magic, she had no real physical ability. So, there I was, in one of the many spare rooms, with Haruhime and Lilly. The other Renard was sitting, legs as far apart as she could get them, while I gently pressed on her back. Through the wonder of being an adventurer, we wouldn't have to go through years of training to get her to something passing for competent. But, we had to start some where. Lilly had found us, and was passing the time chatting, and then Bell found us, promptly turning into a stuttering idiot.

I was dressed for the occasion, with my boxers and sport bra. Haruhime had found me while I was exercising, and asked if she could join. The problem, was that she was ALSO wearing a set of my boxers and sport bra. She was slimmer shouldered, but rather more busty than I was, so my bra was doing interesting things with her figure. We had both been sweating too, the afternoon rather warm, and while not at all see through, the fabric was certainly clinging. It didn't help we were both facing the door Bell had entered, and were leaning forward.

"Lilly? Could you get pass that towel?" Accepting the towel, I wrapped it around the top of Bell's head as he sort of stood there, twitching like he was having a seizure. "Haru-chan? You can relax, though maybe cover yourself a little so Bell can maybe talk."

"Is it safe yet?" Bell asked, my putting the towel over his eyes snapping him out of his little overload. "Has anyone seen Mr Welf or Miss Mikoto?"

"Lilly? Any ideas?" I asked, figuring that if Bell wanted to find Welf, he'd have already looked in the workshop.

"Lilly doesn't know. But if Mr Welf isn't in the workshop, or kitchen, he might be shopping." Lilly replied.

"Welf-dono... It might be his turn to buy food?" Haruhime supplied. We had set up a little chart for chores in the kitchen. "I only know it isn't my turn, or Kodori-dono."

I was impressed that Bell could look thoughtful with a towel over his eyes, but he managed. "I will check. I was going to ask if he had worked on our equipment. Maybe we could go into the dungeon some time soon."

"It's only been a day. But yes, we should start working on returning to the dungeon. We have a new member to work into our team." I smiled at Haruhime, her return smile shy though she nodded as well. I turned Bell around, and took the towel off his head, giving him a little nudge towards the open door. "If you're looking for something to do, make a shopping list for our next trip. We'll be busy for another hour or so, and a bath after."

Without turning to look, he snapped to attention and said, "Yes Miss Kodori." And walked away.

Closing the door behind him, I shook my head and turned back to Lilly and Haruhime. "Well, shall we?"

* * *

"Kodori-dono, you must take better care of your tail." Lilly giggled as Haruhime scolded me. I'd convinced the Pallum to join us in our workout after all, and she had joined us for the bath. The other Renard was brushing my tail with my thin wire brush and some sort of soap. My tail was just barely listening to my mental commands to behave itself, instead of trying to wrap around Haruhime's arm.

"I've been busy?" I replied lamely, "Rescuing beautiful fox girls takes time." I looked into the mirror in front of me, catching sight of Haruhime blushing furiously. This time I let my tail wander, "But yes, I will try and take better care of my tail."

"Miss Aisha is right." Lilly said from the chair next to us as she scrubbed between her toes. "You two are like night and day. And adorable."

This just made Haruhime blush harder, though I was doing it too. "So... Now that you aren't part of Ishtar Familia, what is it your magic does?" I asked, trying to change the topic. It wasn't just my tail that was starting to wander, and I needed to distract myself.

Haruhime scooted closer on her stool and started to scrub my back, "It is like yours, only the opposite. Instead of strengthening me, I gift it to some one else." She traced little nervous circles on my back, "When I did go with the Berbera into the dungeon, they would always cover me up so no one would know who I was, or what I could do."

My tail was close enough that it could wrap around Haruhime's hips, and her words had distracted me from stopping it. "So... How much power are you able to give?"

Lilly 'heehee'ed, and I realized my tail was starting to get overly friendly, so I grabbed it and held it against my own chest. Haruhime took a moment to reply, "It is close to making a level two into a level three, and lasts as long as I concentrate. But, I can only cast it once an hour or so."

We moved to the bath to soak, the three of us leaning against a separate wall of the big stone bath. The three of us sighing in unison, I considered what Haruhime's magic could do. "I can see why they wanted to keep that power secret. With your help, even a level one could become strong enough to take on much more... Ishtar was a fool for wanting to kill you."

The two of them looked at me in surprise at my blunt statement. "Hestia told me, that so long as something doesn't kill me, I will live a long while. That holds for any adventurer. Part of the gift is a longer lifespan." I lightly splashed a little water at Haruhime, "If she wasn't so impatient, you could have helped her raise the level of everyone in her Familia and simply taken over like that. If she didn't want to hide you so much, you could have been level two or three by now, and imagine how much your magic could strengthen some one then?"

I knew I was being rather cold with my words, but it seriously annoyed me that a literal Goddess, with literally no time limit, would choose to throw away some one for something that only MIGHT have been enough power to take over.

"Miss Kodori is wise. But cruel." Lilly said, "Miss Haruhime isn't a tool." She sounded a little angry. Understandably so.

"I know. But listen, Haruhime." She looked up at me, eyes unsure, "I... I understand my place in this Familia. And part of that, is to help the rest of you find your own place, and make sure you are ready for it. Bell and I train like demons, because we are at the front. Welf holds the middle, and Lilly the rear." She nodded, understanding so far, "But you. Where do I put you? In the dungeon, where is your place?"

I held out my hand to stall her reply, "Mia, from the Hostess of Fertility. Basically, my mother in this city. She said to Bell, 'if you make it home, you win.' So, in the dungeon, my job, is to make sure we make it home. That we win."

"Kodori-dono is wise." Haruhime said, "You saved me from Lady Ishtar, saved Aisha from her as well. Lady Hestia accepted me into her Familia. Where is my place now?"

"That's my next job. To help you find it, and make sure you're ready. But, the dungeon isn't going anywhere, and as I said before, we have time." I smiled at the two of them, "Tomorrow, maybe the next day, we will go into the dungeon. Make sure we know where you fit in, not only so you can use your abilities to the fullest, but also so you understand how the rest of us work together."

* * *

Welf was indeed out shopping. Mikoto and him had done a little running about, as well as the rest of Takemikazuchi Familia. Apparently, Aisha had met up with them, and with her vouching for them, managed to get a bunch of things from some of Ishtar Familia properties. Haruhime, not owning much, was very pleased to have her personal effects found and returned to her. She was also pleased that among the salvaged things were some very expensive soaps. I wasn't sure how I felt about Haruhime saying she would make my tail shine and smell pretty, but her smile was hard to go against.

Bell had made the list of things we needed to stock up on before any real dungeon delving, and Welf made sure all our equipment was, or would be, ready for it as well.

That only left the 'how' of it. We could do our joint training with Takemikazuchi Familia and Hestia Familia up on the first couple of floors. Just to make sure Haruhime knew our tactics, and all the bare essentials for working with us. We could easily do that above ground too, since our front yard was big enough. But, that wouldn't bring in any money, and our Familia was still just hovering above broke.

Hestia herself saved me from the beginnings of a pacing session, when she grabbed my tail. Feeling a little twitch inside from the contact, I was just barely able to stop myself from making an embarrassing noise.

"We should have a party." She said simply, smiling as my tail started to curl around her arm, her free hand playing with the freshly brushed fur. "You've all been working so hard recently, don't you think you deserve it?"

Yet another pretty pair of eyes that were hard to say no to. "Our Goddess is kind." I replied, "And you're right. I was thinking of booking a night at the Hostess for us. I've been distracted."

Again I felt the cosmos shift, as Hestia teased me, "Oh, I wonder what's been distracting you?"

Unable to stop myself from gawking at her for actually teasing me about something that she must have known involved something sexual, I was slow to reply "Well, she doesn't quite have your curves..." I had to steal my tail away just before it tried to explore some of those curves, "But yes, that's probably it."

She broke then, and blushed, "Well, um, just..." I waited for her to recover, "I agree with going to the Hostess of Fertility. Let me know when?"

"Of course." I smiled, "I'll ask Bell to make arrangements tomorrow on our way to the dungeon."

* * *

I won't lie, and say I didn't hope Haruhime would let me take her to bed. My first real romantic contact since my arrival in the city, as well as being the perfect archetype for 'shorter person who I want to protect', the more male thoughts in my head included things like putting her over my shoulder and finding a quiet place to make noise.

But, tail and ears aside, I was not an animal. As much as my tail wanted to be friendly while my much easier to control hands kept to themselves, I wouldn't just... go all caveman and take the pretty lady home with me. Considering I'd told Hestia exactly how I thought about that kind of thing, going against it now would probably have her become... Disappointed in me.

I think, in that moment, I understood what that lunatic Hyakinthos saw in Apollo. He just wanted to do his best for his God, no matter how deranged he was.

Thankfully, or not, my room was empty as I entered and got ready for sleep. It had only been two days since the assorted rescues of Haruhime, Bell, Mikoto and myself, and I could still feel the phantom feeling of straps on my ankles and wrists. Especially when I was alone like this. As the background noise receded, the feeling increased, and I found myself not really wanting to close my eyes. Last night, I had no real choice. My body was still recovering, and the day had been busy.

But, wonder of potions and adventurer status alike, my body was fit again. And I was remembering.

I was tempted, in that one moment, to try and mix something I'd seen the recipe for on Nazza's wall. A sleeping potion. Something to just take away that dread filled transition between awake and sleep, and just... Skip that middle spot, where I felt the darkness waiting for me.

It was then, while I sat in the middle of my futon, knees to chest, tail wrapped under my rear, eyes half closed but looking at the single magic stone lamp, tears running down my cheeks, that there was a tiny tap on my door.

"Yes?" I replied before really thinking about it, my eyes suddenly burning with a mix of tears and being open for too long.

The door opened slightly, and I saw a single reflective green eye looking at me through the gap. I waved a hand at her to enter, but she hesitated. It was only when I was about to get up, that she slipped inside and closed the door behind her. Dressed in her usual red kimono, she also held her own pillow.

I patted the spot next to me, and after placing her pillow down next to mine, she sat. But then, she took a good look at me.

For all my thoughts earlier on the matter, now that I had Haruhime in my room, of her own free will, I just... couldn't bring myself to think of finding that special knot on her kimono. Instead, I broke down into tears, her smaller form holding me while I lost the will to hold myself together.

* * *

The next morning was... interesting. After I had cried myself to bits, Haruhime undressed herself and returned to holding me. Having exhausted my little pool of emotions, I fell asleep, the gold of her hair in the moonlight the last thing I remembered. As I opened my eyes however, I was now holding her, my larger form pressed against her back, while both my arms and tail were wrapped around her front. One of my hands was even resting under one of her shapely breasts, not quite holding it, but keeping it off the fabric of the futon.

If biology didn't tell me I had to get up, I might have tried to wake up my sleeping body pillow, but it felt like I had one too many cups of tea before bed. Untangling myself, I went about the usual morning routine before returning to my room. Haruhime was sitting up, looking around the room, blanket not quiet covering her nakedness. It was obvious she was one gentle nudge from going back to sleep, but, as much as I wanted to, we had things to do.

* * *

True to form, we gathered in the front yard and went through our usual morning exercise. Cut slightly shorter so we didn't tire ourselves out for our trip into the dungeon, it still felt good for one part of my routine to fall into place.

As with before, when Bell and I brought Takemikazuchi Familia into the dungeon for training, Haruhime's introduction was much the same. Having no combat experience past simply being present and using her magic to boost some one, we had a difficult time finding a place for her in our formations. But then I realized, it wasn't her that needed to adapt, it was us. With the Berbera, she had her place, and, being far more experienced than we of Hestia Familia, they had already chosen the best spot for her.

From that moment, I changed our training from 'find a place' to 'protect her place'. She quietly accepted her new role as 'object to be protected', as both Takemikazuchi and Hestia Familia used her as 'king' of their formation. If she were tagged, then that side lost. If she was protected, that side won. With her ability of boosting magic, she could literally make anyone into an 'ace'.

Except me.

While the result of my test was... catastrophic... I was glad we figured it out now, instead of when it might mean life or death. Over the course of the day she had used her boosting ability on everyone. With a timer of one hour, and the plan to spend all day in the dungeon training, it seemed like a good idea. Considering she became the centrepiece of the formation, it made sense that she would help her team as best she could.

On all the level twos except Lilly, the boost was quite significant. Faster, stronger, tougher, it was exactly like my own magic. For Lilly, who had no real strength past her ability to carry things, and her amazing accuracy with her crossbow, we didn't really see a difference. Lilly herself said it was like everything was a little easier, but not much different. I made a note to get her to test the heavier crossbow parts Welf had made but not used.

For Bell, the change was there, but not as drastic. Like the others, his ability was improved, but he was still within my ability to fight him. Being nearly equal in that respect normally, it was just... a little harder while he was being influenced by Haruhime's magic.

I was last on the list and for the first few minutes, I was fine. I showed the same improvement as I would have while using my own magic, though it felt... a little weird. More distant, less personal. That made sense honestly. Instead of using my own power to push myself, some one else was pushing me instead.

But then, I warmed up my own magic, and started to flood my body with it.

And exploded.

Being at the centre of what ever happened, I could only describe what I felt. Which was every muscle in my body cramping up at once, and feeling like something was ripping me apart from the inside. After I'd woken up, and gotten the description of what had happened from the outside, I could only conclude that I had in fact, blown up.

Ignus Faatus. Welf had explained. It was what his magic did to other magic users. It made the magic in their bodies run wild and backfire, making it especially bad for people or monsters when his magic hit them in mid-spell.

After checking myself for actual injury, I was fine. My magic however, seemed to be... sulking. My efforts to bring it forth were met with the feeling of my caged fire being reduced to a tiny spark, and pouting, as it paced in little circles in its cage.

Haruhime wasn't much better off. She hadn't suffered from Ignus Faatus, but the feeling of suddenly being cut off from her target had given her a massive headache. Lesson learned, we agreed to never try that again, and called it a day. Having spent roughly twelve hours in the dungeon, with only a light lunch we were all getting hungry.

* * *

After exchanging our minor earnings from the dungeon we had a rock paper scissor match, and it was decided that I would go back home to bring Hestia to the Hostess. My magic having recovered a little bit of its pep, I told them I'd meet them there, and took off running.

After my breakdown last night, the feeling of just... Running, quickly, jumping, rooftop parkour, using my unbreakable grip to hold on to things with a finger and thumb as I swing, seeing how far I could travel without using my feet, or only one arm...

Hestia was wondering what the occasion was, when I arrived to fetch her. I was sweating profusely, out of breath, and grinning like an idiot. I asked her then, if she'd like to find out for herself.

So, after taking my armour off and taking a moment to change, Hestia climbed onto my back, hooked her arms around my neck, ankles around my middle, and let herself be tied to me with a towel.

"Now, two rules." I said, jumping lightly to make sure we would both be comfortable, "No talking unless we stop."

"So I don't bite my tongue." Hestia replied, her hands under my chin fidgeting.

"So you don't bite your tongue. Or scream in my ears. Use your hands or something to get my attention if you want to stop." I walked towards the front gate, opening it up and closing it behind me.

"Rule two?" She asked as I started to jog, her arms tightening slightly, pressing her Goddess level curves against my back.

"You are only allowed to blink. No closing your eyes." I started to pick up speed, eyeing a low rooftop as my target. With a little jump, so I wouldn't lose momentum, I landed in a squat, then pushed off the ground hard.

* * *

To her credit, and mine I suppose, not only did we cover the distance to the Hostess in good time, she only screamed once, and told me to stop twice, so she could catch her breath and open her eyes again. I think it was the gorilla swing off a church spire was a little much for her. So it was, out of breath, laughing, with eyes watering from the wind, we landed near the entrance of the Hostess.

The rest of them had long arrived and were taking up the table Loki Familia had been using that one night. But this time, it was the Takemikazuchi Hestia alliance. We drew a few stares, Hestia and I, as I knelt and untied the towel holding her against me. But our Goddess's good mood was infectious, and we were all laughing and smiling with her as she described the 'harrowing race over Orario's rooftops' on the way here.

Syr, the only non-adventurer on staff was chosen as our drink server, and we made sure to remind her of my pretty much total inability to hold my liqueur. For the most part, she was attentive to our needs, but gravitated towards Bell. Lilly and I shared 'the raised eyebrow of knowing' at each other, but I left the teasing of poor Bell to her. Welf was his usual self, laid back and full of good cheer, trying (and failing) to flirt with both the cat girls Arnya and Chloe.

In one of my rare moments of having my tail listen to me, I managed to use it to almost make the two of them drop their empty serving trays by curling it around their own tails. I'm not sure if they believed me when I told them it liked to wander off like that, but since Chloe didn't throw me out, I figured I was in the clear.

I think they tried to get me back however, when they started to tease Haruhime. Well... Not really tease. More like 'fawn over'. Of us all, Hestia included, she was by far the most exotic. By now, my uniqueness was rather common in this place. I'd worked here after all. Lilly was adorable, but her presence wasn't really noticeable. Hestia was divine in her beauty, but also a common sight. But the newest addition to our Familia with bright gold hair, and perfectly tailored red kimono was very attention grabbing.

At one point, I asked Welf if he had something shiny I could roll across the floor to distract them, but his only response was to nearly choke on his drink. Mia herself had to step in, ladle in hand, to chase the two cat girls back to work.

* * *

While I hadn't had any alcohol, most of the rest of us did. Bell, at the teasing of Lilly, was carrying a drunken Hestia on his back. The Goddess was an interesting mix of depressed and angry drunk. Being basically kitten weak compared to the rest of us, she alternated between hair pulling, pouting, and fits of narcolepsy, about how Bell was the best/worst/smartest/thickheaded/good pillow in the world.

Ouka, Takemikazuchi Familia's forward spear man, was an able drinker with his huge size. Chigusa, not so much, and the much smaller girl was napping against his back as he carried her. He and Welf were trying hard not to be too loud as they shared jokes, but the Takemikazuchi supporter was drooling happily on the big man's shoulder. Asuka, the usually quiet fist fighter and bow woman, was only slightly red faced, as she chatted with Mikoto, who was also slightly red faced. This was honestly the most I'd ever heard the two of them speak, but I think Asuka was drunk enough to forget she was speaking Japanese, or Eastern, and I couldn't really follow the conversation at all.

That left Lilly, who, clever girl, knew exactly what her tolerance was, and was simply a little more cheerful than usual, walking beside me and playing with my tail as it did what it usually did, and wandered around looking for attention.

And Haruhime. Who was also passed out drunk. None of us had any idea what her tolerance for alcohol was. Since she made no comment herself, and seemed to enjoy what was put in front of her, we all assumed she could at least hold her booze. We found out later, after we noticed she had tipped over against Mikoto, that she hadn't even finished her first drink.

So, now she was sleeping in my arms. Her kimono didn't really lend itself to being carried piggyback, so, as her name suggested, she was being carried princess style in my arms. Not that I really minded, she wasn't heavy, and it gave me a reason to be close to her. I did have to resist the urge to try and nibble one of her ear tips as it tickled my chin occasionally.

"Miss Kodori is enjoying herself." Lilly teased as she took hold of my tail and tried to convince it to be a scarf for a moment.

"Well, yes." I smiled down at her as my tail swatted her cheek. "Tease me all you want, but just like you, her rescue was worth every bit of effort."

"Aw, Miss Kodori is letting Lilly go." She sniffled for effect, but her eyes were laughing. "Did you have a good first night? ...oh... Lilly is sorry..."

My tail had gone limp at her question, sliding off her and hanging listlessly from my back. "No... Don't be sorry. It's not your fault." I replied, gently hugging the sleeping girl in my arms.

Unable to get my tail's attention anymore, Lilly chose the more direct route and held onto the elbow of my shirt. After all, she too had suffered the same sort of torment I had, except over years, not days. "Does..." I started, telling my tail it better get back to work, "Does it get easier?"

Running her fingers through my tail, that had flopped over her shoulder, she replied, "Good friends help." She replied, smiling up at me, though her eyes had the beginnings of tears in the corners, "Miss Kodori and Master Bell showed me that."

* * *

Takemikazuchi, who was absent at our little party, was quite thankful that we hadn't forgotten about him. Being the thoughtful boy he was, Bell had asked Lunoire to deliver some take out to our home, not just for Takemikazuchi himself but for the collection of orphans we also housed. The bill was enormous, but with the work splurge we had went through before the rescue, we managed just fine. It certainly wouldn't be a frequent occurrence however. With the ever calm God's help, we squared everyone away to bed without much incident. Bell was our only casualty, as Hestia refused to let him go in her drunken sleep. We shared a nervous fist bump, and I reminded him that he was allowed to hug people if they asked.

At the end of it, this left me with a still sleeping Haruhime. After laying her down and pulling the bow on her obi, I carefully put her in my biggest shirt and took us both to the bathroom. After waking her up just enough to make sure she didn't have an accident while sleeping, I took her back to her room, and put her to bed.

Returning to my own room, I found Lilly waiting at my door. Silently, she handed me a pillow, gave me a hug, and walked off.

I only understood why, when I lay down myself, puzzling at the strange gift. I realized then, that it carried the gentle scent of our supporter. "Good friends help." I mumbled, hugging the pillow and closing my eyes.

* * *

Poor Bell looked some what frazzled the next morning. Knowing him, he probably didn't get a wink of sleep, with our some what drunken Goddess clinging to him all night. I was about to ask him if he was okay, but he held up a hand to stop me. Surprised at his deviation from his usual self, I motioned him to say what he was going to say.

"Lady Hestia woke up before I did." He started, yawning, "She thought... That we... umm..."

Getting the picture, I nodded, "Right... And panicked."

"And punched, and bit, and screamed, and pouted..." He added.

"And then..."

"Realized we were both still dressed."

"So she..."

"Said sorry, kicked me out of her room, and locked to door."

"Sound's about right."

"Miss Kodori... What..." He stopped, then fell silent, his shoulders drooping.

Putting a hand on his back, I looked around, and spotted Haruhime, dressed in her usual red kimono and looking some what puzzled that it was in fact a new day, and she was awake so early. "Haru-chan?"

Her ears perking up straight, she turned her head and looked at us both, "Kodori-dono, Bell-san, good morning."

"Good morning." we both said in unison. "I need a small favour from you." I continued.

"What would that be? And... Have you seen my brush?" She asked, coming closer and blinking slowly, "I can't seem to find it."

"It's in my room." I said putting a hand on Bell's shoulder. "Haru-chan. I would like you to hug Bell." I felt the boy tense as I said it, but I made sure to have my thumb and index finger lightly pinching the bare skin of his shoulder.

"I don't mind. But... Why?" She asked, as Bell looked up to me, his head turning bit by bit like some sort of rusty motor. The look of absolute betrayal in his eyes almost hurt. Almost.

"Because he needs to learn the first step of how to handle a woman. If you please?"

"Excuse me then." She said, shuffling forward and bringing her arms up under Bell's.

I let him go once she had both arms around his back. He was still shivering like some sort of hypothermia victim, but I got behind Haruhime, and looked him in the eyes. "Now, what do you do?"

Like a robot, he raised his arms, and put them behind her back. Haruhime made a happy noise at the return of her hug. "See? That's it. Relax, its just a hug." Slowly, he stopped twitching, and let his arms rest naturally on her back. "Just because Haruhime is a girl, doesn't mean you have to be nervous." He nodded, but didn't move. I considered it a small victory that he wasn't twitching in place. "Now, next time Lady Hestia starts pouting, ask to give her a hug. Just like this. And I'm sure she will be perfectly fine with it. Okay?"

"And if Bell-dono just want's me as a concubine, I don't mind." Haruhime said, her face still resting against Bell's chest. "Oh... What happened?"

With a sigh, I said as my palm rested against my face, "You broke him."

Haruhime let the boy go and slipped out of his now numb embrace. He'd locked in place again, eyes wide, as his cheek developed a little nervous tick.

"Well... It's true." She said to me, blushing and hiding her mouth behind her hand, "Kodori-dono, I do not wish to part with you, but I may want children one day..."

I smiled, reaching out and patting her head gently, "I understand. But as you can see..."

"Yes... Now, was that rice I smell from the kitchen?"

* * *

We skipped morning training entirely that morning, not just because of our late evening, but because today, I wanted to seriously test our eleven person alliance. We took our time, packed what we needed, and gave both our Gods a fair warning we would be out at least overnight.

"Everyone have what they need? Cloaks? Food? Personal emergency supply?" I treated it like my old Boy Scout master did. I made sure everyone was carrying a half day's food, a full day's water, and some basic medical supplies. This was on top of potions. Not wanting another 'Lilly's backpack got eaten by the dungeon' incident, this made sure that if we did get separated, we would at least not die of starvation or thirst.

"Spare lights too." Welf said, "Nazza made up some more of those glow bottles."

"Free of charge?"

"Well no."

"Figured."

"Supporters? Have camp equipment?"

Two affirmative 'yes' noises from both Lilly and Chigusa.

"Backup weapons?"

Half dozen yes noises.

"Let's go then."

With both Hestia and Takemikazuchi to see us off at the gate, the alliance left for the dungeon.

* * *

With a group our size, and ability, and organization, we had no trouble reaching the twelfth floor, where it had all fallen apart for us last time. We passed several other groups of adventurers, most of who knew us from watching the War Game, or by passing us while we trained.

More than once, we had to wait for another group of adventurers to clear out a room. It was bad manners to 'help' unless asked, as it might create an argument on who gets what, or, to quote an old phrase, 'friendly fire isn't.' This didn't stop us from say, blocking off the entrance to a room to stop more monsters from entering. Or once, we provided cover for a fallen warrior, dragging him off the field so the rest of his party could keep working without worry. We even refused payment, as we had expended none of our own supplies and potentially saved a life.

Welf did get a name, just in case we met top side. With only Ouka as a drinking partner, he was always on the look out for more people to party with.

"Well, here it is." I said, looking down the sloping ramp that led to the thirteenth floor. "All set?"

This was the lowest point any of us had been naturally. "I'm so ready to get some hell hound pelts." Welf said, hefting his great sword over his shoulder. "Payback for last time."

"I hear some of the lower floors can get cold." Mikoto said seriously. "I'd think that they would be good against fire and cold alike."

"Only if you can clean the smell off them." Lilly said, wrinkling her nose. "Lilly doesn't like the smell of fire."

Eyebrows suddenly itchy, I agreed with her. "Well, lets go then."

* * *

"Welf! That one!" I pointed to a massive hell hound, "Bell, Chigusa, that exit!" I motioned to one of the exits of the room, "Hime, get Ouka. Ouka, Mikoto, hold that side!" I directed the big man and our samurai woman towards an approaching group of killer rabbits. "Archers! Cover them!"

I myself stood before a pair of hell hounds, directly between them and Haruhime. Like clockwork, we spread around the room, Chigusa with her massive shield providing cover for Bell to hide behind, then attack from as he used the narrow tunnel to limit the number of hounds and killer rabbits entering the room. Ouka with the reach of his spear and Mikoto guarding his back, as well as ranged fire kept the far side of the room occupied. Welf and the pack leader were dancing around each other, the blacksmith waiting for his chance to feed his magic killing spell directly into the oversized mutt.

The task of guarding our 'queen' was on me, as I soaked and grounded the hell hound's fire breath before quickly dashing forward and striking. Lilly and Asuka used their ranged weapons effectively, picking their shots and keeping any surprises from biting ankles. They also kept the screaming bats away, something I was very thankful for, even with the ear protection.

And just like that, we had overcome that which had beaten us before. Welf fought smart, waiting for just the right moment, and made the pack leader eat its own fireball. With a quick overhand strike, he cut its head off, finishing the job.

Bell had suddenly run out of things to stop from coming into the room, the shy Chigusa and him sharing our customary fist bump. Ouka and Mikoto were covered in blood, but none of it theirs, and the smoking corpses of dozens of killer rabbits with their stone clubs lay scattered about them. Haruhime was untouched, her hands still held in something that looked like prayer. While I had managed to stay unburnt, and had two hell hound heads full of teeth, one held in each hand.

With a cheer, we set about cleaning our kills.

* * *

"We are almost there." Mikoto said, "We have done well."

Looking at the slight shifting of the stone on the walls, going from the rust red to a silver grey, we did indeed seem almost there. "We've worked hard to do so." I replied, "What do you think, Haru-chan?"

"This is very exciting..." She paused and yawned. "Oh dear. It's just past lunch and I'm already a little tired."

Mikoto gave the slender Renard a pat on the shoulder, the two of them sharing a smile, "We can rest soon. Lilly-san? Perhaps some tea?"

"Lilly has that!" we all stopped our casual march as the shortest among us, who ironically carried the biggest load, put her massive back pack down and fished about for a couple of steel canisters. Passing them about, we each had a small cup of tea from them, passing them back to Lilly, who stowed them again. "Heehee. Master Bell reminded Lilly about it." Our supporter leaned on Bell, not quite making him turn into a stuttering idiot.

"Well... umm... heh heh..." He replied nervously, putting a hand on Lilly's head and giving her hair a light ruffle. Lilly soaked up the attention like a cat, but managed to stop herself from doing more.

Aha, progress.

"So, once we reach the eighteenth. What's the plan, Kodori-san?" Ouka asked, hanging his empty cup on his belt and hefting his spear again. "Lower? Back up? See if Riviera has work to do?" He noticed something about his spear head, and offered it to Welf, who accepted it and 'hmm'ed at it thoughtfully. "Have dinner?"

"We can do that." I said, "Welf can do a weapon check, we can have a bath, maybe see if there is something interesting at one of the shops."

"Oh, I wonder if that shop is still there." Bell said, "They were selling some of the crystal from the wall, but cut like gems." He smiled, "Apparently, cutting the crystal from the walls usually destroys it, like normal dungeon walls." He punctuated this by wrapping his hand on bit of the wall that was sticking out slightly and breaking it off. Quickly, the rock in his hand seemed to dissolve, like a monster without its magic stone.

"Hm, Lilly will make sure you get a good deal." She said with a smile. "Maybe Haruhime would like to come?" Lilly caught my eye as she said this, and I winked at her, covering the motion by rubbing the corner of my eye.

"Yes, I'd like that very much Lilly-chan."

"Well, all that is left is to get there." Mikoto said, taking the lead as we hooked our cups back to our belts and marched onward.

* * *

Notes.

You know, I've been thinking of the next story arc, and wondering how much I want to... Well, not skip it, but make it much more interesting. So, once I kick the idea around, look forward to it, all you who have read that far, and maybe I can spare those who haven't some of the boring politic type stuff that goes on.

Until next time.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 26

Thankfully, the entrance to the eighteenth floor was clear. The Goliath was absent and as we walked towards the path down, no rumbles or the wall cracking of monster spawning interrupted us. We still kept alert. We all knew that the dungeon hated us, and one moment of negligence was all it took for things to go very very wrong.

Only as we entered the eighteenth floor, and approached the sleepy town of Riviera, did we relax. All but Haruhime were here when the irregular showed up.

Above us, mimicking the actual sun, was the glowing white crystal. Endless little refractions of light from the ceiling above told us it was roughly two or so in the afternoon. Without a clock to really judge time, it was my closest guess.

We were greeted by the few who were here as we passed by. Some even recognized us, asking if we were expecting more trouble like last time, or if we were getting ready to head deeper in. My nickname around here seemed to be 'Crazy Kit', for my stunt with Bell in killing the irregular.

"Has is already been that long?" Welf asked, "Feels like only last week that we were down here doing something crazy..."

"It does, doesn't it?" Bell commented, stretching out his arms and taking a deep breath. "But, it's still really pretty down here. The dungeon is amazing!"

It really did smell better than the city. Fresh water, clean air, the smell of the forest without the scent of all those people living in one place. To be fair, with the use of magic stones, Orario had almost modern plumbing, water treatment, and all the other things required to keep a city from turning into a disease infested pit. It also helped that the general wealth in the city was rather high. Adventurers made money, bought goods, and in turn the citizens had money to keep a healthy lifestyle. The guild took a modest tax, and were very diligent when it came to general maintenance of the city itself. Sure, there were poor sections of the city, but I had yet to see down right poverty anywhere. The only people I saw sleeping in the streets were drunk adventurers, and the only homeless the new arrivals, who usually had some sort of idea of what to do when they got here.

The only real black mark on all this were the people who were hit with the fallout of the adventurer trade. Mothers and fathers who don't make it back being the biggest one. I stole a glance over at Lilly, who was happily chatting with Haruhime. She had suffered immeasurably since her parents died. But now...

"What'cha thinking about sister?" Welf nudged me in the side, bringing me back from the edge of a gloomy thought. "No need to look so gloomy. We made it! In good time! And aside from a couple of singed eyebrows, none of us are hurt."

"Just thinking." I replied, forcing a bit of a grin, "You're right, we did good. Let's relax a little." We all stopped in the centre of the town, where the shade of the great tree was weakest, "Meet back here for dinner. Signal if there is trouble. Don't spend all your valis." The last I directed to Haruhime and Lilly, who tried to look like I was being mean, but giggled at my raised eyebrow.

* * *

I found myself sitting on the same hill as before. Memories of the fight that happened there sifted through my mind as I looked over the forest, my eyes open, but not really seeing what was before me. It was the first time the rage overtook me, and I nearly killed someone. Since then, it was just something that lurked in my dreams, but being back here made it all come back. They say time heals all wounds. Even the dungeon heals itself. The small crystal that man shattered to distract me was back, as if the battle never happened.

I couldn't help but think again, what exactly was this place?

"Kodori-san?" Mikoto said from behind me, startling me out of my thoughts. "You seem troubled."

Turning my ears, but not my head, I asked, "How can you tell?"

Gently, a hand scooped under the middle of my tail and lifted it off the grass. "Your tail is very honest." With equal care, she sat and rested my tail in her lap. "I learned long ago with Hime-chan's tail. Yours is even easier to read."

"I'm just... Over thinking things. Even after living her for this long, I can't seem to figure things out." I tried to ignore the tingles running up my back as she played with my fur, "Too many little things are bothering me."

"Would you like to explain?" She asked.

"Lets take a walk."

I wondered how well she would understand my worries. Keeping my personal ones to the side, I explained what I could to her. The forest, being underground. The grass growing on almost nothing but bare stone. Boulders that had bare dungeon floor under them. No insects, but somehow there were flowers blooming. The huge crater where her gravity magic had half buried the Black Goliath being gone, and covered in grass again. Monsters that constantly spawned, lived and died, only to be spawned again. Even the small waterfalls and pools that were just perfect for bathing, complete with fine sand at the bottom for scrubbing the skin.

"I don't have all the words to explain more." I said as we soaked in one of those pools. "But, it's too... perfect. Like... some one is trying to make something work, ummm..."

"Experiment?" She offered, using some of the white sand to scrub her arm.

"Yes that." I replied, "It's all too clean. Even with the magic, and Gods, and everything."

"You worry too much." She said in return, "It matters not why it is, just that we keep the people above ground safe from it." She looked at me, tilting her head to one side, "Tell me... Why do you fight? Why are you in the dungeon?"

"That's... A difficult question." I said, giving my underarm a sniff, and then scrubbing it with sand. "Its... No single thing."

"I'll answer first then." She said, scooping up a little sand and motioning for me to turn around. "Back home, there is the orphanage were our Familia started." The sand stung a little, but it felt bracing, instead of painful. "Part of why I am here, is to make money, and send it back there. To help the children there to be more fortunate than we were."

I nodded, feeling her hands leave my back. I picked up some sand as well, and turned around, finding myself already facing her back. "For me... I couldn't sit still. Everything is so new here. Where I started, there were no monsters, no dungeons. Just rules. Not... Bad ones, but enough that only the rich or influential could really get ahead. People became parts of an uncaring machine." I reached down and stopped my tail from also trying to scrub her back, resuming my task with one hand. "So part of it, is a need to see the new things. But another part, is 'why'. At this point, I'm almost not sure I care about that."

"Oh? You don't wish to know what brought you here?" She waded away, starting to climb out of the pond. I tried not to stare too much at her back as she continued, "Do you not miss your old home?"

Turning my eyes away just before she turned around, her pants in hand, I said, "No. My old life has almost no value to me, when put in front of what I am now." I followed her out, rubbing my tail from the base of my spine downwards to get the water out, "Aside from what I learned there, life experience and schooling. I honestly hope I never go back." Aside from the body, which still had its awkward features, this was just... A better place for me.

"Your family?"

"I don't know if I even have family." I replied, brushing off as much water as I could before putting my clothes on again. "But one more thing... Something Bell told me."

"Oh?"

"You can find anything in the dungeon. It's what his grandfather told him." My ears gave a few twitches, my damp hair making them feel a little chilly. "Even if you can't, I've found more than I could ever had hoped for."

"I wonder as well. For some, the dungeon is a means to an end. For others, a path to an unknown goal." She finished dressing, putting her sword through her sash, ready for battle once again.

"Mikoto-san is wise." I said with a grin, earning myself a punch to the shoulder and a laugh.

* * *

After dinner and a quick re-check on supplies, we found that not only did we do well getting here, the only thing we didn't have was a half day of food. Welf only had to spend a minimal amount of time sharpening the party's weapons, and none of our equipment had any appreciable wear. Water was replenished from one of the many springs found on the floor, and that was it. It made me happy that we'd come so far in terms of skill, but also a little nervous. I was probably the only one in this world who had heard of Murphy's Law, after all.

"So, what do you think?" Welf asked me, "I think we can go further."

There were various nods around the campfire. "Seems like we all want to try." I said, looking around, "And I think we are ready for a little more of a challenge." The rest gave a quiet little cheer, "So, get a good sleep, make sure everything is packed properly so we can leave at... First glow? What ever it's called down here."

Another little cheer, and we started putting mess kits away for the day.

* * *

I had no trouble sleeping that night. After Lilly's attempt to volunteer herself to sleep in Bell's tent failing, she ended up in mine. Haruhime, who said she was going to also volunteer to sleep in Bell's tent, but being interrupted by Lilly, also ended up with me. I sort of felt sorry for him, one day, he would have to choose. And with his mindset of trying to make everyone happy, he was going to either run away screaming, or be stolen away from the rest of the girls who wanted him.

But, with both Lilly and Haruhime trying to find the best place to get comfortable against me, the phantom feeling of those manacles was easily ignored.

* * *

The nineteenth floor was very odd. The wall colours, all mostly uniform on the upper floors, was a confusing mix of reds and greys. At times, the floor would slope sharply, almost like a staircase. While other times it ramped upwards. It was sort of like navigating a three level 'floor' instead. Where the stone was mostly grey, we found these very odd bear monsters.

If I wasn't trying not to get slashed by their thick claws, I'd have probably face palmed at the name 'Bug Bear.' Shaggy fur, insect eyes, sharp stubby claws that looked like rusted iron, and with a weird mandible mouth. The name fit, but seriously? I wondered who owed who for the trademark on that name.

"Bell! Can you handle that one?" He was fighting another one of the new monsters. A lizard man. Like a walking iguana, it had smooth scales, long tail for balance, and swing the natural stone club with crude but effective speed and strength. Its tail was also one of its weapons, and more than once Bell had to stop an attack to avoid being slammed by it.

"I'm fine! Lilly! Help Ouka!"

Ouka, with his spear, with the help of Chigusa and Welf, were trying to get a giant boar charge him. I knew he was skilled enough, but the two meter long beast was being stubborn and not taking the bait. Lilly used her little crossbow to shoot it in the rear for encouragement.

"Kodori-san! Another one!"

The wall cracked and bled, a second bug bear flopping out of the open wound in the wall. I had to finish this one quickly, else I'd have a second one to deal with. With my hands protected from the sharp bits of the bear's mandibles, I pulled them out of its face with a backwards heave. I hardly felt its return strike against my ribs, the armoured coat taking the shock well, but instead of retreating, it fell onto me. "Asuka!" I called as I went down under it, putting one arm up to stop what was left of its mouth from taking a bite out of my face, and my other over my head, in case Asuka missed.

I needn't have worried. Her long bow twanged once, twice, three times in rapid succession, and the body over me shivered as all three arrows buried themselves into the top of its head. The body over me relaxed, settling over me even as I tried to roll it to the side.

"Kodori!" Bell called, grunting as he tried to rush the lizard man.

"Stay calm!" I yelled back, curling up a leg and pushing the body off me. I turned to the next bug bear, "We got this!"

* * *

We got that. It was harder than anything we'd done to that point, but, we still suffered almost no losses. Chigusa refused a potion for a cut she had gotten. I was only a little bruised, and Welf was the only one who actually needed a potion. He had, with Haruhime's help, shoulder tossed that stubborn boar after it had bitten at Chigusa. His injury was from its hooves as he grabbed it by its hind leg and brought it over his shoulder and into the ground with what most would call 'authority'. Even then, we only used a potion on him so he would stop bleeding, while Chigusa opted for a bandage.

Our next challenge was worse. We'd walked up a slope, the stone around us fading into a red swirled with white, and felt what could only be described as a vibration in the air. It reminded me of being inside of a car on idle, that sort of purr you feel from under your feet and rear. Except, it was from everywhere but behind us.

We all felt it, but didn't really know what it was, until with a scream, what looked like a flying sword lanced through the room from one exit to the other, passing overhead and leaving behind a wounded Asuka. With a cry, she fell backwards onto Lilly, her shoulder spraying blood from a slash wound.

"Turtle!" I shouted, feeling the hum in the air increase, even as we encircled Haruhime, Lilly and Asuka. To add to our problems, I felt a quiver from the ground itself. "Chigusa! Lay her on your shield! Bell, burn the first thing through that tunnel! Ouka brace your spear! Mikoto, beside him!"

I opened my hands, ready to grab anything I could, as Bell stood beside me daggers away, palm out, aiming at the door. I heard the familiar 'pop' of a cork and a groan of pain from our downed archer, as the humming increased another octave and the tension mounted as we all huddled protectively around our downed member in the centre of the room.

And with a pouring rush of glittering wings, dozens of giant dragonflies knifed into the room. The 'flying sword' was really just a chrome coloured insect.

True to form, Bell roasted two of them, the first into the room, and another before they finished emerging. I heard a 'splat' and 'chop' from behind me, hearing Ouka and Mikoto catch the one that had just left the room. And then it got too busy for me to focus on anything by myself.

They were so FAST. Like a dragonfly from back home, they could hover, make right angled turns, and evade even the fastest of hands. Unlike the ones back home, their tails and leg tips were razor sharp, and even as I finally managed to catch one, my face had been cut a few times. The scales of my coat brushed off the sharp slashing attacks but each one reminded me that aside from Bell, I was the only properly armoured among us.

Bell was doing well with his firebolt magic, the nature of the spell itself burning the wings off them even with a near miss. Welf was slamming his great sword into the fallen insects so they couldn't do something like find one of our legs to chew on. He suffered several flyby attacks but took them stoically, returning to guard the middle when the ground level threat was dealt wit

And suddenly. The room was clear.

Panting hard, I looked around. The scent of blood, not just from right under my nose where I'd been cut, but from some of the rest of us, filled the air. "Clea... MOVE!" I shouted along with Welf, who fell over the still recovering Asuka as the ground beneath us erupted. Our formation broken, four huge horned heads broke through the ground. Looking like giant stag beetles, they threw dirt and bodies into the air as they shook themselves out of the ground.

Ouka and Mikoto were first to recover, the big spear man rolling to his feet and driving the point of his spear into the ground and wedging the haft between a main horn and a mandible, locking the head into position long enough for Mikoto to feed it her katana. That was all the luck we had there, as Welf and Asuka were thrown across the room, the blacksmith holding her close and protecting her head as they rolled along the floor into a wall. The shield and Chigusa went separate ways, as did Lilly and Haruhime.

Bell shouted out his firebolt, but the lance of flame and lightning only scorched the horn of the one he hit. I charged the next one as the first went after him, while Lilly and Haruhime helped each other out of the way of the third. Chigusa however, was left alone, the third one scuttling over to her.

Like the boars, they were huge, two meters long and heavy. Being insects, they were stronger too. And even with my own magic flaring up inside of me, I was almost unable to stop that giant horn from impaling me. "Ouka! Help her!" I grunted as I tried to move my hands around the horned head of my opponent, looking for just the right place to grab and twist its head off.

Letting go of his weapon, he stomped over the dead beetle and managed to land on the one after Chigusa only an instant before it lanced her with its horn. I heard the sound of shattering metal as Mikoto's sword broke, but undaunted she joined Ouka in wrestling the beetle away from Chigusa.

"Hold it still sister!" I heard Welf shout as his heavy boots ran across the floor. I didn't have the time to look his way, but I braced my hands, holding the mouth away from my leg while keeping its horn at bay. A flash of metal, and his great sword arced down, slamming into the beetle's back and cutting its head off at the joint between head and body.

Behind me, Bell let out another firebolt, then with the sound of sharpening stone over a blade, he called out a victory cry, a heavy thump I could feel through my boots as that beetle fell. I was just about to go help with the last beetle when I heard the sound of shattering carapace, as Ouka applied his boot to the back of the beetle's skull.

Still panting, I touched my face with my hand to see how bad I'd been cut, and simply... Felt. No hums, no rumbles, just the lot of us breathing, and bleeding. "Quickly! See to wounded! Head count!" I said, getting a name from everyone in the room but Asuka, who was still laying at the side of the room.

* * *

It was bad. Once again, the dungeon had surprised us. And only because none of us lost our cool did we all make it. But, we had had some bad luck in that last fight too. Asuka was healed, the wonder of potions keeping her from being crippled for life or bleeding out. But she had lost a lot of blood, the slash she had received just missing her throat, and laying the bone of her shoulder bare before Lilly managed to feed her a potion. Bell and I were the well off, with only minor cuts that needed a damp cloth to clean and nothing else. Chigusa was also fine for the most part, but shaken badly, and bruised from being thrown by the beetles. Haruhime and Lilly were a little bruised, but fine.

But Ouka had had his back slashed a few times, and his spear was no longer trustworthy under battle conditions, the haft splintered in several places. Mikoto's sword had broken to bits inside the beetle's mouth when she tried to remove it, and Welf had also been cut up by the dragonflies, as well as his tumble away with Asuka.

We had won, but only just.

And that was when we all felt yet another vibration through the floor. Only just finished our cleanup and recovery, we all looked at each other and nodded. "We're done. Back up." I said, getting another nod from them all.

Quickly, we started towards the way we had come, but just as Bell and Welf had entered the tunnel, we heard a voice, big and loud, call out just as the vibration stopped.

"Fancy meeting you here..." It was not a voice I ever wanted to hear again. "The crazy fox and her friends. Little Haru too... Turned traitor as soon as Ishtar was gone huh?"

Beside me, Haruhime trembled, her and I turning to look at the speaker. It was Phryne, the monstrous Amazon, former ace of the Ishtar Familia. Huge and menacing, even from across the room, her over proportioned shoulders and bullfrog head, as well as lumpy vaguely female body made her look like more of a monster than anything I'd seen in the dungeon so far. She was also carrying that same axe as before, though the haft was much shorter, making it look unbalanced and crude in her huge hand.

"Not that I blame you." She continued, as the rest of us came back into the room. "She wasn't nearly as pretty as I am, and had such a terrible personality. She was only worth following for the chance to find a good mate."

"Bell... I have a bad feeling about this." I mumbled to him as he came to stand beside me.

"Oh! Speaking of mate... There's the one who got away." She started towards us then, "Come to think about it... I owe the three of you, and her, too, for getting in my way." With comical ease, she levelled the huge axe at us, as Mikoto stood beside Haruhime. I felt ice form in my gut as she got within about ten paces of us.

"Run." I said, backing up a step, a hand on Haruhime's shoulder to back her up with me. I knew that look in Phryne's eyes. "Run, and we can drop the tunnel behind us." Another step away.

"Oh I don't THINK SO!"

It happened so fast, I hardly remember doing it. The hand on Haruhime pushed her into Mikoto, who, out of reflex, grabbed onto her. I spun in place, catching sight of the giant Amazon winding up to throw her axe. I grabbed Mikoto by her sash, then collar, giving her a Chloe Javelin towards a surprised Ouka.

"RUN!" I screamed, pushing Bell ahead of me, catching him as he stumbled, and throwing him through the exit as well, just as a spinning disk of silver and black buzzed over my shoulder, just missing Bell as he passed through the mouth of the tunnel. Instead, it slammed into stone above the room entrance, the axe blade burying itself to the haft, and bringing down the tunnel.

I was trapped.

"Kodori!" Bell screamed from the other side.

Looking at the mess, and feeling the menacing thump of Phryne's footsteps start up behind me, I called back, "Run! Bell! Listen to me! Go! Keep them safe!" Huh, he finally dropped the 'Miss' on my name.

"DAMNIT!" He screamed, the first time I'd ever heard him swear.

"Oh? You think you can stop me?" Five paces away, she paused to crack her knuckles, "You caught me off guard with that punch you used, but if you think you can beat me with just that..."

I heard retreating footsteps behind me. I acted calm, though my heart was slamming around inside my chest, and reached back, grabbing hold of her axe. "And I owe you for that kick you gave me." The axe was heavy, unbalanced, like a sledge hammer head on a toy hammer handle. "But I owe them so much more." Looking her right in the eye, I tapped the axe against the wall, the entire thing disintegrating as I used it to try and damage something.

"What!? YOU DARE!?" She screamed at me, my heart skipping a beat as her entire body seemed to expand slightly with her rage.

"But, I think you're wrong." Reaching into my coat, I pulled out two potions, pure magic potions. With my thumb, I popped the corks off, while looking inside myself, at the cage where I kept my magic, "I think I can stop you." I downed the two potions, her face twisting in rage further, one foot lifting off the ground.

I looked at my ember, the flame of my magic, at the shadow of the monster that wrapped around it. I pictured myself, standing outside that cage.

And as her foot came down, and the rush of the two magic potions hit my system...

I opened the cage, and stepped aside.

* * *

Why yes, this is a cliffhanger. :)


	28. Chapter 28

I regret NOTHING! Except that as I write this, I have run out of tea.

As well, this one is a little different. I'm sure you'll catch on to what easily enough.

* * *

They ran. They all knew they had to. Weapons broken, arrows depleted, armour rent, potions expended. They ran from what would have been certain death had they stayed. The fittest of them carried the wounded or the slow, all while trying to keep their eyes clear of tears.

Because one of them was missing. One of them stayed behind so they could run. So that the wounded could be carried further, and the fittest would have more time to carry them.

They only stopped running when they came to the eighteenth floor, the few adventurers living there wondering what the rush was, why they all looked so panicked, what had befallen such a well organized and high spirited bunch. Out of breath, crying, covered in dried blood and sweat, they explained. They all knew who was missing. They were all there the day of the Black Goliath.

Quickly, a group of them organized. All veteran adventurers and explorers, they helped the disheartened group back to their feet, helped them re-arm, and less than an hour after they returned, they left again, leaving the slowest of them behind to heal, and hope.

The smallest of them was the guide, her feet quick and sure, and though her eyes blurred frequently, they soon found themselves walking up and inclined tunnel, the colour of the walls swirling from white to milky red. Already the dungeon was healing itself, restoring the collapsed tunnel exit, though the room beyond was still heavily obstructed.

With expert skill and care, a group of them kept watch for monsters, while the other broke the rubble into smaller chunks with picks and hammers, while yet another pulled the broken bits away to give the miners more room to swing their tools. One of the smallest men there, eyes red, hair white, worked as hard as any three of them, trying to finish the job as quickly as possible.

But, they knew it was too late. As the rubble thinned, they all noticed the smell. As they started to see the room beyond the blockage, the scent in the air changed. What ever had happened, it was not clean, it was not kind.

The boy and his friends didn't care. Half crawling over the workers as soon as he thought he could get through a gap in the fallen stones, he pushed and writhed and finally squeezed himself into the room. The volunteer workers goal in sight, and to possibly save the boy from himself, doubled their efforts in one final burst.

Most of them regretted the sight they rushed to see.

The boy seemed to be frozen in place, eyes wide, hands twitching at his sides. The room, gently glowing red walls with the white swirls, were almost painted in blood. Going brown as it dried, long streaks of bloody spatter decorated the walls like some mad painter had simply stood in the middle of the room and danced, paint brushes in both hands. The floor too, was covered with not just the signs of the battle they fought from before, with the half healed pit in the middle where the beetles had emerged, or the pool of blood from one of their wounded companions, but now with new signs. Bloody footprints, hand prints, drag marks, claw marks, trenches that looked as if some one's body was used as a plough.

Along the first such trench, they found what at first, looked like a shed snake skin. Ripped and tattered, pulled apart in places, was what might have been a fine coat, made of scale. It lay in two main pieces, as if something had taken an arm in each hand, and simply pulled it apart. One half of it was leaning stiffly against the wall, as if waiting for its owner to return.

But it was along the second such trench in the floor, that made the volunteers from the eighteenth floor wish they had stayed home. It was hard to tell if the body was laying on its back or not, as both legs were mangled and twisted at odd angles. But, as they followed the trail upwards, over a body that looked like it had not just been ripped open like an over ripe fruit, but peeled like one too, all but the boy had turned away. Instead he got closer, eyes unblinking even with the tears forming in the corners.

The body, above the destroyed belly, was hardly recognizable. Skin and muscle had been clawed away, ribs exposed, crushed inwards, pulled outwards. Even the face was missing most of its features. Miraculously, one blue eye remained whole, and even like this, was able to look terrified.

Beside the mangled head, one on each side, were a pair of gloves. The metal backings half crumbled, the leather of the fingertips cut through, the palms shredded. Carefully, he gathered the bits of metal, the scraps of leather.

"How can I stop you from doing something stupid, when you send me away?" He asked the empty air around him, as he stood and shuffled over to the torn coat. With equal care, he picked up the two pieces, holding them in his arms like one would a body. "She's not here. Let's go home." He said as he returned to the group at the room's entrance.

* * *

Eina, in her perfectly clean Guild uniform knew something was wrong as the normally upbeat group walked by the guild hall window. Abandoning her post, leaving the puzzled adventurer she was talking with behind in mid sentence, she ran out of the building to see. Ignoring the calls of her co-workers and even her boss, she dashed out onto the street. She knew instantly something wasn't just wrong, but... missing. Only the angry shout of her boss, a titanically overweight elf, stopped her from running after them to ask what had happened.

* * *

It felt like I was dreaming. That half awake, slow minded drifting feeling of looking at your alarm clock, and wondering if it said one, or seven, and closing your eyes again regardless. I experienced many such moments, seemingly at random. A forest, green and lively. A tunnel of bone. Blue crystal walls. Darkness so deep it felt alive. Cool water. Feathers. Feverish skin. The smell of sulphur. Sweet fruit. A dozen pairs of eyes. The sound of sand over tile. An argument between animals.

* * *

After hours, Eina visited the group. She had been their adviser, and she felt, no, needed, to know what had happened. She visited the grand residence, their new home. The bright white marble and stone, with the Flaming Bell emblem above the entrance felt... Colder, than her last visit. With no one to greet her at the gate, she let herself in.

She didn't knock at the front door. It had been left open. Following the muted sounds of life within, she found herself in the dining hall. Most of them were still there, trying to plan. Their Goddess clung to Bell, sobbing quietly.

Unable to think of a better way, Eina simply asked. "What happened?"

* * *

I felt.

My last clear memory was standing in front of Phryne, and choosing to let my magic run wild. Not building up to it, not resisting it. Simply looking at the darkness that was clearly written in divine script on my back, and letting it out.

I felt. And it was not a pleasant feeling at all. I wasn't one to believe in an afterlife, or Gods, but since coming here, I knew I was wrong about the latter. But, I hurt far too much to be dead. At least I wasn't cold.

After that last memory, I had nothing. Just a half remembered dream. Feeling like I'd been tossed into an oil drum filled with gravel and rolled down a hill, I did the first thing any major trauma patient is asked after they wake up.

And wiggled my big toe. I think. It certainly felt like I'd done something. My eyes felt like they didn't want to open, but after a moment of what felt like entirely too much effort, I got one, then the other open just enough to see. Dim red, like a photography dark room light. Not feeling up to the effort of lifting my head, I tried to look down at my toes, only to be blocked by my feminine anatomy.

And once again, I was naked. I was starting to think that the Gods who didn't leave the Divine realm had a sense of humour and liked to do things like this to people.

Slowly, I tried to lift myself from what ever I was laying on. And I couldn't, not at first. It was like my body was waking up in a sort of ripple, from the base of my skull downwards. It even felt, as I took a deep breath, the it was my FIRST breath. But with it, came the strength to attempt motion. As I moved my half numb arms and legs, questions started rolling about in my head. What happened? How was I still alive? I was alive, and not captured, so how did I get away?

Most of the questions answered themselves as soon as I asked them to myself. I was alive, sore, naked, in some corner of level eighteen that I didn't know, and hungry. I was whole, not missing anything I didn't start with. Nothing was broken, my tail wasn't hurt, though it was still sleepy, and... I had a green feather in my hand.

Not just green, but absolute green. Like some one had taken the most vibrant and glossy green paint, and made it into a feather. It slipped out between my middle and ring finger as I moved my hand to check my ears, the vibrant colour making it so eye catching that I just had to pick it up again, and admire it.

This added one more to the list of questions. Where did it come from. And if it was a monster, why didn't it eat me? I'd have to ask someone later. I tucked the feather into my hair.

* * *

"Bell, its been a week." Welf said, his eyes dark with lack of sleep, his usual upbeat manner gone. "I want to find her too, but if we don't slow down, or you know... Sleep..."

"Lady Hestia says she is still alive." Bell replied, strapping on his armour, then growling as his usually sure fingers simply missed the buckle, making the bit of metal clang to the ground. "You don't have to come Welf, but, I must go. I have to look for her."

"Mister Welf is right." Lilly said, helping Bell with the strap, her eyes sharing the same dark look of near exhaustion. "Miss Mikoto is tending to Miss Haruhime, and the rest of Takemikazuchi Familia are all exhausted."

"But..." His pale face almost ashen, eyes almost a total red with bloodshot, Bell started to take a step forward.

"But when she comes back on her own, and finds out you were killed by a goblin, what would she think?" Lady Hestia asked. "I know she is alive. You are my children, and it is our divine bond that tells me if one of you is alive... or not." Of them all, she was the worst. Her divine gift of endurance for others, she looked pale, hungry, weak. Forgetting everything else, Bell was by her side in an instant, holding her hand. "Trust her, like you always have. Get some rest, all of you."

* * *

My 'bed' I discovered, was actually a perfectly dug pit. Shaped exactly for me, the dungeon was already starting to fill in the gap I had just managed to crawl out of. Almost like someone had tried to hide me while I rested. Or maybe... No, that was too crazy to think about. Shaking my head to try and clear it, I almost fell over again with a sudden wave of dizziness. I wasn't sure how long I'd been here, but my last meal was probably breakfast before we went to the nineteenth...

I started to sweat suddenly, my body reacting as if I'd just stepped into a sauna. Memories rolled through my head, a strobe light recollection of what had gone on before I willingly lost control.

Then nothing, again. It was like a brick wall was between my defiant stand and now. I must have been delirious from hunger. And thirst. Leaning against a tree, and focusing on the slowly closing gap my body had just left, I waited until my balance returned, and looked for some water.

Following my nose, more than anything else, I managed to sniff out one of the crystal clear ponds. Trying my best not to step on anything sharp as I walked, I looked around quickly for any signs of life, then broke the treeline and flopped onto my belly, face almost bouncing off the water in my haste to drink. The almost cold water rolled through my chest like a wave, and I nearly drown myself with my body's sudden need for water. I only stopped when my lungs started burning and my stomach began to protest. As I lifted my face and body up away from the water, and fighting off a brief wave of nausea, I took a good look at my reflection in the water.

I could almost imagine the bored face of who I used to be reflected back at me, until the ripples calmed and the slightly leaner than I remembered face of a black haired fox girl looked back at me. Golden cat slit eyes blinking back at me as I ran a hand over my cheeks, through my hair, catching the feather as it came loose. I flopped over onto my back, hair in the water, as I twirled the feather between my thumb and forefinger, admiring just how green it was, even in the red glow of 'nighttime' on the eighteenth floor.

Sitting up and giving my hair a quick shake to help it dry, I tucked the feather back into place and got to my feet again. I gave myself one last look, made sure my tail was still attached, and started walking towards the massive tree. I only hoped I wouldn't have to deal with too many people before I could find a towel or something.

As I got to the bottom of the cliff that Riviera was resting on, I became aware of something following me. At first, I figured it was my imagination. That lasted about a half second as I remembered I was in the dungeon, and passing things off as your imagination could get you killed. So, I took the last few steps to the cliff face as quickly as I dared without suddenly exhausting myself, turned, and focused all my attention on the treeline. Not seeing anything at first, or hearing anything out of the ordinary, I was just starting to relax...

When I noticed a pair of red eyes looking at me from about ankle level. With this, a few monsters went through my mind as possible owners, as well as one human. I felt homesick suddenly, and hoped that what ever time I managed to buy them let them escape.

The two of us watched each other a moment. My understanding of monster mentality and the small list of monsters this might be, meant that unless this pair of eyes had lots of friends, I'd be fine. So, I ignored it.

Except, as I started to walk along the bottom of the cliff, towards the ramp leading up to the town itself, it followed me. Twice I stopped and found it just inside the red shadows of the treeline watching me carefully, unblinking.

"Look... I'm not going to just fall over and die." I said to it, pinching my hip to make sure I was still feeling pain, and not suddenly going numb from lack of food or something. "So unless you want to come home with me or something, go away." I made a 'shoo' motion with my hand, the leaves over the pair of eyes rustling slightly, before settling again.

And suddenly, it hopped out of the darkness. It was a needle rabbit. Not to be confused with the killer rabbits, with their more human like arms and legs, capable of wielding stone clubs picked up from the dungeon floor and walls. It looked like a cross between a rabbit and a unicorn, with a fluffy rabbit body and a pointy spiral horn jutting out from the centre of its forehead.

This one was tiny though. Most of the ones I'd fought back in my early days were a respectable dog size. This one was... Kitten sized.

"Oh. Well, umm..." Unsure of what to do as it hopped closer, and hearing nothing else nearby that might be following it, I did what I'd normally do when a small animal came close to me.

I knelt down, put out a hand, and tried to make friends.

And was rewarded with a rather adorable attempt to nibble off my fingertip. "No, I'm not food." Using my other hand, I poked the tip of its still tiny horn and pushed it away to stop it from trying to bite my finger. "Not food." I repeated.

* * *

By the time I'd convinced the mini rabbit that I was inedible, and managed to walk into town, the 'sky' was just starting to brighten. Never having hunted for my own meat before, I was starting to think of the mechanics of it by the time I'd found the massively overpriced inn, and got the owner's attention from outside a side window.

"Hey!" I 'loud whispered' into the room as I heard the first yawn of someone coming downstairs. "Excuse me!"

The owner, a stocky dwarf with an impressive grey and orange beard and a serious case of helmet head squinted at me as I looked at him with only my head peeking into the room. Rubbing his eyes as if to make sure I was real, he blinked a few times and shuffled over. "What... Wait... Aren't you... You are! What happened to you? You've been missing a week now! Why are you crouching down like that?"

A week? Explained why I was so hungry... "Well... I don't know? And I'm naked."

We looked at each other for a very awkward moment, before he blushed furiously through his beard, and coughed, "Well, um, yes, let me find something."

A short time later he returned with what was probably his spare set of clothing. Considering he was only about two thirds my height, the drab brown pants and faded white shirt looked rather silly on me. But I felt much better being less breezy. "I'll return them next time I come down. And pay for this." I motioned to the modest breakfast he had dropped in front of me. Simple salad, yesterday's bread, fresh tea. For my new friend, he gave it a raised eyebrow, a stern look, and a half of an not-apple.

"Lass... You're Familia has been down here almost every day looking for you." He said, sipping what smelled like this world's coffee equivalent, (that I still didn't like the taste of), "Each time they come down, they look worse. More tired, more worn."

I cringed, "After a week... I'm surprised they haven't given up... Actually, no, I'm not surprised at all." I sighed, feeling my eyes get hot. "But a week? I don't even remember what happened."

He stopped in mid-sip, and looked at me, "Ya don't remember?" He put his cup down, and put a big hand over mine, "Lass... What we found in that room... No. If you can't remember, it's best left like that. You won, suffice to say, but when we got there, you were gone."

I tried to ask, but he simply closed his eyes and shook his head, refusing to speak more of it.

"If the pattern holds, your Familia will be down here soon. You can wait, or start up now, but without any equipment, I'm not sure that would be wise." He said after I'd finished a third helping of breakfast.

"I think I will stay until mid day then." I gave my belly a pat, and looked at the rabbit, who was napping by my ankle. "And if you wish, I'll accept a personal quest to bring you some supplies, considering I probably just ate a quarter of your available food."

"If you'd be so kind." He replied, clearing my plate and mug away. "I'll write a list for ya."

* * *

As the crystal 'sun' brightened to its fullest, I watched the cave that lead up to the seventeenth floor. I'd noticed, as I myself was noticed throughout the little town, that people were looking at me... Strangely. It was hard to pin down, but it was like I was being... Not avoided, but... Given more space. The good dwarf said I'd won. That if I didn't remember, it was for the best. What had I done? How had I done it? I held the side of my head with one hand, the other cradling the rabbit, and tried to recall something.

But nothing would appear. It was just a big blank spot. Standing before that monstrous Amazon, and... waking up in the forest, a single green feather in my hand.

"Maybe they did give up?" I looked down at the ball of fluff on my arm as I got to my feet and dusted off my rear with my free hand. "Forget waiting. I'm going back up."

* * *

I wasn't used to solo exploration at all. Not one bit. It was strange. Every time I encountered a group of monsters, I would turn my head and expect to see the rest of them, my Familia, there, looking back at me. We all knew the usual tactics. We all knew our jobs. We all knew each other.

Yet, they weren't there at all. It was like phantom limb for my Familia.

Instead, since I had no protective gear at all, nor potions, or even a pair of gloves, I waited for them to pass, or ambushed them as quietly as possible, running away when it wasn't. It took far longer than it would have if the rest of my friends were there and we had fought them all, but I couldn't risk it.

Besides, I had a passenger, and rather liked the idea of taking it home with me. Maybe it could distract Lady Hestia from making me sleep on the lawn for being away for so long.

Peeking down my overlarge shirt, I looked at the bunny, "The first thing I'm going to teach you, is the difference between 'friend', and 'food'." Red eyes looking up at me, the critter rubbed a paw over its nose and sneezed quietly in response. "I'm serious you. If you mix them up, I'll have to bring you back down where I found you."

"Who are you talking to?" A quiet voice asked, nearly making me stumble as my feet froze in mid step.

It took me a moment to remember the voice, and both I and the little rabbit looked towards it, the latter sticking its head out between the gap of two of the buttons. "Ais?"

"Yes. Oh, Miss Kodori. You are well." We approached each other, though she was looking at the little rabbit head peeking out from my shirt. "Why do you have a needle rabbit?"

"I think it adopted me." I replied, reaching into my shirt and fishing the critter out. It rested comfortably on my palm, hunched down and twitching its nose at Ais. "Friend." I said to it, pointing at Ais and holding it out to her.

Obviously with nothing to fear from such a low level monster, and a baby one at that, Ais offered her hand to the critter and let it sniff at her. It made no motion to do anything to her, and she ran a finger over its head lightly. "Very soft." She said with her tiny little smile. "Mr. Bell has been looking for you. Why have you been away?"

So I told her. About our trip past the eighteenth floor. The fight with the bugs, the other fight with the bugs, and then encountering the Amazon Phyrne. She stayed silent until the end, the two of us walking back towards the way she had come. "And then I woke up in a very well hidden spot just out of sight of Riviera. I don't remember anything between standing in front of that freak Amazon, and then."

Her face was hard to read, but something had changed slightly about her. I could tell she was being thoughtful, "And that feather?"

I plucked the feather from my hair, and rolled it between my fingertips, admiring the colour, "I was holding it when I woke. But I have no idea what its from."

Without stopping, she leaned towards me a little, looking at the feather. "Harpy." She said firmly. "Did you mean to do that?"

"Do... oh, sorry..." My tail had wandered over to her as she got close enough. "Some one told me my tail is very honest." I tugged my tail away from her, the length of it sliding away from her opposite hip, then tucked the feather back into my hair.

"Phryne... She and I have fought several times." I had to stop my tail from wandering over again as she spoke. "Three times."

"I suppose you won all three times?" I gave up on my tail, though Ais held out her arm and let it wrap over it helpfully. "Stupid tail..."

"Yes." She smiled her little smile as she ran her hand over the end of my tail.

"You know." I started, trying to focus on my words, and not her hand as it played with my tail, "I've been wondering. Why is Loki so protective of you? You would think she'd be pleased you were enjoying yourself."

"What do you mean?" She responded, tilting her head slightly.

"When you were dancing with Bell, at the Apollo gala." I said, "You are the only person he's danced with, aside from Lady Hestia, and you both seemed to be having a good time."

Aha. I'd hit the mark. Her marble features coloured slightly with a blush, though she seemed unaware of it, "Ah. Well. Most Familia stay with the Familia. Almost no relations are allowed outside of it."

"Seems silly. It makes sense that if you have a large enough Familia, and you found some one to love in it... But restricting it?"

"Loki also seems to like girls." She deadpanned, either not realizing what that meant, or not caring. Given her cold demeanour, I assumed the former. "And most often, when a relationship happens between two Familia, there is usually a conflict over where the members will go."

I thought about it for a moment, then shrugged, "Children should be innocent of their parents crimes." She looked at me curiously so I clarified, "You've met Lilly, our supporter." She nodded, "She was born into Soma Familia, and basically ended up owned by it, like an object. No choice, no say in the matter. And because of it, she grew up miserable." I shrugged, "One of the things the Gods were supposed to have given us, is free will. So if one of us finds happiness outside of the Familia, it should be our choice."

Her face was thoughtful, the deepest expression I'd ever seen on her in the limited time I'd known her, "And I know that Bell was certainly happy dancing with you, even if Lady Hestia and Loki weren't."

We walked a while in silence, her face still thoughtful, her free hand idly playing with the fur on my tail. Then something occurred to me, "Why are you down here anyhow? Alone no less?"

"I wanted to help Bell." She said simply, "Is that okay?"

"I don't mind." I smiled, trying not to laugh. If Bell was 'shy', and Hestia was 'innocent', then Ais would be 'clueless.' "I'm sure, actually, no. I will make sure he thanks you."

"You don't have to." She let my tail go as she stepped ahead, "One moment."

I heard a small group of monsters ahead, the sound of cracking walls heralding more. I walked behind her just a little ways, and as we entered the room they were in, she started, and finished, very quickly. I was able to keep up with her motions, if only just, and it made me a little jealous. She had a perfect fencer's form, and treated even these low level monsters with the same respect as a high level one. No hesitation, no quarter.

"I know I don't have to." I said a little breathlessly, her display of skill making me forget to breathe. "But, as the big sister, I must make sure he does."

She looked puzzled, but didn't comment, and after sheathing her sword she put her arm out again. Before I could stop it, my tail swished over to her, curling around her wrist and open palm.

"Stupid tail..." I mumbled.

* * *

My return to the surface was met with... Nothing. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was simply one more person out of dozens in the main entryway. Oddly dressed, sure, but with the huge variation on personal style that adventurers seemed to have, that mattered little.

"What should I do about this one?" I asked Ais, pointing to the tiny rabbit head sticking out of my shirt.

"Oh... Talk to a guild representative. I don't know past that." She replied, "I will leave you here, I didn't tell anyone where I would be today."

"You're a big girl, you should be fine out by yourself." I said, holding out my hand, "Thank you, and be sure to stop by our home some time."

She shook my hand after a moment, then nodded, "Yes, I will." And with that, she turned, and left.

Strange girl. I had to wonder what it took to make some one who probably wasn't even twenty years old so damned amazing with a sword. Falna or not, it was something my long adjusted logical mind had to question.

So, with micro-bunny out of my shirt, in hand, and cuddled (carefully) under my bust, I walked out of the tower to the building nearest, the Guild hall. It was early evening, with the sun going down over the wall. And I just had to stop and admire the view. The sun on my face felt almost like it was my first time outside after a long winter, refreshing and invigorating.

The little ball of fur in my hand seemed to not care much for it, curling itself tightly against me.

"Don't worry." My tail flicked over and around, over the little white bundle and blocking it from view of the sun. "You'll get used to it."

I entered the Guild building shortly after, and spotted a very distracted looking Eina. My favourite Guild employee was simply shuffling paper around on her desk. There were almost no adventurers here, considering the time it was, so all of the ladies working the front desk had almost nothing to do. So, I walked up to Eina's spot.

Of all the reactions I expected, when I she noticed me standing there, 'running around from behind the desk and hugging' was rather low on the list. Surprising all her co-workers, she did exactly that.

The two other girls, a cat girl and human, looked at me with an 'I'm sorry for the inconvenience' look as I had to move the poor rabbit out of the way and use my other arm to hug the sniffling adviser. "Um. I missed you too?"

She stiffened suddenly, realizing exactly what she'd done, and pushed herself away from me. With her usual 'ahem' of per-lecture, ruined slightly by her scrubbing a forearm over her eyes, she composed herself and looked at the clock. "We have to talk. This way please."

Again the two behind the counter gave me that look, and I allowed myself to be lead to one of the consultation rooms.

* * *

After getting seated, and me putting the bunny down on the desk, we simply looked at each other a moment. I could see she was having trouble finding a place to start, so I took the initiative.

"I'd like to register a monster as a pet, how do I go about it?" I motioned to the pet in question, who cleaned its face with a paw, then closed its eyes.

Her training kicking in, she opened the desk and found a bit of paper. "You have to fill this out, and commission a special collar for it from Ganesha Familia." She paused, looking at me, then sighed, "You did that on purpose didn't you?"

"I did." I said with a smile, "You were having trouble figuring out where to start, so, I did." I accepted the paper and picked up the nearest ink pot and quill.

"You can be so..." She sighed, "You and Bell both. But... I'd like to know what happened. I've heard from Bell, and several others, but I need to hear your side as well."

"About what happened... I'll tell you what I remember."

* * *

The story didn't take very long, though, she was thoughtful enough to offer me tea and a cookie before I started. A bit of my cookie went to the rabbit, who put a paw over it and nibbled at it quietly. After I was done, she nodded her head and gave one of her long sighs, "Okay. If you remember anything else, please, let me know. Though she no longer had a Familia, she was a high level adventurer, and we have to at least make note of her death. What, or who, killed her. Notify next of kin if any, talk to... Are you alright?"

I wasn't. Not at all. Again my mind tried to see into the gap in my memory, and again there was nothing. Dead? How? Was I even strong enough? Even with my magic, and my loss of control, was it even possible? Was that why the dwarf wouldn't tell me what he saw? Was it that horrible?

"What... Have I done? How..." I was shivering now, "I stood in the way... I made my choice..." I was starting to babble. Trying to justify what I'd done. I felt Eina's hand on my back, almost burning on my suddenly cold body.

"Please calm down." I heard her, but it sounded distant. "Please? Kodori?"

"I killed some one..." I mumbled, "And I don't even remember..." The hand on my back tipped me over a little, and I found myself leaning on Eina, "I... What..."

It took a while, but I finally managed to get some sort of control over myself again. I'd done the unthinkable. Eina had tried to console me, telling me that it happened, not often, but enough that the Guild had to allow it in some cases, just to keep the peace between some Familia. In simple terms, the incident would be written off as a case of 'in defence of Familia against some one who wouldn't back down'. I had to get her to repeat that, and explain, just to be sure I understood. If she had a Familia, they could have filed suit against me, charging me for the loss of an 'asset'. But since Ishtar had been banished, and Phryne hadn't enlisted with another Familia, I didn't have to fear for that. Small mercy, as I suspected a level five would come with a very heavy penalty.

"Look... Go home. I'll take care of your paperwork, and send some one from the Ganesha Familia over soon." She picked up the sleeping rabbit and handed it to me, the critter not even trying to nibble at her. "They miss you."

"Yeah... I'll... Yeah." I mumbled, feeling more tired than anything. "Maybe Lady Hestia won't make me sleep on the lawn."

We shared a tired chuckle, and I stood to leave.

* * *

Well folks, I'll stop this one here.

I'm actually wondering how some people -would- react to this sort of thing. Like waking up and being told you'd done something horrible. Or realizing you'd done it, and being told 'it's not all that big a deal'.

One of the big challenges of this story, is trying to pit modern thinking (our hero) against the fantasy one. How does some one who was basically brought up in a pacifist society deal with all the extra rough edges and different laws of a feudal one?

Anyhow. Enough rambling. Read, enjoy, comment. :)


	29. Chapter 29

(ahem) I love all my reviews. Really. Getting a review, no matter how negative you might think it is, is awesome for me. But, please, if you DO leave a review, sign up to the site so I can reply. (You know who you are. :) And I'd love to chat.)

Chapter 28

It might have been any number of things, but as I stood with my hand on the gate of the Hestia/Takemikazuchi home, it felt... Colder. Like a little bit of the colour was missing from the very air itself.

Until I was spotted by one of the younger orphans who was playing in the yard. He stopped, gasped, dropped the ball he was playing with, and dashed inside. Hardly even opening the great double door enough to get through, my ears picked up his excited shouts to the people inside.

As if it were any other day, I opened the gate and stepped inside, closing it behind me. I then took the little bunny, who gave me a red eyed 'I was sleeping' look, and put it on my shoulder. "No longer safe for you that low I think." I mumbled to it as it balanced itself on its new perch.

I managed to get about half way across the lawn when the first head appeared. Bell, eyes dark with lack of sleep, shoulders loose and listless pulled the door the rest of the way open and looked at me. I waved rather lamely, and he blinked a few times to make sure I wasn't some sort of dream.

And I was suddenly being hugged. I put one arm around him and ruffled his hair with the other hand, sighing.

One by one they came out of the building, Lilly, Mikoto, Welf, the fighters of Takemikazuchi Familia, the rest of the orphans, and finally, Haruhime who was leading a thoroughly worn out Hestia. The lot of us were already somewhat teary eyed, laughing, crying, cheering, but when I saw the two of them stumbling out from inside, I let go of who ever I was hugging, and waved to them.

And as they smiled, I felt that little bit of colour return to the air around me.

It wasn't until we had mobbed our way inside that some one asked me why I had a needle rabbit on my head.

* * *

After I ate most of the leftovers from dinner, sharing it with my new friend, I told my story to the others. They were eager to hear it, but after hearing my stomach protest, they simply sat down around the table, introduced themselves to the rabbit, and waited for me to make a total glutton of myself.

After that, they all fell into a silence. Most of them had seen what was left, but like the dwarf from the inn, none of them wanted to tell me.

"We're just so happy you're back! We were all so worried..." Bell said, trailing off, "But it was only because Lady Hestia knew you were still alive that we had hope.

I looked to our Goddess, who was leaning, pale faced and dark eyed against Haruhime still. "Because of our bond, I always know." She mumbled. Her burst of energy from before was gone, and she was hanging on by willpower. I suspected she only slept or ate when someone broke down and forced her to.

That task was probably done by Takemikazuchi, who as usual, sat smiling his calm smile, sipping his tea and keeping an eye on the rabbit, who was curled up next to the still steaming teapot.

"And you brought a monster home?" Lilly asked, "It looks like Master Bell."

We shared a quiet chuckle as Lilly brushed a finger over its head, making it open a red eye at her. "Yes, it followed me back to Rivira. Seemed harmless enough, and I was hoping to bribe Lady Hestia with it." I admitted, looking over to Hestia, who smiled.

A wicked, evil smile. Muted by how tired she was. "Bribe me?" Even with her exhaustion, most of the rest of us shifted away from her and that evil laugh. "You are so very grounded miss."

"Yes ma'am." I mumbled.

* * *

After dispersing, I found my way to the bath. Even after a week apparently laying down on the eighteenth floor, I wasn't really that dirty. My feet the exception, from having walked barefoot from there to here. But the hot shower and almost scalding soak afterwards felt just... amazing. Ever since I started going to the dungeon, the meal and shower afterwards was the true indication I'd come home.

When I got back to my room, my skin practically still steaming as I walked, I was surprised to find, or rather, not find, most of my bed.

Sure, the mattress was still there, but the sheets, pillow, comforter, a small stuffed animal I'd gotten, and Lilly's pillow. All gone.

Scratching my head, I was about to open my door back up when I heard a timid little knock. Opening it, I saw Hestia, Mikoto, Lilly and Haruhime all standing there. Silently, Mikoto handed me the stuffed animal, a cuddly version of a hard armoured. Just as silently, she turned and left.

Next was Lilly, who returned my pillow. I had recovered enough of my wits to give her a pat on the head before she could turn away, and she made a happy noise in return, before also leaving.

Then Hestia and Haruhime not so much pushed, but sort of crowded closer to me until I had to back up. The two of them were hugging my blankets and comforter, folded tightly against their chests.

* * *

As tired as the two of them were, I couldn't sleep.

Hestia, as soon as she lay down and grabbed my tail, was asleep before I could even say good night. By the time Haruhime had found the exact spot she had been the first time we'd slept together, our Goddess was quietly snoring and nibbling the end of my tail.

With Haruhime cuddling her back into my front, her arms hugging one of mine close, her hands holding mine against one of her breasts, and my other hand resting on her belly...

Coupled with the familiar scent of Lilly on my pillow, a big meal and what might have been a week of sleep... Yeah, no sleepiness here.

Maybe this was part of Hestia's punishment?

* * *

"Miss Kodori looks tired." Lilly teased as we ate breakfast.

I gave her my best glare, but sighed as she just smiled back. "Where is Lady Hestia?" Bell asked, "She almost never skips breakfast."

"Cuddling with Haruhime." I said, smiling as Bell blushed, "She was still very tired, and Haruhime seems to not be a morning person." After I had gotten up at the usual time and visited the bathroom, I'd returned to find the two of them sharing the spot I'd just left. The thought of waking either of them up felt like some sort of cosmic injustice, so I let them be.

"Lilly is used to it now." She said proudly, "but only because Master Bell dragged us all into the dungeon looking for you at all hours."

"And you all looked it yesterday." I replied, feeling a nibble on my big toe, and finding the mini-rabbit there. Bringing it up onto the table, I offered it some salad, "Hey Welf? I hope you fixed the straps on my spare guards?"

"You bet. If you help me a bit today, we can get you fitted for new armour and stuff."

"You just want me to pick up a hammer don't you?"

"Busted."

We all shared a laugh, "That reminds me. I'd like all of us to get fitted for some kind of armour." I looked at the Takemikazuchi Familia members specifically, "A new situation meant our rear line nearly got itself killed." I watched as the lot of them, Mikoto included started to look down, "Oh no, none of that." I said firmly. "It is no one's fault. It's only when it happens twice that we get to feel shame."

"The fox is wise." I heard Takemikazuchi say as he entered the room, Hestia and Haruhime in front of him. "You have my gratitude for keeping my Familia from looking down."

"An old habit of mine I had to break when I arrived here." I replied, "I would be so wrapped up in failure, that I stopped trying to succeed." I pet the little rabbit as it nibbled a bit of lettuce, "So, instead, I try again, and make sure what ever stopped me doesn't do it again." I looked at them all, "So we are going to make armour for everyone."

"A'cha... You're killin' me here sister!" Welf said, rubbing the back of his head, "We're going to need more materials if you want me to outfit everyone."

"Lilly?" I looked at our supporter.

"Lilly still has the list!" She said proudly, "Lilly knows where all the merchants you found are!"

"Best supporter." I said proudly, "And if anyone is feeling bored, a trip to level ten for orc leather would be easy."

"You're jacket is a different story though." Welf said sadly, "I worked really hard on that too."

"And from what you told me, It's why I have all my bits still attached." I replied, "And since I have been grounded." I paused as Hestia's eyes peered over her mug of tea at me with a gleam, "I will help with the crafting."

I looked over to a still sleepy Haruhime, who was having a tug of war with the rabbit over a bit of lettuce leaf, "Nooo... I'm hungry... I want it..." She mumbled at it.

"Friend." I said firmly, and the rabbit let the slightly chewed end of the leaf go. I reached over the table, and tore the leaf in half, putting one half in Haruhime's salad bowl, and the other in front of the critter. "Food."

We chuckled as the two of them nibbled on their halves of the leaf. "Wow. Miss Kodori is good at that."

"As with any animal." I said, "You must teach it who is friend, and what is food."

* * *

True to form, Bell and the rest had their morning training. Instead of joining them, I followed Takemikazuchi. Without my gauntlets and armour, the rest of them would feel obligated to going soft on me, so instead, I sought a different sort of training.

"You wished to talk?" He asked as I got closer. He was heading towards the area of the building we used for the orphans. He spent much of his time looking after them. Teaching mostly, but also a lot of the other things a child needs. "You seem... Troubled. You might fool the others, but I see something is different."

My ears rotating around to make sure no one else was around, I spoke bluntly, "I killed someone." The blunt statement didn't even make him twitch, "From what I put together, since I have no memory of it myself, that is the only conclusion I can come to."

"You did what you had to. An act worthy of a true warrior." We had stopped walking, and our voices echoed quietly in the still mostly empty halls. "But, that is only part of it, isn't it?"

"Yes. But, that isn't why I want to talk you." His praise of my 'noble' act felt sort of... odd. He didn't blame me, but it felt like he should have. "I would like a lesson, if you know it, and are willing to teach this unworthy one."

"I would be happy to teach you. I've taught all my Familia the basis of all of their arts. But, while I may be a god of war, I still have only a mortal's strength." He sounded a little down about that, "But, you said, if I know it?"

"I don't know the name as you might, but it was called 'trapping', where I'm from. Or maybe 'sticky palm'." The art of simple rotations of the elbows and wrists to push aside, deflect and 'trap' an opponent's hands in extreme close combat. There were other names for more modern forms, like QCQ, and the like.

"Ah, yes, it would make sense for you to want to learn that. We can entertain the young ones while we dance." He turned and continued his walk.

* * *

"Whoa, sister, you look..." Welf almost dropped his hammer as I walked into the workshop. Both of my arms hung limply from my shoulders, making me look like a gorilla as I stumbled in.

"Lesson with Lord Takemikazuchi." I mumbled, trying to roll my shoulders and failing, "Strength means nothing against perfect form." He had indeed given me a lesson, both in sticky hands and humility. "But, once my shoulders want to move again, I can get to work."

"Yeah... Hey. You really okay?" He asked, putting what ever he was hammering back into the fire and stoking it twice, "I mean, you look okay, but..."

"I should be. I've got good friends to make sure, after all." I smiled, finally getting some motion in my shoulders. I gathered up some leather from one of our many material bins and sat at a work table, "I'm really glad you guys made it out. And didn't do anything stupid while you looked for me."

"Yeah... Haha..." He trailed off, then asked, "So, you want me to make another coat like last time?"

"I could probably go kill another drake if you wanted..." I replied, earning another nervous laugh.

* * *

"Miss Miss!" I was just able to stop myself from putting my chisel through the bit of metal I was etching when an excited orphan burst into the shop. "Some one is here for you!" Looking at Welf, who shrugged and went back to hammering, I carefully put my little mallet and chisel down then stood and followed the boy.

Adjusting my shirt so it wasn't clinging so much from the heat of the workshop, I followed until we got to the front gate. Giving the boy a pat on the head, I found myself looking outside at a very familiar man from the Ganesha Familia.

"You must be here about my new friend." I said, unlatching the gate, "Ganesha Familia really does get around, don't they?"

Smiling, he nodded, "You look well." He greeted, "And yes we do, and yes I am." He chuckled, "I just need a little information, and we can have your new friend able to leave your home."

As we walked inside I asked, "So, I've been curious. I know Ganesha Familia deals with monsters from the dungeon, but, why is the Guild so strict about monsters as pets?"

"You are new, I remember." He said with a nervous chuckle, "Even with the skill of Taming, most monsters need to be beaten into submission to even be social with people."

As we got to the kitchen, I found Hestia sitting at the table reading a book. Holding the book in one hand, she was using the other to lightly stroke the tiny needle rabbit's side. "I think we can skip that part." I said to him, making him laugh.

"Ha. Yes, you're right." He stood before Hestia and bowed, "Good afternoon, My Lady. I am here on behalf of the Ganesha Familia to register and tag your pet."

Putting her book down, she stood, and put a hand on the top of his head, just like she'd done with Bell and I. She broke the imperious act, by giggling, "Relax! Thank you for coming."

He straightened up and smiled, "Thank you. Now... Hm... I've never seen one so small..." He reached into his sash and pulled out a little metal tag. While little, if he wanted to attach it to the needle rabbit, it would be like putting a dog tag on a mouse. "Okay, this might need some more thought."

The rabbit, curious, hopped over to the man, then tried to nibble the tag."

"Friend." I said. And it stopped. "Good."

"Oh, clever." He said with a laugh, lightly patting its head. "Hm. I will have to come back with something smaller... If we even have a smaller tag..."

"That just has to be attached to it someplace?" Hestia asked, picking up the critter and playing with its ears.

"Yes. Some of the larger beasts have it put under the skin so they cannot claw or bite the collar off."

"I'll make something for it then. I'm grounded still..." Hestia gave me the 'glare', "So I've got time."

"Very well." He reached into his sash again, pulling out a second tag, "This one will help you find the other. In case of it getting lost or escaping. Again, I think you'll have no trouble there, but rules are rules."

The second tag was a little bigger than the first, with an almost compass like etching on the top. This, he touched to the other tag, and the two bits of metal glowed for a moment before settling down. He then handed me the two and said, "Don't lose this, as we cannot replace it. When you hold it, you will feel a little pull towards the smaller tag."

"Sounds simple enough." As I held them, one in each hand, I could almost feel the larger trying to move to the smaller, like a very weak magnet.

With one last pat on the critter's head, and a bow to Hestia, "Then I will be going. Be sure to feed it more vegetables than fruit, and you should have no trouble." And with that, he left.

"Pleasant fellow." I said, "I should buy him a drink or something sometime."

"Oh?" This was given to me with a raised eyebrow from Hestia, "Why's that?"

"He gave me his sash from that time at the monster festival. And the magic stone from the Hard Armoured I killed." I grinned back at her, "And while yes, he's handsome, I'd much rather someone a little... softer." I made sure to get a little closer as I dragged out the last word, leaning in until I was maybe a hand span away from Hestia's face.

She started to blush as I reached out my hands, then eep'ed as picked up the critter from her arms, "Now now, what did you think I was going to do? Remember? You have to ask me first." I did however give the top of her head a kiss, "I'll be in the workshop... Oh, I think I broke her."

* * *

At dinner, we convened around the table as usual. This time however, our new needle rabbit was wearing what looked like a tiny chest plate. Welf had thought up a sort of harness idea for it, and we put it together from our softest bits of leather. Our little friend didn't seem too thrilled with it at first, but after an hour or so of little adjustments and then another hour for it to get used to wearing it, it seemed to just ignore it now.

"Yay! Lilly will be able to find you anywhere now." She said, offering the critter a leaf, "Just in case Lilly wants to pet a rabbit, and Master Bell isn't around."

At least three people coughed at that one, though I didn't see the other two were.

"Have we thought of a name?" Bell asked, trying to cover his blush, "I mean, if it's a pet, we have to name it, right?"

The entire table collectively fell silent, spoons making trips from bowl to mouth.

"Chime." I said, looking at the rabbit, then to Bell's rabbit like face.

"Ohh! A smaller Bell." Haruhime said, clapping her hands once, "Right Mikoto-san?"

"Yes, a good name." She agreed.

Bell gave us one of his nervous laughs, but smiled, "Am I really that much like a rabbit?"

* * *

Hestia was absent from my room that night, leaving me alone with Haruhime, who was already sitting on my bed, brush in hand. My tail was happily lashing back and forth as I stepped behind my dressing screen and tossed my clothing into the laundry basket.

"Kodori-dono looks happy." She commented as I sat down, naked with my back turned to her.

"You are here, with a brush. That makes my tail happy." I said as she started brushing my tail, the soft wires just teasing the skin underneath making my spine tingle. "And you are here. That makes the rest of me happy."

She giggled quietly and continued her grooming.

We made small talk, chatting about nothing in particular. It couldn't distract me from what I was feeling, and by the time she was done, the tingle was starting to become unbearable. But, as she fell against my back and reached under my arm with a hand, she held up the brush in front of me.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I accepted the brush and we traded roles. With much less tale than me, it didn't take as long, but, I made sure not to rush. I also noticed, as I enjoyed the soft feeling of her fur, that the knot on her sash wasn't on her back. As our conversation died off, I put the brush down and got a little closer, my arms reaching around her and holding her close, one hand finding and closing around the deceptively delicate knot.

Having learned from Aisha, but unable to use my hands, I nibbled one of her ears just hard enough to make her gasp, and gave a tiny pull on the knot, waiting for her reply.

* * *

After, as we lay together, both our bodies damp with sweat, our breathing just this side of ragged, I pushed her away slightly. The sudden chill of cool air between us made us both sigh happily, before I pulled her in close again.

As I'd done any number of times in my previous life, I trailed my hand up along her side, and made to caress the side of her face. Loving the feel of her skin under my palm, I brought my face closer and kissed her. Not nearly with the same passion as a little earlier, it was still a long slow and very personal act.

As I drew away, the two of us breathless again, I noticed, as I looked into her eyes. My hand, with its thumb under, and my index finger over one of her eyes, still cradling her face, was... blue?

It felt like my heart had stopped. Blue, and terrified, that eye looked back at me, unblinking, accusing.

Haruhime shook me gently, and the feeling vanished. "Sorry..." I mumbled, letting her face go and drawing her close. "Just... thank you..."

"I am happy you are satisfied with me." She mumbled into my chest, "Eep..." She squeaked as I nipped the tip of her closest ear.

"None of that." I closed my eyes, seeing Haruhime's green eyes in the darkness behind my eyelids, "I'm happy you are here. So no thinking you are just... Here to satisfy me. Please? Don't do that to yourself?"

I opened my eyes and moved slightly, putting a hand under her chin and looking into her eyes. "You can always say no to me, if you don't want..."

Her reply was only to smile her sun-bright smile, and turn her head back down to cuddle into me properly again.

* * *

I was tempted to start my morning by rolling back over and skipping it entirely. Considering what Haruhime and I had done the night before, and how I was still feeling that little edge of happiness on the end of every single nerve in my body...

But instead, I very slowly untangled myself from her, replacing my body with my pillow. Getting dressed for the day, I kept an eye on her as she gravitated to the spot I'd just been, a tiny sliver of green peeking out from between her eyelids as she realized I wasn't there. I returned to her, drawing up the blankets over her naked body and hushing her back to sleep. "Don't miss breakfast." I mumbled to her as she settled down again.

* * *

Morning training was again spent with Takemikazuchi. He was all too happy to give me another lesson while we entertained the slowly awakening mob of orphans.

"You've improved much after only a day." He commented as he had to take about two and a half seconds longer to twist my arm behind my back, "You show remarkable focus."

"Something..." I rubbed my shoulder to get the feeling back into it, "To do with falna." I said, "I noticed it almost as soon as Lady Hestia... Ow I give..." Never talk and fight.

He let me go with a quiet laugh, and we both bowed to each other, dropping our guards. "I did notice as well. After I brought Mikoto-chan and the rest into my Familia, they quickly outgrew my basic lessons. It was... Somewhat lonely."

"It isn't just our physical abilities. Mental ones too. I used to be terrible with names. But now, I remember almost all of them, no repeating, no writing them down. It's simply there, in my mind, the next time I see them." I frowned, "But, that is also what bothers me."

"About... Ah, you said you didn't remember."

"Exactly." I held out a hand, just at empty air, "Last night, I saw... It was an eye but it belonged to someone else." I lowered my hand and turned to face him, "It was as if I had brushed on what ever I'd forgotten."

He nodded thoughtfully, "I do not know, but if you have forgotten, maybe it is for the best? I am no expert, but do you children not tend to forget things that are either trivial, or traumatic?"

He was right, but it still bothered me. That single eye looking back at me with such a vivid mix of emotions. "Perhaps it will come back on its own. Again?" I held up my hands and settled my feet back into a stance.

"Again." He replied, doing the same and punching towards my solar plexus.

* * *

"There we go." I told Asuka as I wrote down a number, "That should be everything we need for your armour." She gave me a smile and put her arms down, "Hey Welf! I got the numbers."

"Good!" He called back from the other room. I'd been in charge of getting measurements from the women of our two Familia, and he didn't want to be bothered with 'all that shy Eastern mannerism'. "Bring it in when you have a moment, I can't put this down."

Welf and I got along well in the workshop. He knew what he was doing with almost everything, and was an able teacher when it came to any questions I might have had. With my own slightly more modern methods, only half remembered from when I lived with internet, he loved watching and listening to any ideas I'd come up with. I briefly wondered if I could remember enough to make a steam engine, or even a motor, but quickly discarded the idea as something too dangerous. Who knew what would happen if I failed at making a boiler with a piston attached... Or even worse, managed to do it right, and set off the industrial revolution... A few centuries before it would have happened on its own.

Eventually, he left the other room, trying to rub some grit off his hands with a rag. "What ya got there Sister?"

"New armour. Your design was... Amazing. But..." I showed him the draft I'd made of what I hoped might be 'Kodori doesn't get stabbed and die' ver.2.0.

"Oh... And... Right... Why the ... Oh okay..." He chuckled, "Okay, yeah. This is actually pretty good." He said finally. "More parts, but I can actually use some of whats left of your old coat too. Never did find your pants though."

"Dungeon ate them." I said, though I didn't quite think that was true myself.

"Yeah, a shame. But gimme those measurements, and we can get started on some of this armour you want me to make for everyone." He chuckled, "Maybe we can keep what happened last time from happening again."

"That's the plan."

* * *

It was close to dinner when I left the shop. It felt somewhat refreshing to not have to go into the dungeon, or rescue someone, or plan for an impending disaster of some kind. Welf had set me to making some leather bits for the armour we were going to outfit everyone in, and my hands smelt like leather and oil. Not a terrible smell, but certainly something I wanted to wash off before I ate.

Looking up into the crimson sky and taking a deep breath, I let out a sigh. "Miss Kodori!" Bell called from the main door, his head peeking out and spotting me, "We have a messenger here from the Guild!"

"Maybe I will have to plan for an impending disaster?" I mumbled to myself, heading inside and kicking off my sandals. "What's so important?" I asked him, following him towards the dining room.

"I'm... Not sure? Apparently there's a war starting up outside." He replied casually.

"W...ar? Really?" His easy mention of it and the seriousness of the implication was confusing me. I spotted the back of my favourite Guild employee as I entered the dining room, my tail starting to lash back and forth happily before I could stop it.

"Ah, you're looking much better." Eina greeted as she spotted us. Hestia, Takemikazuchi, Bell Mikoto, Ouka and I were in the room, all sipping tea at the table. Eina was standing, but also held a stone cup. "I've heard you were grounded."

Holding my tail to stop it from wandering, I nodded, "My Goddess is wrathful." I said earning an over the cup glare from Hestia, and a chuckle from Takemikazuchi.

"Well." she 'ahem'ed, "You might not have heard then, that Rakia, the neighbouring kingdom, has brought an army, and are attempting a siege."

I considered what I knew of the city, with its high walls and many powerful adventurers. "You don't looked concerned at all." I said after a moment.

"This isn't the first time they've tried. Rakia is ruled by Ares, a god of war. And as the only God there, has a sizable Familia." She paused and I nodded, following so far, "However, since there is little for them to do away from the dungeon, it is almost unheard of for anyone to reach level two."

"Ah, that explains why no one seems worried." I commented out loud.

"Initial reports also state there is roughly thirty thousand troops. As before, the city should be in no danger at all, but the Guild is issuing a warning to all Familia that travel outside the city is ill advised, unless you wish to help. In which case, you may report to Freya, Loki, or Ganesha Familia. If you wish to help in the city, Miach is head of the infirmary, and Hephaestus Familia is dealing with resupply."

It seemed really cut and dry. But when I thought about power gap between say, me, when I was level two, and Ais... Unless Rakia brought some sort of insane war machine or had some one like say, Ottar, that many level one soldiers would be nothing but wheat before a scythe.

"So nothing inside the city is affected?" Bell asked, "We can still go to the dungeon?"

"Yes. I'm really just informing the Familia not directly involved an option to get involved, if they wish. It is still early in the siege, but at worst, we might have a slight import shortage." Eina replied, sipping her tea, "Thank you for the tea." She said, putting the cup down.

"Lady Hestia? May I go to the wall? I'd like to look for myself." I asked, "And walk with Eina."

Takemikazuchi gave Hestia a raised eyebrow as she tried very hard to look serious. "Yes you may. But you have to be home in time for dinner. No detours."

"My Goddess is kind." I said with a smile, "Shall we?" I asked Eina, bowing slightly and motioning with my hand.

As we left, she chuckled, "It's funny when you're infuriating to someone else."

"Oh! Sister! Eina too?" Welf was just coming around the front from the shop, "What's going on?"

"Oh. Well, apparently, some place called Rakia is trying to invade, and Eina is telling various Familia how they might help, if they wanted. I was going to the wall to look, just being curious."

His face darkened, "Yeah, I'll come with."

The two of us stood at the top of the wall, looking out over the vast fields surrounding the city. In the fading light of the evening, it was still easy to spot some of signs of battle. Occasionally, a flash of magic, followed by a detonation, would sound out from somewhere. "I almost feel bad for them." I commented, "Neat formations are no match for something like that."

Welf's mood hadn't brightened at all on the way here, and his reply was probably the grumpiest I'd heard from him, except the time I asked him to work for Hestia Familia. "I don't. Idiots." I took a half step away from him at his tone, and he signed, "That's where I'm from. After I found I could make Magic Sword, I almost instantly had people clamouring for me to make them."

"And not wanting to deal with that. You left." I replied, "Good. They don't deserve you."

He drew back in surprise this time, "Whoa, where did that come from?"

"Ha, don't flatter yourself that much." I realized as I said it, that my last line could have been considered more than one way, "I know how you consider your craft. Tools to keep people alive, instead of a means for war. I've seen what Magic Sword can do, and even lived through it directly."

We both shivered at the thought.

"As a craftsman, I'll tell you something. Between us?" I looked at him, waiting for him to nod before continuing, "Out there, I see an army, with basically no way of beating what they are up against. If I were out there, on their side, and had time, and wanted to, I could give them the tools to win." Welf looked at me, at first in disbelief, then slowly his expression changed to one of understanding.

"That... Glider. The metal stamp... You know a lot more, don't you." He asked.

"Yes. The glider is a simple mockery of a bird's wing. I'm sure if some one put their head down long enough, they'd figure it out. The metal stamp, the writing press... Peaceful tools. But..." I sighed, "I know more or less how to make any number of machines for breaking walls, throwing stones over long distances, shooting man sized arrows across half a city, propel iron balls with enough force to shatter stone..."

"But..."

"And you don't even need to be an adventurer. For any of it." I said, "Like the crossbow only needs one tenth of the skill of a bow." I gave him a pat on the shoulder, "So yes. Good on you for keeping Magic Sword to yourself, and people you trust."

"Yeah..." I could tell he was imagining the implications of normal people with adventurer power. "Let's head back. Actually, you head back. I'm gonna go for a drink."

"You sure? It's Mikoto's turn to cook." For all her seriousness and combat ability, she REALLY knew how to do Eastern food.

"Oh... Tough call. But no, I just..." He shrugged, turning away and walking towards the stairs to city level.

"Yeah, no problem." I could tell his trip down memory lane and my words had given him a few too many things to think about.

* * *

Nooooootes!

Okay okay, so here is the sort of start to book 8. However, I plan on throwing as many little wrenches around as possible, just with all the little things I've left behind through all the other chapters finally meeting up. :)

Oh, if anyone is wondering about that 'special knot'. When a Geisha (that is, proper high class lady) dresses up, the knot is on the back of her Obi (that wrap that goes around the middle of a kimono) Undoing that knot is basically the start, and end, of getting dressed/undressed. Those traditional kimono are VERY complicated and usually need another person to help put on properly.

Now, the 'other' Geisha, (read, lady of negotiable affection) has it on the front, so a (ahem) customer, or herself, can get her out of/back in to her kimono. I'm probably oversimplifying it, but that is basically it. I think. (Disclaimer, don't assume, as she might just not have had someone to help her that day.. :) )


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 29

Of course I didn't make it home on time.

Not for lack of wanting to. After Welf and I split up, him heading towards one of his favourite watering holes, and me for home, I took no detours.

Even with the idiocy going on outside the walls, the town was exactly as it was. Shop keeps and stand owners wound down for the evening. Adventurers new and old walked the streets, some more tired than others, but alive and looking forward to getting home. Townspeople waving to passerby politely. Business as usual.

Until, as I made the second last turn that would lead me to the front of Hearthstone Manor, the Hestia/Takemikazuchi home, I found myself facing a half dozen people. Just like that. The magic lamps were just starting to come on with the descent of evening, casting odd shadows that gave even my eyes a bit of trouble adjusting, but after a couple of blinks I was able to focus on them all.

From their mode of dress, they looked like a samurai entourage. In the lead was a bear of a man, with raven black hair, grey and dark blue armour and the traditional 'long short' katana/wakazashi pair of blades at his hip. Spread out behind him were a mixed lot of similarly dressed people, all with raven black hair, grey and blue armour and paired blades. There was only one who stood out as different, a woman who wore a sort of battle kimono like I had at one point, with all the softer spots filled with fine black chain armour that was almost hiding the pale skin underneath. Of them all, only the one in front was my height, the rest just a little shorter.

And all of them, each and every one, had ears and a tail, like mine.

Or rather, ears like mine, and a tail like Haruhime's.

And very serious expressions.

I sighed, giving up on getting home on time right about then. "Can I help you?" I asked, their formation basically blocking the fairly narrow street, and limiting my options to either backing up, jumping over, or breaking through. Still being grounded, and not wanting to just be 'Kodori who hit things' I tried diplomacy.

I could only make out one word of the reply from the man in front. Well, one and a half. "Speak ... language" I assumed the middle word was 'Eastern'.

Rubbing my hand over my face for a moment, I did my best, "Sukoshi azuma ni hanasu." 'speak little east.' I think I said, mimicking the word they had used for what I thought was 'Eastern'.

There were a few strange looks from them, their golden eyes blinking with puzzlement or shock. The man in the lead grumbled a moment, then spoke something else. Again, I couldn't really make anything out past a couple words, so I simply shook my head, and made to move past him.

"Kochiradesu." I said, the same line Haruhime used when I followed her to her room. 'This way.'

One of them made to get in my way as I moved past the man in the lead, his hand falling to his katana, saying something I guessed was 'know your place'. But I stopped in front of him, and said "Doke." Move. He looked maybe a little older than me, but it was hard to tell.

The lead man grunted something, and the one in front of me moved aside.

* * *

"And that's why I'm late." I said to Hestia as me and the six Eastern Renards stood before her in the kitchen.

After a moment she looked at me, then back at them, then to me again, then lifted her hand and pat my head. "I forgive you."

Everyone else in the kitchen was somewhat dumbstruck with their presence. The orphans were sort of going 'oo' 'ah' at them, being new and interesting, and in the better lighting, very well armoured. The fighters of Takemikazuchi Familia including Mikoto were surprised there even existed this many black haired Renard, and that they were here. Haruhime was actually bowed to by each of them, even though she was now trying to hide behind Bell. I could see the gears in Lilly's head turning as she tried to figure out why they were here and Bell himself was holding Chime, blinking at them with a mix of worry and confusion.

"This way this way!" One of the orphans was tugging a smiling Takemikazuchi into the room, his lean face smiling at the youthful enthusiasm of the child pulling his sleeve. "See! More fox brothers and a sister!"

As one, the six of them turned and bowed deeply to Takemikazuchi. Well, at least they knew him.

His near perfect calm returned a moment later, "Rise, please, relax." They did after a moment, though he looked at me questioningly. I did my best to shrug respectfully. "Tell me, why are you here?"

A quick but respectfully toned reply.

Hestia blinked in surprise at the reply, her hand capturing mine suddenly. "They want to take you home with them." She translated for me.

"This is my home." I replied, Hestia repeating for me.

The conversation, as it evolved from Takemikazuchi presiding, Hestia translating back and forth, and Haruhime serving tea, went something like this.

They were representatives from what was left of the Black Renard clans. They had found out about me during my rather explosive appearance at the war game. Some of the clans thought I might be a lost child or some such, and wanted to bring me back to the East, where I 'belonged.' There was some back and forth about that last point, but they were rather insistent on it.

I actually found myself getting a little angry at was basically a flat refusal to let me choose. Hestia told them no, they ignored it, saying that I didn't know better. I only really noticed just how much it bothered me, when everyone except Chime, who I was holding, and Hestia who was holding my tail, started to inch away from me slowly.

"Calm down." Hestia said to me quietly, rubbing my back, "You're starting to... That's better."

"Sorry." I mumbled, handing the rabbit monster to Lilly. "It's late, I'm hungry. It's Mikoto's turn to cook right?" I looked over to her, who was holding Haruhime close, and she nodded. "We can open a guest room or some such, feed them, and send them away in the morning."

* * *

They kept to themselves mostly after dinner. Mikoto, understanding the language, showed them around, gave them access to the baths, and showed them a couple of our guest rooms. The entire situation made me rather grumpy. I didn't know them, I didn't want to go with them, and that 'we know best' attitude was probably my biggest pet peeve.

"Kodori..." Hestia tried to get my attention. "Stop pacing?"

She had the tip of my tail in her hand, letting me move about two short steps in either direction of her. "Sorry... I'm just... You know, I'm not sure why I am even this bothered by all this."

"Come here." She brushed my tail with her fingers instead of tugging it. "Lets go talk about it in my room. It's also been a while since I updated your status."

"Okay."

My tail now wrapped around her shoulders, we walked to her room. It had changed a little since I'd been in there last. Her sleepless nights while I was away the probable reason. The nice canopy bed in the middle, that Welf and I made, and Bell and Lilly bought sheets for was still the centrepiece of the room. But now the walls had been painted, making the plain stone look softer with a just barely blue tone. More shelves had been added, a small collection of stuffed animals and more books sitting on each. The magic stone lamps were brighter. It was a testament to our two Familia working together and being successful.

"We really are doing well aren't we?" I said, sitting in 'The Chair'. 'The Chair' was another of Welf and I's custom bits of furniture for our Goddess. Low backed, so we could either sit in it, or sit backwards and lean over the back comfortably, with a narrow enough seat that was comfortable to sit in either way. It was just right, and had taken three attempts to make it so.

"You all work very hard." She said, sitting at the end of the bed while I sat in The Chair. "You seem tense. Something is wrong, not just those Renard, but..."

"Everything I am, is sort of mirrored on my back." I started, reaching back and tugging my shirt off. "How hard I've worked, what I've done, my magic, my curse. It's all there. It isn't everything. I am more than just numbers. It has no reflection of my friends or thoughts."

"That's right. I don't know everything, but learning along side you, my children, I know it's only just a fraction of what you are." She put her hand on my back. I felt no dampness, so she must not have started the ritual. "But yes, it's just a dim reflection of what you are. Some children are kind, others cruel. Some are happy, others cold." She used both her hands to lightly scratch my back, making me push back into her hands slightly. "I'm so proud that all of my children, even those I'm won't be keeping, are kind and warm in their own ways." She giggled as I found myself not quite purring, the sound like a sputtering motor.

"But..." I said as she stopped, "I... Kind of don't want this update. I know, that every time I go into the dungeon, I kill monsters. But that's like... A butcher slaughters animals, a hunter brings down game, part of the job." I had my eyes closed as I spoke, "Because they are dangerous, we kill them quickly. There is no room for 'taking your time' when you deal with monsters."

"You're thinking about what happened... Before you went missing?" She asked.

"Yes. I only remember one thing." I opened my eyes, holding up one hand, as if I were holding the side of some one's face, "A single blue eye, looking terrified at me, as I hold the side of their face." I looked back over my shoulder, "Nothing I hold gets away... and I had willingly let my darkness go. For me to have won that fight, to have been able to murder some one. A living, breathing, thinking person... who was two levels over me..."

I hadn't tried to think too hard on it, but as I looked back, over my shoulder into Hestia's crystal blue eyes... I felt...

Violence. Pain. Rage. Pure elation. Both my hands felt slick with blood. My heart was hammering in my chest with a combination of adrenalin, potion overdose and primal joy at being free. With nothing to hold me back, with nothing between me and my opponent. My hand reached for that face, intent on pulling the skin and muscle away just how I'd done it when I had grabbed her upper arm and she tried to throw me off her with all her strength, the flesh tearing itself off from the bone like well cooked meat.

"Kodori... Please... Don't..."

Hestia lay underneath me on the bed, my one hand on her bare shoulder, the other over her face, the eye framed between my thumb and forefinger looking up into my eyes.

Not with fear.

But with love.

"Shh... Come here..." For all my strength, Hestia only needed her two slender arms to pull me down into her embrace.

* * *

I had destroyed The Chair, so I sat on the edge of the bed while my Goddess sat behind me. Already Bell had knocked on the door about the noise, but she had turned him away saying she was fine.

"Sorry..."

"It's fine." She shushed me, the tip of her finger tracing over my back. "You can just buy me another dress."

My sudden recall of what had happened, down on level nineteen, and partial reenactment, had left bits of her clothing thrown about the room. As well as a broken chair, a shelf, a stuffed animal, and a pillow. Had Hestia been taller, or wider of shoulder, my hands might have grabbed her instead of random bed decorations.

"Shh. No, don't do that." She used her other hand to hold my tail, which had gone slack, and put it in her lap. "No matter what, don't blame yourself." Her finger lifted from my back, the familiar just under the skin warmth lifting out of me. I heard the ruffle of paper followed by her small hands pressing it over my back.

"I know... It was all I could do. Even if I tried to run, she would have caught me, or the dungeon would have. But, she was alive. A person. No matter her flaws." I replied, the paper lifting off of my back, to be replaced by Hestia as she leaned on me, passing the paper over my shoulder.

"I won't tell you not to feel guilty. Or not feel like you could have done differently. But, you saved all of my children, yourself included..." The fact she was basically naked as she hugged me did not escape me, yet, as I looked at the sheet being dangled in front of my eyes, I felt as if her body was the only heat in the room. "Congratulations."

Kodori Level: 3 4

Power: S 940 I 0

Endurance: S 969 I 0

Dexterity: A 859 I 0

Agility: A 821 I 0

Magic: S 923 I 0

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats and magic resistance.

-Home of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant natural armour.

-Judgement of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant increased strength.

Boost is greater in the defence of others.

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

Titan's stance

Becomes immovable when Titan's grip is active.

Kitsune Manifestation

Grants bestial form.

Grants a boost in all stats.

May lose control.

Fire resistance

Is immune to most normal fire, and some magical fire.

Mage: F E

Crafting G F

Developmental ability choices.

Magic resistance

Spirit Healing

Fist Fighter

Strong Defence

Abnormal Resistance

Insanity. Once again, I'd gained a level. I understood that I had done something that most would think impossible. I'd broken limits, overcome a great obstacle, and protected my Familia. No mater my feelings on the matter, that I had murdered someone to achieve this... There it was, written in divine ink on my back.

But that wasn't all. My 'rage' had changed. Me letting out my inner demon had changed the ability somewhat... But I wasn't sure I wanted to find out how.

"Don't... Don't tell them yet." I said, my tail curling around Hestia's back. "While I don't want to hide it... I need..."

"I understand."

"Thank you." I sighed, gently prying Hestia's arms off me and standing. "Now... How are we going to deal with our guests?" I opened up her wardrobe, getting her favourite pink pyjamas.

"Well... I know they are, sort of your people?" She was suddenly acting a little nervous, her fingers playing with one of the buttons on her pyjamas.

"I'd never willingly leave you." I said firmly. "If my actual father and mother showed up, at best, I'd offer them a room to stay in." Considering my actual mother and father were back in my old world, and I didn't even know if I had them in this world... "I'll only let two people tell me what to do, and they are both in this room."

She smiled, my heart feeling lighter suddenly. "You know I'd never command you like that." I smiled back, and she laughed one of her rare wicked laughs, "Besides, you're still grounded."

"My Goddess is kind." I chuckled.

"Before you go..." She started as I stood and found my shirt again. "I... Want some advice."

Even in the partial gloom of the room, I could see her start to blush. "I've sworn to be neutral when it comes to 'who gets Bell'. But, advice is free."

* * *

Had I not been 'experienced' with such matters before I arrived in this place, I think her way of handling 'Bell has female admirers' would be much different. But my presence, and insight, however limited, on matters of relationships seemed to have tinted her view on things.

She herself admitted to being a 'virginal Goddess'. It wasn't that she couldn't love. Far from it. I'd never met anyone with such a capacity for care, forgiveness and acceptance. Even her 'adoptive' Familia members received the same treatment. Even as we expanded, she just... opened her arms a little wider for a group hug.

But she also told me her fears. They were immortal. Ageless. Who would only 'die' if they were totally forgotten. As an adventurer levelled, their 'vessel' or 'body' becoming closer to 'divine' with the experiences from our life, we too enjoyed a longer life.

But it would end eventually. No mortal in history had ever managed to gain immortality. So even if a God and mortal were to become partners, there would be no 'ever after'. There was also the issue of children. No God/mortal pair has ever managed to conceive together. To me that was rather surprising, considering all the legends from back home.

Though, considering Apollo and Ishtar, I should have guessed that already.

Hestia just didn't know what to do about it all. She wanted Bell, that much was plain. But She didn't understand what that meant. Would it be unfair to him, to never give him children, to never let him enjoy a family? Would it be better to just let him go and try and stop herself from feeling what she felt for him? She knew, from how I acted about the complicated circle of 'Bell's female admirers' that being insanely jealous was the wrong way to go about it. But She also admitted that it was her first reaction when she saw anyone other than herself near him, well, except me. I'd already made my stance clear on that matter.

Being who she was, and what she was, she was locked in a paradox of the heart. Could she continue being who she was at the expense of the happiness of those she loved?

In the end, I didn't manage to give her advice. But I did say, "Being mortal is about change. You give us the divine gift of 'falna'. We give you the mortal gift of 'change'. You understand why I treat you Gods like anyone else? You're just people. You might not have a tail, or live a short life, but you live and learn, just like us. Especially now, since you're down here with us."

I'd left her thinking on that, getting one last hug before returning to my room.

Haruhime cuddled close to me as I got under the blankets, opening her eyes just enough for me to see the emerald of her iris, before closing them again. And as I closed my eyes, I wondered what I'd do about the news of me reaching level four. And how to handle the 'extended family' that had come to take me away.

* * *

It should have surprised me more when the 'extended family' decided to kidnap me. The scent of what ever it was they had drugged me with was still lingering in my nose as I opened my eyes to the dim interior of what looked like an empty storehouse. I was thankful for the lack of driving headache from what ever Ishtar Familia had used, but instead of being strapped to a bondage table, I was bound like a spring roll in my own comforter.

My moment of panic as I twitched and tested my bonds, my adrenalin trying to wake me up faster, got my captor's attention. I heard two of the men speak quickly, before the deeper voice of the lead man spoke.

My kindergarten Japanese skill weren't able to keep up with any of it, but I soon found myself being sat up and faced toward the lead man. Glancing down at my legs, I noticed a tight coil of rope wrapped around me to hold the blanket in place. I wondered if they had any idea of what I was capable of.

"Kodori-dono..." The tiny voice of Haruhime spoke from the other side of the room, followed by a muffled scream as she realized what was happening. Some one had clamped a hand over her mouth.

The room started feeling much smaller all of a sudden. "Let, her, go."

The big man and I looked each other in the eyes, and Haruhime was brought over next to me. As best she could, since she was also tied up, and wrapped up in my sheets, she leaned on me. The lead man said something, paused as Haruhime nodded, then continued.

"He's sorry, but he had to do this. His name is Kuroyuki, and he must bring you back with him." She translated for me.

"Before that..." I said, looking at her, "Are you okay?" She nodded, twitching one of her ears over my cheek, "This is my home. I will not leave it behind."

"There is so much for you back East. More of us. More of your people." He replied through Haruhime's translation. "We have broken tradition to come all this way, to find you."

One of the others, the one I told to move aside, said something irritably. "Why are we even bothering to ask?" My faithful little translator mumbled the last part to me.

My hands I found, had been tied inside the blanket I was wrapped in, making it hard to get a sense for how to undo them. "All that I am is here in this city. I owe nothing to your traditions or people."

He sighed gustily, like an old man trying to talk sense into a teenager. "Our race is slowly fading. We must bring you back, for our own survival as well."

It was my turn to sigh. Isolationism, and trying to keep the blood line pure. Ages old problems from back home, when Japan was a very isolationist country. And I was sure he meant that last part because I was a woman.

"You would be the matriarch of your own bloodline. And we will bring her back as well, as the foundations for a branch family." Haruhime's ear heated up against my cheek as she repeated the words, but she kept her voice from faltering. "Kodori-dono?"

I had to stop myself from getting angry. It really wasn't their fault, I could understand why they were doing this. But I really had to remind myself that I didn't want to be known as 'Kodori who hit things'. Because I really wanted to shake this man. This time, I used my own words, calling out for the woman I saw earlier.

"Josie doko desuka?" 'Woman where?' I caught motion from the the side, and the lady slipped out of a shadow and into the dim light around Kuroyuki and I. "Kochi kochi." A kind of short form for 'this way'.

She looked to Kuroyuki, then to me, then back, the big man nodding to her. "Yes?" She said as she knelt down.

"Is it true?" I asked, Haruhime translating for me again, keeping my voice low so she would do the same. "No daughters?"

"Not many. Fewer every generation. I cannot bear children, or I'd still be at home." She said sadly, also quietly. She was very pretty, and still young looking, but there was a deep sadness behind her eyes.

"You were sick, and could no longer..." I guessed, not saying it outright to try and save her feelings. She nodded, and looked shocked as I smiled slightly. Turning my head, and blowing gently on Haruhime's ear so she'd turn it towards me. "Tell her, I think we can solve this problem for everyone."

The lady leaned down further so Haruhime could whisper my message to her. I figured, since this was a more 'personal' matter, it might be best to keep it between the ladies, so to speak. The younger man snorted impatiently, but from the happy swish of the lady's tail, Kuroyuki took the hint and told him quite firmly to shut up.

After a moment of fuzzy ear telephone, the lady surprised everyone by undoing the knot of my blanket, followed by Haruhime's. The other five men in the room made a mix of noises, from surprise to anger, but after wiggling around a bit and making my blanket into a robe, and helping Haruhime do the same, I spoke.

"I won't go back with you." I put my arm around Haruhime as she translated, "But, I know, that in this city, there is a means to help. Even, no, especially you." I looked to the woman. "Here in this city, you will find all manner of magic. And within your life time, you will see your clans grow again."

Kuroyuki was about to say something but the young man interrupted again. "We should just drug her and take them back. With the fighting going on outside, it would be easy to slip away, just like it was to get in."

"We are not objects." I said, looking at him as my words were translated. "My body is my own." Haruhime said that line with just as much feeling as I did, "I offer a solution that helps all of us. It will not be cheap, but the alternative, is I throw you all over the city walls myself." I kept my voice cheerful as I looked back to Kuroyuki. "Is this acceptable?"

Beside me, the woman we had talked to looked hopeful. She kept her posture as calm as possible, but as people had told me before, 'your tail is honest'.

"Yes. I offer my deepest apologize for not considering another course." Even sitting on the crate as he was, he bowed deeply to Haruhime and I. "The fox is wise."

Haruhime and I shared a laugh, leaving the rest of the room curious. After a moment I said, "If anyone asks tomorrow, I was showing you around the city. My Goddess has grounded me, and I don't want to worry her any more than I have to."

* * *

The next morning, some what sleepily, I managed to pull myself out from Haruhime's embrace, and got myself ready for the day. The six of our guests were there watching us train, bowing respectfully to myself, Hestia and Takemikazuchi as we made our appearances.

"Hey Bell?" I said as we did our warmups. I'd skipped the last couple of days, not including my week long disappearance, and it felt good to warn up with the rising sun.

"Good morning Miss Kodori." Damn, he was saying it again.

"Ready to see what I've learned from Lord Takemikazuchi?" I asked, getting the attention of Mikoto and the rest of his Familia.

"But Mister Welf hasn't replaced your gauntlets has he?" He replied, stretching out his shoulders with little pop noises.

"That's why I asked Lord Takemikazuchi to teach me." I smiled, "Still, I have things to do today, so try not to punish me too much if I miss."

"Yes Miss Kodori." He grinned back, the rest of them forming a loose circle, leaving Bell and I in the middle. "Ready?"

I got my arms up, relaxing them almost to the point of zero tension, and nodded.

It was strange. As we started to spar, his two daggers trying to weave in and out of my guard, the red and black metals moving so fast they almost looked like comets in the morning light... It wasn't that he was slow, not by any means, but as I kept my defence up, my arms only becoming rigid upon contact, my elbows and wrists bending and rotating, trying to grab onto Bell's wrists or forearms, that I actually felt like I was his equal.

It was obvious to me, more than anyone, that he was training harder than ever. But as I started to warm up my inner magic, feeling my strength and speed become something more, it was like I now had an edge over him. I had surpassed my rival.

At least, so I thought. In that one instant of pride, as my hands locked onto his wrists, he knelt, upsetting my balance as my taller body bent over him, and with a quick shuffle of his feet, my stance was destroyed, then with a quick twist of his arms, he sent me spinning to the ground. I was still holding onto him, but if I didn't let go, he could simply start flailing my body around like a club, or reverse his grip on his daggers and cut my arms.

But, since we did like each other, we stopped, let go, stood back up properly, and bowed to each other.

"WOW! It was like you were never away!" Bell said excitedly. "The way you moved your arms! It was even harder to stop your hands from grabbing me this time. I will have to work harder!"

Our six guests, Kuroyuki holding Chime, who was nibbling on a bit of his armour, were looking at us in awe. "Sugoi..." One of them said, before they collectively shook their heads.

"Lady Hestia? Could you?" I said, stepping out of the circle, letting Bell spar with his next partner.

Yawning, she smiled, "Sure." She said, coming to stand next to me, my tail migrating to rest in her hands.

"After our talk last night," I said to them, letting Hestia repeat, "I have decided to take you to a friend of ours. It is my hope they can solve all of your problems, and that I will no longer be needed to go East with you."

"Again, we thank you... And we believe you now... About throwing us over the wall." Kuroyuki said, his bear-like shoulders shaking with a laugh. "Please, take care of our wayward daughter. Oh sorry." Hestia stumbled as she realized he said that to her, not me. "Yes I will, though, she really takes care of us too... Friend!" She pointed at Chime, who stopped trying to eat Kuroyuki's armour. "Good rabbit."

* * *

My trip to Nazza's, with the lady of the group, was a little awkward. I knew what we were going there for. SHE knew what we were going there for. But neither of us could really talk about it at all. Language barrier aside.

The men of the group at least had an idea of what the trip was for, but they at least had the tact to let it stay a 'personal problem'.

I also found out her name was 'Miyuki'. It was kind of funny when I thought about it, considering the leader's name was 'Black snow', and hers was 'Pretty snow.'

"Oh, Kodori, and... You have a sister?" Nazza asked as we walked in, my guest looking around thoughtfully as we entered.

"I don't think so?" She and I didn't look alike aside from the hair and ears at least. "But..." I looked around to see if she had any other customers. "Okay... So here's the problem." I started.

* * *

Cassandra and Daphne came down some time during my explanation, and were listening in as they started setting up for the day on the complicated looking alchemist equipment behind the counter. By the end of it, the three of them were listening raptly at my story of 'distant relatives trying to kidnap me and not getting thrown over the wall for my troubles.'

"Wow..." Nazza said with her lazy smile, "I'm surprised you can ask that with a straight face."

The two former Apollo Familia members nodded, both of them blushing slightly. "Well, can you help her?"

"Sure. That one is fairly easy..." She turned her back, reaching up with her left arm into a cupboard, "I should have everything here, might take half a day." She handed some bottles to her two assistants, "Half spoon of this to boil, two spoons of this after, and mix in two vials of the green base to make it drinkable."

"Yes Ma'am." They said, turning towards the equipment.

"And the other one?" I asked.

"Are you sure this is just for her?" She teased, "I mean... You and Bell would make cute puppies."

The thought of albino fox children popped into my head suddenly, all of them climbing over Haruhime like a jungle gym. "Haha! No, not happening. But seriously?" I chuckled a bit more, my mental picture adding in Bell, and then Hestia who had one of the albino fox-Bells on her shoulders playing with her twin tails.

"Well... Maybe. I'm sure I can mix one for..." She blushed slightly, lowering her voice, "I know that the Gods and us can't have children... But I'm going to fix that one day." The normally laid back Chienthrope had a look of nearly burning determination, for a second or two anyhow, "But I know I can make at least part of it work."

"Good." I lowered my voice as well, "And you have no idea how much some people might want that... Good luck."

We shared a smile, both our tails swishing happily for a moment, "I'll have them delivered by tonight. I'll just add it to your tab."

"Oh... Do you have any really simple recipes?" I asked, signing a little bit of paper saying that I would in fact pay her the sum of... well, we could earn that...

"Looking to try your hand at mixing? I can sell you a small set to get started with too. And give you some simple reading material to get started." She added a number to the bit of paper.

"Yeah..." I said... knowing we could earn that as well, eventually.

* * *

As promised, as evening rolled about, Nazza herself stopped by, her hidden right hand holding small wooden crate tied up with string.

"Hey! You're just in time for dinner, if you want?" I said, still under house arrest. "The rest of them should be back soon too."

"No no. That's fine." She said as I let her in, "But I think we might want to translate some of this... Just for you, as a favour, since you're one of my best customers, I included the recipes for the two your friend wanted. No extra charge."

"You're amazing." I said making her tail swish back and forth happily, "Yes, lets get that done then."

* * *

So, with the help of Takemikazuchi, Miyuki the lady Renard, and Nazza, we translated the two recipes and made sure they could actually be made with what was available that far East. After Takemikazuchi had done so, and gotten kneeling forehead to floor bow from Miyuki, we gave her the small vial for her little problem. She gave Nazza the same bow, much to the Cheinthrope's embarrassment, and me a hug, calling me 'dear sister'.

The men of the group were then let back into the room, Miyuki happily hugging Kuroyuki, speaking a long string of words. Takemikazuchi smiled, "Let it never be said, you are only 'Kodori who knows how to hit things'. You've done a great deed here today." He said to me as He Nazza and I watched the six of them have a very reserved celebration. "As much as you worry about your darkness."

"It won't erase what I had to do. But maybe one of them will name a child after me or something." I shrugged, watching Kuroyuki as he walked towards us, kneeling, the others following suit, and bowing, head to floor in front of us. "Dōitashimashite." You're welcome. I said to them.

As one, each of them reached into their armour, and removed a trio of thick gold coins. Much like the ones from the history I remembered. Without raising their heads, they stacked them neatly in front of themselves.

"You're the expert Nazza... How's this for payment?" I let my tail wander over to hers, the fuzzy appendage curling around her own tail. From the way it was trying to wag happily, I figured it was more than enough. So to Takemikazuchi, I said, "One each, two from Miyuki-san. It's hard to put a price on the future, after all."

Nazza pouted a little as I plucked one of the thick gold coins from each pile, and a second from Miyuki's. From the weight, I guessed each coin was about two, maybe three ounces each. "No fair..." She complained quietly, my tail uncurling from hers.

Again to Takemikazuchi, I said, "Use some of that to enjoy the city, and return home." Again he repeated for me, the six of them nodding and straightening again, returning the coins to their hiding spots within their armour. "And that dinner is in about an hour."

The six of them actually worked together to make a dinner for us. And by the time rest of Hestia and Takemikazuchi Familia returned from the dungeon, it was all laid out on the table. It wasn't the same as Mikoto's cooking, but it certainly wasn't bad.

After dinner, Welf pulled me aside, "Hey sister... Come to the shop with me."

* * *

Notes.

So, in the spirit of book eight (I'm sure someone is tired of hearing my say this sort of thing), I'm doing some mini stories. Book eight is actually eight different sort of linear stories, starting with Ares trying to lay siege to Orario. In those stories, our original author, Fujino Omori, spends time on character development. Like, serious development. Eina, our favourite guild employee gets a story. Lilly gets one. Welf, too. But also Syr, (remember her?) and even Mikoto.

But since this is all first person, and Kodori can only be in one place at a time, you will instead see only some of those, as she deals with some of the edges of their stories, and they mix in with her own.

So, hope you enjoyed, as I always do, and I hope you continue reading.


	31. Chapter 31

Remember how I said I'd only be able to 'brush' the other character's stories?

* * *

Chapter 30

Something about our smith was different tonight. The usually upbeat, laid back smith had his 'working on something' face, but he wasn't at the forge. Of the many things I'd noticed about him, he left the serious thinking back in the shop, a 'leave work at work' sort of man.

Stepping into the shop, he waited until I entered and actually locked the door behind him. Very unusual.

"Okay. I'll bite. Something is up." I said, raising an eyebrow at him as he turned away from the door.

"Over here." He walked over to the metalworking corner of our workshop, and sat down on the thin cushion he used when he worked the anvil. I knelt across from him in silence, knowing that when he wanted to speak, he would.

He reached into a small box, and put two objects on the anvil. One, a dagger hilt, with about ten centimetres of opal white blade that ended at an odd angle. The other, was twenty or so centimetres of blade with no hilt that tapered to a perfect point. He motioned for me to look at them, and after a quick look, I knew two things.

This was certainly Welf's work. His smith mark was tapped into the metal at the base of the blade. And second, someone had cut this blade. Not broken. Instead of a sort of jagged rough spot where the two fragments fit together, they were both glass smooth.

"I know you aren't really the person to ask when it comes to weapon quality." He started, holding up a hand to stall my comment, "You have an eye for it, but since you don't test them, or use them, or even pick them up unless you really have to..."

"Fair." I relented. Often, he would ask me to run an eye over his work. I was quick to notice and mention anything that looked like it might be a flaw. I was wrong most of the time, but every so often, I'd point to something, ask 'is that supposed to be there/look like that?' and be right that it was a flaw. "I remember Bell really liking this one. Good balance, fine edge, excellent point."

"He blocked a simple swing from another smith's weapon, and it ended up like that." Welf said with a frown. "Tsubaki, the captain of Hephaestus Familia."

I thought a moment, "Fairly tall, eye patch, Eastern?" I thought of the lady who simply said 'she's here' to Goddess Hephaestus that one time I visited.

"Yeah. She's a friendly sort. But keeps telling me I'll never achieve my goal, if I refuse to make magic sword." He sighed and watched me put the two blade bits back down.

"That goal being?"

"Every potential member of Hephaestus Familia, after they have proven they are a capable smith, is taken to a room. There, Lady Hephaestus herself shows them a single weapon. A blade she forged, with no divine ability, no special magic. The absolute height of a mortal's skill." His eyes clouded over, looking off somewhere into the distance, "If that blade doesn't inspire that smith, then they are rejected. Unfit for the Familia."

"And you were inspired then?" I watched his eyes refocus on me, his mouth showing that familiar grin.

"Of course. I'd bet even you'd wish you weren't cursed so you could use that blade. She showed me the limit of mortal skill. But I looked at that, and thought, 'I will do better.'"

It was rare to see him passionate about something. He loved his work, that much was obvious, but the look on his face now was something else. "Oh..." I said with a smile of my own, "I think I get it now."

He blinked, snapped out of his moment of grand thought, and I continued, "You're chasing after them both, aren't you? The blade, and its maker." I paused, "Oh... I think I broke him."

My teasing had made him blush as dark as his hair, and he tried to deflect my comment, but he ended up mimicking Bell's 'stuttering idiot'. "But how did you know that?" He managed finally.

"A few things. Your look when you speak of her, HER look when I mentioned entering a contract with you... That sort of thing. You certainly don't think small do you?"

"Ah... I can't get anything by you can I?" He lamented.

"So," I waved my hand in the air as if to clear that topic, "You think Tsubaki might be right?"

"I... I still hate magic sword. I understand it is something I can do. But I just hate the idea of making a weapon that will break." He was looking down at his clenched fist, his voice frustrated. "But can I surpass that ultimate craft, of what a immortal hand made with purely mortal skill?"

I frowned thoughtfully, choosing my words carefully before opening my mouth to speak. "Honestly, no, I don't think so." This time I held up my had to stall his comment, "If you were a cook, who never used a certain food or spice, could you ever master the art of cooking? If you were a painter who never used red, or a writer who never used certain words, could you ever become a master?"

I still had my hand up, even though he really wanted to say something, "If you have the ability as a smith, to do something as a smith, and refuse to, can you ever master the art?"

He bowed his head in thought, his comment dying on his lips.

"Since coming here, I've seen amazing things. Weapons that can cleave stone like bread. Animals that dwarf anything I'd ever seen before. People greater than legends walking the street eating potato puffs." I grinned, "So I say, if a magic sword is meant to break, maybe you can make one that doesn't?"

He blinked at me, "But they always do! No matter what!"

"Inferior blades made by hack smiths." I goaded him, "That jerk Hyakinthos had a blade that he could set on fire."

"That's different. That's an enchanted blade, not a magic one."

"pfft!" I snorted at him, "You are thinking like a hammer again." I tried to make my voice sound like Lilly's, "Your first ever blade probably looked like a butter knife with a jagged edge." I hoped I wasn't right, or teasing him too hard, "But now? Look at this? Even broken, I could shave with this." I motioned to the knife on the anvil.

He stopped in mid hand motion, a protest unspoken on his lips, and settled into a thoughtful face again.

"I'm no expert. But what if an enchanter, is someone who doesn't have enough magic to make a magic sword?" I was trying to get him to look at things from another angle, "Instead of what you do, with that insane power of your bloodline. If you could instead, make the magic fit the vessel, instead of trying to contain it."

"I really wish you weren't cursed. You'd make an amazing weapon smith." He mumbled, "I was so wrapped up in the end result, I never really thought of the process."

"And you'll never think of it, unless you work with it." I said, taking a deep breath, thankful I didn't kick his pride in the wrong spot with my advice. "And it's not like I couldn't be a weapon smith. But I'd feel bad about handing people stuff I wouldn't know I could trust myself."

"Fair." he said, reaching over and picking up a hammer. "Want to help me replace this?" He motioned to dagger on the anvil.

"Sure." I grinned, picking up the sledge.

* * *

"You made another one? So quickly?" Bell asked the next morning when I presented him the new dagger. "It's... Almost the same..." His excitement was tempered by his professionalism, as he held the blade and moved it about with simple wrist motions.

"Welf was a little..." I couldn't think of the right word without sounding patronizing, "Well, after a bit of a chat, we made that one. I should be better than the last, even if it's a little heavier."

"Ready to get started then?" He asked, flipping the knife to a reversed grip and settling into his usual stance.

"Stretches first." I said, making the rest of our team chuckle.

* * *

"Kodori-san." Mikoto called out after we had started to disperse from our usual round of intense sparring. "Something seems different about you."

I held my tail, to try and keep it from giving me away, and wandering over to Mikoto. "What might that be?" I tried to play dumb, but I wasn't too hopeful I could pull the act off.

"You seem... Like you aren't trying as hard."

Nope... Not fooling anyone.

"Let me help you pack for your trip." I said, letting go of my tail and sighing, "I'll tell you."

A little apart from the rest, as they got their gear together for another dungeon run, I mumbled to her as I helped her with the straps on her armour. "I'm level four now." I made sure to pull on a strap just a little too hard, to make her sudden exclamation sound more like a grunt of discomfort. "Sorry."

Composing herself again quickly, she lifted an arm so I could re-buckle that strap again. "Yours and Bell's insane growth aside... Why have you not mentioned it yet?"

"Because I don't like the idea of my gain involving what it did." I replied.

We spent the next few moments in silence, then, "You do Bell no justice if you hold back. We all know his growth is because if his feelings. Chasing after Ais-san."

"I know. She's an inspiration for me too, but he's always been better than me. Even if it's just a tiny bit. I feel like if I passed him, he'd lose sight of his own goal as well."

Again, more silence.

"Mikoto-san! Almost ready?" It was Ouka, calling from across the yard.

"You know that isn't it. Bell-san is not one to get discouraged by how far he is from someone else." Then she raised her voice, waving to the rest of them, "One moment, Ouka-kun!" She took hold of my tail and ran her fingers through it as it tried to cling to her arm, "I think it will only make him try harder."

"Mikoto-san is wise." I said, retrieving my tail from her, "Good luck."

I watched them leave, Bell giving me a wave as he shut the gate behind him. Waving back, I sighed. She was right. Bell wouldn't see my surpassing him as a bad thing. He'd just try harder, work himself until he caught up. Just like every other back he followed on his path to being the hero he wanted to be.

"Well..." I mumbled to myself, "Just so long as he doesn't murder some one to do it, I won't mind him catching up."

* * *

"Lady Hestia?" I said, spotting our Goddess at the dining table, getting ready to head out to her part time job. Even with our Familia turning a good profit from heading into the dungeon, she still worked at the snack store. She was still determined to pay her massive debt to Hephaestus herself.

"Hm?" She looked over to me holding the end of one of her hair ribbons in her mouth.

"I'll walk you to work. I have to go to the guild and tell them..." That I murdered someone. In a way not even a clumsy butcher would slaughter a cow. But I didn't say that. "And that I'm level four now..."

"Sure. I'm sure Eina would like a potato puff too. Maybe bring Chime with you?" She replied, grabbing her hand bag and coming over to our little shoe area.

"Thank you." I replied.

* * *

"Eina, good morning." I said, greeting her as I stepped up to the Guild reception desk.

"Ah, Kodori. And your little friend." She greeted me and the rabbit both. The other two girls looked over as well, and I saved them the trouble of asking, and held Chime out for them to pet.

"Friends." I said to the critter before he could try and find out if they were food or not.

"I see that Ganesha Familia has visited you already." Eina said after running a hand carefully over the rabbit's head. "And you've made a harness for the tag. Good work."

"I have the skill, so I should use it right?" I smiled, "I'd like to talk about... Some things." I didn't want to say 'talk about the murder' in the main lobby.

"Ah, this way."

We walked to one of the small meeting rooms, and I sat myself down as she closed the door. I waited until she sat down to put the paper bag of potato snacks on the desk between us, "I have a few things to mention today." I said. "First, you wanted to know what happened?"

"Yes, we need a record of these things."

"You really don't want to know what happened." I said, "But, yes, I remembered what happened. And, will confirm that I did kill Phryne on the nineteenth floor, in defence of myself and my Familia." I shivered a little, petting Chime, who was sniffing at the paper bag and looking back at me.

She frowned at my evasiveness, but nodded, "If you can confirm it, I won't press you for details. You obviously don't want to go into details."

"No." I said, opening the bag and pulling out a fried potato slice, splitting it in half and offering it to Chime. "Food." I turned the opening of the bag towards Eina, who took a slice for herself, "It's... Yeah..." I sighed, nibbling on my half of the snack. "But, because I managed to do it, despite the difference in strength, in defence of my Familia and friends." I reached into my shirt and took out the bit of paper with my new status on it, sliding it across the table.

"..." Eina looked at my sheet, and seemed frozen. Chime, done with his half of the potato slice, hopped over to her, and stole what was left of hers. I waited patiently, until she seemed to come back to herself, and look at the rabbit, "That wasn't fair." She said to Chime, then to me, "I really shouldn't be surprised... But this really is..."

"I know." I replied, "It's been less than half a year, and I've reached level four."

"I have to be honest." She said to me, "As a member of the Guild, I must report certain unusual things. I was able to down play things when you and Bell reached level two as fast as you did. You both managed to beat incredible odds and survive something that has... ended... many other rookie adventurers." She sighed, "But after the war game, and you both managed to reach level three, again, at the same time."

She had to calm herself by taking another potato slice from the bag, pausing to boop Chime's nose for stealing her last one.

"I purposefully misfiled those... Not mentioning your levels to anyone, and just filing them away myself, instead of letting the records people do it. Considering you two managed to not just beat the record for level one in a fraction of the time, but reach level three in an even smaller fraction of time."

"Is it really that much of a problem?" I asked.

"Consider, that many adventurers retire happily at level two. Not just because they give up on going further, but a couple of years of hard work on the upper floors, before or around Rivera on the eighteenth, can earn more money than a lifetime outside the city." She started listing numbers for me, explaining.

Because of the dungeon, there were more powerful adventurers here, than the rest of the world combined. The perfect training ground meant lots of 'exilia', and the endless need for magic stones, and the constant supply of them, meant money was fairly abundant in Orario. But if say, someone were to save up, stay alive, and leave the city, all that extra money could buy you a comfortable living someplace else.

"The war outside is a good example. We have volunteers from some of the top Faimia dealing with the invasion, not because we need them to, but because they are bored. Only a few dozen from Freya, Loki and Ganesha Familia are out there, dealing with about 30,000 level ones and the odd level two." She let that sink in, letting me frown at the thought, "So, consider, you are now level four, and could probably handle a thousand level ones, all by yourself. Do you have any idea what some people would do for that sort of strength?"

"Yes." I replied instantly, "I do know what some people would do."

She paused, "Right... Sorry."

She'd only seen what I'd looked like after being healed from Zanis's magic sword attack.

"So, with this level of growth... People will start to wonder if you have a secret, or are somehow cheating, or if your Goddess is doing something she shouldn't, to manipulate your status. Anything a person can think of that might be 'unfair'."

"Politics." I grumbled, "If I told them I was simply trying really hard from the moment I woke up to the time I went to sleep, pausing occasionally to eat, no one would believe me, because they think they've been doing the same."

"Yes. I've met many adventurers who mention you and Bell. Some wonder if you are cheating. Others think you might be lying somehow. Others still want to see what you are capable of in person, but... There are some who look up to you, and wonder if they can't do better."

"The last group being the smallest." I said, getting a nod.

"But, I honestly don't know what to do with this..." She motioned with the paper in her hand.

"I'm sure with the war outside, there's been a whole pile of paperwork." I said sarcastically, "I mean, with all the coming and going, that pile must just keep getting taller, no matter how much you work on it."

We both shared a dark smile, "Yes, you are correct. Who knows when I might get to the last page, on the very bottom of all those reports..." She sighed, "You're a terrible influence, but at best, it gives me a week."

* * *

"Welc... ohhhhh its a rabbit!" Arnya was there to greet me as I stepped into the Hostess of Fertility. "It's so..." It was a slow day, I was here before the lunch rush.

"Friend." I said as I lifted my hand with the rabbit on it so the energetic cat girl could pet it, "It's the mascot of our Familia now, I think."

"Looks kind of like Mister Bell." Syr said as she came over to see.

"Friend." I said again, moving my hand so the two of them could share in giving the critter attention. "Its name is Chime. It followed me home from the eighteenth. I don't suppose I could get lunch?"

"Side of salad, no tomatoes." I heard Mia say from behind the bar, "Heard some of what happened." She patted her hand against the bar top and I walked over to sit in front of her. "Care to share? I worry when my girls are troubled."

I paused in mid-motion, then sighed and sat properly on the stool, putting Chime down on a coaster and running a finger down its back, "After food. It's not a very happy story."

"Sure."

So, about half way through my lunch, a truly amazing bowl of stew and fresh bread, I started my story. Ryuu had come to listen as well, and I could tell that the two cat girls were listening in as they worked, their ears turning to keep focused on me.

By the time I finished my stew, I'd gotten to the part of why I'd gone missing for a week.

"So, yes. I nearly lost, and fully expected to." I said to Mia, "Sorry."

She gave my head a pat, "But you didn't. I'm not really surprised you stood up to her though." She smiled, "You've always seemed the type."

I winced, knowing that she was only half right. "Good influence at home." I tried smiling but wasn't sure I had it right, "And I don't really think I won. Sure I returned, but I had to leave something behind to do it." I sighed, watching Chime work on a leaf happily, "Though, I had this one follow me home after I woke up again on the eighteenth."

"You said you remembered what happened?" Ryuu asked.

"I remember the fight itself, mostly. I wasn't... It was like I was simply watching some one else fight. It was me, but I was doing things I would have never considered doing before. But after that, I think I might have passed out? Maybe run down a tunnel a while?"

"Very strange." Mia said, putting away a dried mug.

"Nyaa?" Arnya made a puzzled noise as my tail avoided her wandering hand, and instead wrapped around her arm. "Hey no fair!"

We laughed as I retrieved my tail, the grim mood broken.

"So why aren't you with the rest in the dungeon today?" Chloe asked, "We saw the rest of them go in this morning."

"Lady Hestia, may her potato snacks sell out, has grounded me." I said as if quoting a holy text.

"Ohhh. But if you are grounded, you won't be able to keep up with Bell." Chloe said.

"Actually..."

"No way..." Arnya caught on instantly, "But..."

"Yeah." I sighed, "Due to what happened, I'm now level four." Just as I said this, I heard some one step in, their boots making a distinct sound on the wooden floorboards "But I'm still not happy I ended up killing Phryne to get it."

And I heard the boots turn around and leave again, my brain only catching on a moment too late.

"Crap." I said.

* * *

"You know Chime." I said to the rabbit as I walked towards one of the many shops I had to visit on the way home, "I am an idiot."

The tiny red eyes looked back at me, without judgement.

"Do you think some of the other Gods are bored and trying to mess with people from the Heavens?"

Chime rubbed a tiny paw over its head a few times, cleaning around the little horn.

"I mean, with all that's happened to me. What do you think?"

A very very tiny sneeze was my only reply.

* * *

Again, after dinner, Welf came over and pulled me aside. "I need a hand with something. How's the armour coming, by the way?"

"Sure." I replied, pausing to lean over Haruhime a moment to give her a light hug and say, "Don't wait up for me?" She nodded and I turned back to Welf, "Managed to get a little done. Was out on errands most of the time you guys were gone."

"Yeah? Good. We managed a good haul for leather today too, so we should have enough for the rest of the work." I could tell something was bothering him again. He had that distracted tone again, and he was obviously trying to make idle talk as we split off from the dinner crowd. As we got to the workshop, he again waited until I was inside before locking the door.

"Problem?" I asked, and he nodded, his face twisting up in anger.

"Stupid old man." He said with a growl.

"Where did that come from?" I asked, handing him his apron and picking up a hammer of my own. "Isn't he in... Rakia..."

"Yeah, you guessed it." He grumbled, tying the apron on and poking at the banked fires of the forge. "He and gramps are here. In the city. As well as a few other soldiers. Ever since the war game, when Ryuu and Mikoto used my magic sword, they've been planning on getting me back."

We got everything set up as he spoke, "Merchants, one or two at a time, tourists... No one really suspects that." He picked up a couple of metal ingots, weighing them in his hands before setting one down and testing a third, "He has a magic sword of his own, and says he has many more, from an old store house back in Rakia. Saved from the curse laid out on my bloodline."

He chose a metal, then went to our little storage of 'monster bits' that were usable in forging.

"And he's threatening the city, so you'll come back and bring your family to glory and wealth and blah blah blah?" I said, blinking as he handed me a stiff wired brush, "What's this for?"

"He wants me to make magic sword, fine, I'll make him magic sword." He shook the brush at me again and I took it from him, "I'll crush that old relic with my own craft and throw him over the wall." It was rare to see him genuinely angry. Flaming red hair aside, he was usually pretty level headed. "But I want your help." He looked at me and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Sure." I was surprised he put his hands on me. It wasn't that he wasn't friendly, or I was unfriendly, but he wasn't ever really one to touch women in an unprofessional manner. "What do you need?"

"Brush your tail with that. You gave me an idea, and I'm going to give that bastard a surprise he won't ever forget."

* * *

It was weird, watching the fur I'd brushed off my tail not burn, but melt into the metal. Even he was surprised at how hot the metal had to get to mix with the little black slivers. But, as we worked together to hammer the alloy of steel and various monster bits together, the blade started to take on a black glassy sheen, almost like obsidian.

Welf himself had that razor focused look he got when he threw everything into his work. I was almost as focused, sparing only a little concentration to listen to the signals he was sending with his hammer, telling me when to bring down the heavier sledge, or not. To hit the metal bar along the edge to form the edge, or the flat to shape the spine.

He even used a sort of backwards version of an idea I'd shared with him. I didn't tell him the original name I'd heard, 'hot dog in a bun', as he'd never have gotten the reference. But the general idea was to take a a softer metal and fold it over a harder one. The harder metal takes the edge, while the softer metal makes up the spine, making the blade both take an edge better, and more flexible, to reduce the risk of it shattering from a poor swing or heavy block.

We worked like that for a few hours. His only words to me after the 'thank you' for giving him a small handful of my fur, were 'make a hilt'. I did that while he finished up the blade grinding it down and polishing it up. And in the end, only a few hours before dawn, we put it all together.

The softer metal became a blade of glossy almost obsidian black. The harder spine was made of a reddish steel, and supported the black metal almost all the way to the point. The hilt, I'd made with more of the red steel, making it long enough for two big hands to hold comfortably, and wrapped in wire made of some of the left over black steel I'd swept off the floor and melted down again. For the pommel, I used the biggest hell hound tooth we had, recalling the time I'd pulled it out of my leg as I gently heated up the base and welded it to the end of the hilt and wrapped it with the last of the wire.

The end result, was a very sinister looking longsword that seemed to drink in the light around it.

Welf held it in one hand, eyes closed, testing its balance. He drew it closer to his body and held it in both hands, one over the reddish steel of the blade's spine. "Let's go." He said finally, smiling grimly.

* * *

"I'm still grounded you know." I mumbled as we walked towards one of the small warehouse districts in the city.

He chuckled as he adjusted the bundle of cloth holding our creation on his shoulder, "You want to see if this works right?"

"Well yes. Did I get the balance right?" The streets were clear of people, the city almost silent this early in the morning. I was actually feeling a little cold after leaving the forge.

"Perfect. Make a smith of you yet." He grinned.

"What will he think when I show up? Not that we can't handle it... But if he has magic sword..." I asked, flexing my hands inside my gauntlets.

"A lie." He said, "He threatened the city, saying he'd use those stockpiled magic sword to burn the place down... But if he had that many, would he even need to be in here? Instead of out there bringing down the wall?"

I thought about it a moment and nodded, "Were those blades really that powerful?"

"You know how sis'Ryuu is so strong? With her magic?" He said, turning a corner.

"Very much so."

"Imagine a nation of people like her, being swept aside. That's why my bloodline was cursed. What was left of the elven nation cast a spell so powerful, that it destroyed all the magic sword on the field that day, and took away the Crozzo gift." He said, turning another corner, a pair of men standing at a door popping into view.

I fell silent and felt my blood turn to ice at the thought of how horrible that war must have been. After seeing Ryuu's magic, and even being on the receiving end of it in practice, the thought of a nation of people who could do the same, being nearly powerless to stop the power of the Crozzo swords...

"You were told to come alone." One man said, hand going to his sword.

"She caught me working late, and told me she'd snitch if I didn't bring her along. Go easy on her, she's new to my Familia." Welf lied casually, wiggling the wrapped blade on his shoulder.

"Fine." The other said, opening the door and letting Welf in, then getting behind me and drawing his sword, "Try anything and you're dead." He said to me.

I didn't resist, but had to stop myself from smiling. With all the spotlight time Hestia Familia had received they must really have been from out of town to not know me. I did however take a long slow breath to get my inner magic going. I had no desire to find out if a level one adventurer could get through my back with a blade.

Inside, the warehouse was mostly empty. A few crates, hay bales, buckets, random things. But it was probably for the best, as there were over twenty armed soldiers, as well as two older men. The soldiers were all dressed the same, not in what I'd consider a military outfit, as they had no emblem or regalia visible. But they all wore red over grey shirts and black pants. In a city this size, no one would notice this sort of thing, unless they were all in the same room, like this.

The two older men both had the look of life long smiths. The younger of the two had brown hair shot with grey, with a rough wrinkled face and cold eyes. The elder was far more grey, but despite looking like he was over sixty, his body looked like he had been behind a forge every day of his life. He was fairly tall too.

"Certainly look like you." I mumbled to Welf who grunted an affirmative.

"Quiet!" The man behind me said, shoving me.

"You weren't supposed to bring anyone boy!" said the one who I thought was Welf's father.

"She followed me. Not like I could have stopped her." Welf replied with an angry shrug.

"No matter, if she knows what's good for her she should just say her goodbyes here." The father said, hefting a two handed sword that was resting beside him. In the dim light of the magic stone lamps, I could see that the hilt was old. Like weathered bronze. "Did you bring them? All of your magic sword?"

Welf shrugged and unwrapped the cloth bundle. "Only have the one. Just made it too." The grandfather, who was simply leaning against a crate, thick arms folded over his chest, widened his eyes as Welf revealed the obsidian bladed sword.

"You were supposed to bring them all!" The father yelled, "Foolish boy! Do you want the city to be burned around you? Are you trying to make a fool of us?"

"Stupid old man!" Welf yelled back, "Are your ears full of slag? I said on only have the one!"

Standing behind Welf, I sighed and shook my head. My own father and I shared many moments like this too, back in my world. I caught Welf's grandfather watching my reaction, and smiling slightly.

"You still have that stupid notion that weapons are forever? That just because they break you shouldn't make magic sword?" They were still yelling at each other, the two of them almost pressing foreheads together as they yelled.

"YES! A weapon is a companion! Something you can trust to carry you through a battle!" Welf screamed back.

My ears twitched, and I caught the noise of many feet trying to be sneaky. Just outside, I heard a muffled grunt, just before a boot was applied to the wooden double door shattering it into splinters. Turning, I watched as a dozen adventurers filed in, a mix of races, all dressed differently, aside from one detail. A hammer over a volcano. Hephaestus Familia. More filed in, and soon they outnumbered the Rakia soldiers inside.

And there at the back, standing beside Tsubaki with an eyepatch over one eye and amazing red hair, stood Hephaestus herself. "You aren't taking him anywhere." Tsubaki said her arms folded over her chest.

The father and son stopped arguing and turned to look at the collection of adventurers, "You used me as bait, didn't you?" Welf growled, "You knew he was in the city!"

Tsubaki shrugged, "We suspected and had you watched." Then to the rest of the room she declared, "We have the rest of the district surrounded! Surrender."

"You think that makes a difference!?" The father, wild eyed, pushed Welf away and put his hand on the sheath of his two handed sword, drawing his hands apart and revealing the blade. Swirls of red moved over the black iron surface, almost as if the blade itself was alive. "I'll just burn you all to ash and take my son back home by force!"

As one, the Hephaestus Familia started to take a step forward, but Welf shouted out, "Stay out of this!" holding up the blade he and I had made. "You want to run that by me again old man!? Do it! I'll prove to you once and for all your way of thinking is wrong!"

"BE SWALLOWED BY FIRE!" Once dead eyes now burning with desperate fury the father swung his blade down, the red lines and swirls lighting up and throwing out a massive wave of flame. Standing directly behind Welf, I could see, and feel, that the fire Zanis had burned me with was like a candle to this amount of power.

"Take it all! Oblivion Well!" Welf's bad sense of naming aside, he brought the sword we had made up, gripping the hilt and back of the blade by the red iron we had wrapped it in, and held his ground.

I stood ready to put myself in the way, should it be needed, but as the rest of the room flooded with energy, as soldiers and Hephaestus Familia members were thrown or skidded backwards with the sudden air pressure from the fire from the father's sword, I saw I needn't had worried. The obsidian blade started to devour the flames, soaking them up in a vortex of red and black.

And still the flames poured out from the old Crozzo sword.

The father screamed in rage, as the fire continued, Welf's shirt catching fire at the shoulders, the stone between them starting to look molten.

Yet Welf did not move.

And just as suddenly as the insane conflagration started, it stopped, punctuated by the sharp sound of shattering glass, as the Crozzo relic shattered, the bits falling to the floor with a metallic tinkle. Welf held his pose a moment longer, the once obsidian blade now swirling with the same red traces and eddies as its opponent.

Then, calmly, he pat his hands over the little fires starting to catch on his shoulders, then reached behind him to hand me the blade. I took it, seeing that the youngest Crozzo's hands were red and blistered, and held it carefully.

Stepping forward, Welf reached out to his old man, "See old man?" and as he grabbed his father's shirt, he reached back, and punched him square in the jaw. Not letting go, he hit him again, "Honour? Glory? A smith does! Not! Need! That!" He punctuated each word with a punch, the father slumping down to his knees, face bloody.

But he wasn't done. The elder Crozzo leaped to his feet and punched Welf in the gut, then grabbed him by the collar and hit him again. "FOOLISH BOY!"

The subdued Rakia soldiers and Hephaestus Familia both watched as the two had a fighting argument.

"Our family could have risen again! Wealth! Fame! We could have returned to being blacksmith nobility!"

"A forge! A hammer! Burning desire! That's all a smith needs!" Welf replied, hitting back.

"If not for yourself, then your country!" The elder replied as he shrugged off Welf's punches and returned his own. "With you Rakia could take back its old ways and rule the land again!"

"My home is here! Not some stupid place that can't get over its past defeat!"

"A weapon just needs to be strong! Who cares if it breaks?"

"A weapon must be trusted! An extension of your will!" Welf was started to gain a definitive upper hand now. "I refuse to make a weapon for someone that I wouldn't trust myself!"

On the one hand, Welf was level two. But the father, while level one, looked to have about twenty years of smith experience over him. "You are throwing away the pride of your blood!" The father rallied, smashing Welf across the face with a doubled fist.

Recovering, Welf grabbed his father by what was left of his shirt, and slammed his forehead down onto his nose. "My pride as a smith," He grabbed his dazed father with both hands and yelled into his face, "comes from seeing my weapons COME HOME WITH THIER OWNERS!" He dropped his father, spitting out a glob of blood, "What good is a weapon if can't even accomplish that?" He started to turn away, "Where did that pride go?"

"Enough." The old man said, stepping forward from the wall he was leaning on. Calmly, he used the back of his hand to push the Hephaestus Familia member's blade aside. He walked to his two descendants, intense eyes untouched by his age looked down on them both.

"You've lost Wil." He said to his son, still kneeling on the ground as he tried to stop his bleeding nose.

Even as bruised as his face was, I could see the respect in Welf's eyes as he looked back at the elder Crozzo. "But you came here for the same reason, didn't you?" Welf asked.

"I did. But no, you're your own man." He looked back at Welf, his eyes approving, "Your will is like the metal you work. Strong, tempered."

He smiled at him, the wrinkles of his face making me think he didn't do that very often.

"Looking back, I should never had forced you to make magic sword. To try and corner you into bringing our family back to glory."

Welf looked shocked, as if he just heard some one say something impossible. If I were to guess, this man was his idol, not just his grandfather.

"But, you'll never escape the blood in your veins. You will always be drawn to the magic sword only that power can create." The old man frowned, "Are you sure you won't change your mind?"

There was a pause, and Welf held out his hand to me. Wordlessly, I handed the sword back to him, and he presented it to his grandfather, holding it firmly, "No way. I will turn this curse into a gift. And give my own meaning to the name Crozzo." I watched the grandfather's eyes roam over the blade, and go wide as Welf continued, "I will forge something that will put all magic sword to shame, with my own skill, not just my blood."

"You may have already, cheeky boy." The old man replied, stepping back and helping Wil to his feet, "We won't pursue you anymore."

Horrified, the father looked up at the elder, "But, how will we..."

"We will start over, as proper smiths." I could see the aged hand go white as it gripped Wil's shoulder, "And follow the son's example, not as any sort of nobility, but as proper metalworking blacksmiths." He smiled again, "With a hammer, metal and burning passion, a weapon can be forged anywhere. You couldn't be more right."

He looked past Welf then, past me, and to Hephaestus herself, her red hair and black eye patch standing out among her Familia. "Oh Goddess, the fault is mine. We surrender, so I ask you have mercy on my companions for following such a foolish old man."

"Very well."

With efficiency the Hephaestus Familia rounded up the soldiers, binding their arms behind their backs and leading them out. Tsubaki still managed to mumble something to Welf, who shrugged and waved her away like a bothersome insect. I felt like something of a loose end, having seen everything happen and not need to punch someone for it.

"Well sister?" Welf called as he approached me, "Family can really be a pain some time, huh?"

"Who was that? Your grandfather right?" I asked, walking with him to the door.

"Yeah. Grampa Garon. Taught me everything when I was little. From the time I could lift a hammer until I left."

"Wish I could have met him under better lighting, so to speak." I said with a chuckle.

"Welf. Kodori." Hephaestus said as we got to the door. "May I?" She held out her hand. Tsubaki was there as well, keeping guard over her Goddess.

Wordlessly, Welf reversed the blade and handed it hilt first to Hephaestus. "It's only my first try..." He mumbled, surprisingly sounding a little shy.

Hephaestus and Tsubaki both gave it a critical once over. "Wait... What did you do? How did you..." Tsubaki seemed at a loss, her eyes drawn to the red patterns flickering over the black blade.

"I thought more about the path, than the destination." Welf replied cryptically, making me laugh. "What?"

"Sorry, not used to you trying to be... Oh... I'm sure there is a word for it..." I laughed, not knowing the word for 'mysterious'. He gave me a friendly punch in the shoulder, "Sorry. Heh heh."

"Yeah yeah sister." He said, "Go home and sleep, I'll talk shop with these two a while."

"Sure."

* * *

Notes.

It's about here, that Welf declares his mortal love for Hephaestus. Even seeing what is under her eyepatch and everything. Very dramatic and stuff.

Anyhow. Until next time. Maybe a little more 'story' before I go back to 'plot'. I'm starting to enjoy this world building thing a little more, and book nine is rather scary.

:)


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 31

"Kodori-san! Kodori-san!" Some one was shaking my shoulder. I opened an eye and tried to focus on who ever it was that was trying to wake me up. "Hestia-sama has been captured! Waah!"

I was awake, alert, and on my feet. The transition giving me a head rush that nearly flattened me again. "What? How?" I realized it was Chigusa who brought the news, and she had fallen on her rear at my sudden motion. "Ow my head..." A quick look outside told me it was a little after noon.

"She had been on an errand that took her close to one of the city gates." She handed me things as I needed them, helping me get dressed and armoured with my shin guards and bracers, "Lord Ares himself and a few of Rakia's soldiers took her and started running."

"I miss morning practice and this happens..." I grumbled, hopping up and down twice to make sure everything was strapped on properly. "Where's everyone else?"

"Bell-san left the city a moment ago, he left from the north gate, and told me to wake you." She replied, "He left at a run with Ais-san."

Quickly I thought of the logistics of it all. Our home was closer to the south east of the city. That meant that Chigusa got here roughly a half hour later at a run. That would give Bell and Ais more than an hour head start, and they were the two fastest people I knew. And aside from 'north gate' I had no other directions to follow.

"I am going after them. Hopefully, some one is still around to help with directions." I looked at Chigusa, "And the rest?"

"They are in the dungeon mostly. Welf-san has not returned yet, but Lilly is with the rest of my Familia today." She followed me as I marched to the main entrance, picking up a rice ball that had been left, carefully wrapped in a leaf, on the dinner table. "I was on shopping duty today, so I stayed home, and Bell-san didn't want me to have to carry everything."

I had heard Bell chose the skill 'Luck' for his level three. Maybe this was part of it? To have 'coincidence' favour you. "Okay. Stay here, tell them what you know when they get back."

* * *

I found myself accelerating as I did a rooftop trip to the north gate, and had to force myself to slow down as my technique became increasingly harder on the rooftops. Not wanting to be fined for breaking some one's roof, I hit the streets as I saw the north gate come into view.

Boots almost sparking as I skidded to a halt, I saw some of Loki Familia there already, as well as some others I didn't recognize. And surprisingly, Ganesha was there, the tall God with the elephant mask was being yelled at by Loki herself and a guild representative who I didn't recognize.

"Ah, the fox is here." I heard Finn say, his usually ever present smile absent, "You've heard the news then."

"She wouldn't be here otherwise, right?" Tione said, the implied 'duh' left off. "Ais and the little rookie already left. Wow they can run fast... Hope he can keep up."

"No shortage of determination." Tiona replied, "But, how are you going to find them? Have you ever been out of the city?"

Panting slightly, I looked at them, "No. I was hoping I'd find some information here."

"Well... Hmm..." Finn thought a moment, "We can get a better view from the top of the wall. None of us have a map, and I doubt you want to wait for us to organize for a pursuit... wow..."

As soon as he said 'top of the wall', I had looked up, then stared focusing. I almost didn't hear his exclamation as I jumped as hard as I could, the wind rushing past my ears as my first jump carried me almost three quarters of the way up. Fingertips touching the almost non-existent gap between two bricks, I stuck there. Using nothing but my arms and unbreakable grip, I finished scaling the wall in seconds.

Blood singing from the sudden rush of motion, I felt like an idiot. Sure, I was up here, and the view was amazing. But without Finn, I didn't know what I was looking for.

"You're really motivated aren't you?" Tiona said as she got to the top of the steps a few moments later, her sister and Finn were close behind, "And the way you got up the wall... That's sure to bother someone at the guild."

"Tease her later sister." Tione said as the two of them stood to either side of me. "Well Master Finn? Care to give her directions?"

"Since you are in a hurry, I'll simply give you the basics." The pallum started.

* * *

Orario was commonly called 'the centre of the world'. With its high concentration of Gods, high level adventurers, and being a massive trade hub with the magic stones at its core. Around it, were plains, mostly for farmland to support the population with the basics of grain and livestock. North, were a wide range of mountains, were most of our ore came from. And despite this being the gate Hestia was taken from, Rakia was not to the north. But more west.

I'd nearly done something incredibly stupid. My impatience nearly got me lost before I'd even begun.

Instead, he pointed me towards a smaller mountain range, much more west than north. From my vantage point I could see thin forests, small hills and finally the modest range of mountains he was pointing at.

It was this mountain range I ran towards, the late afternoon sun slowly being covered by clouds.

* * *

I never did a lot of running as a child. Never much more than a good sprint while playing baseball or the like. But now, as I pushed myself forward as fast as I could, my feet rhythmically slamming into the ground and propelling me forward at speeds that would outpace some cars back home... I thought to myself, I might want to add a run around the city as once a week addition to the morning workout.

There were still small pockets of fighting going on outside the city as well. I took care to avoid what I could see, as I had no desire to get in the way of a level five or six taking out a group of Rakia soldiers. That, or step in a pothole, or trip over a fallen blade, or any number of things.

And every so often, my eyes, enhanced by the status on my back, could see a trail of what looked like potholes, travelling in a straight line towards the mountain Finn had pointed me towards. Much like my own footprints, these tracks were going so fast, hitting the ground so hard, that dirt and stone alike were being pressed down. Small craters with two different boot sizes. One I knew belonged to Bell.

Unfortunately, as fast as I was going, I saw no other sign of them, and the clouds were starting to thicken up for a storm. It had only rained a few times since my arrival, and in roughly half a year, I hadn't seen a single thunderstorm. From the way the clouds were forming into dark grey pillars, I'd be seeing one soon. And be out in the middle of it. And I wasn't even half way to the mountain.

"More of my own stupidity..." I mumbled to myself as the first drops of rain started to fall. Soon it would be too muddy to run without risk of breaking a leg or something. As tough as I was now, twisting an ankle while running at full speed would probably define 'break neck' speed.

As the sky started to really open up, the rain falling with an almost painful force, I slowed down to a more 'mortal' pace. I had only covered maybe two thirds the distance, some of the mountains definition making itself apparent. I kind of regretted that I was on a mission, and not actually here to look around. From where I was, I could make out the mouth of a valley, see a cliff face dotted with caves, and a peak that was just starting to vanish into the heavy cloud cover.

I hated myself for it, but I had to stop. The ground was trying to eat my boots with every step, and when I found myself stepping on stone, it was almost like ice. Looking around, arm over my eyes to try and keep them clear of rain and the howling wind, I spotted a shallow cave that might at least let me get a fire going.

* * *

I'd managed to get a small fire going after a little bare handed remodelling of my shelter. I had to kick a small tree down, break off a few of its dead branches for kindling, and make a small stone circle out of rock I had mined out of my shelter with my bare hands.

My curse wouldn't let me strike rocks together to make a spark, so I had to tear a strip of cloth from the bottom of my shirt, the longest I could make, and use it to make a crude bow with a thicker branch. Using a sharp bit of rock, I wrapped my hand in a bit more of my shirt, and used my fist as a hammer to split the trunk. It took a few tries too, but I managed to make a platform for my next step.

Using the bow, a blunted stick, the half stump, and my kindling, I looped the 'string' of my bow around the stick a couple of times, and started sawing the bow back and forth, rotating the blunted end of the stick into the wood under it to make friction.

I swore I'd bring matches the next time I left the city. Or invent them myself, and then bring them. By the time my fire was started, I was shivering from the still pouring rain and erratic winds that had nearly blown away all my dry kindling. But, while smokey and not very pleasant smelling, I managed to get the fire going hot enough that the rain no longer bothered it.

That taken care of, I used my wedge to further split some of the thickest bits of wood, and used the longest and what was left of my shirt to further block the rain. It wasn't much, but from the half year I'd lived in this world, I didn't think it got much colder than it was now.

All I could do really, was stare at the mountain I wanted so desperately to get to. The storm hadn't slowed much if at all, but even before I had set up my little shelter the ground was turning into a swamp. I hoped Bell and Ais had made it to Hestia. Really hoped. And it ate away at me that I couldn't actually be there. That I had failed to make it in time. If I had made it to more stable ground before the storm really kicked in, I'd have been able to climb without worry.

A noise, like a thump, followed by a splash, another thump and a grunt of pain.

On my feet instantly, I peered into the darkness, my eyes seeing nothing but gloom, rain, and a small four legged animal. Slowly, I moved out of my shelter, into the rain and around the side, looking for the source of the noise. I saw a figure pull herself out of the mud and look up at me.

"Not entirely unexpected to find you here." The woman said, her voice clinical and flat.

Blue hair, glasses, it was Asfi, Hermes's attendant. Her usual attire was covered in mud on one side. "Bad landing?" I asked, "I've heard you can make some amazing things, are wings one of them?"

"Yes." She said flatly, "I did pull you away from the Black Goliath, though you were probably unconscious at the time."

"Explains what happened then." I said, "Do you know where Lady Hestia is?" The cold and my feelings of uselessness had made me more direct than I'd normally be.

"Yes and no." She followed me back to my little camp, raising an eyebrow at my makeshift setup. "Hermes," she said the name like it tasted bitter, "Sent me to follow them. I was also told not to interfere." She sighed as I gave her a look of disbelief, but she brushed it off and continued, "Bell and Ais reached them, up there." She pointed to the mountain I had been staring at, "But, She and Bell went over a cliff," she raised a hand, "You'd know if she were gone."

I got back out of the rain, having jumped to my feet at her news, "Oh... Makes sense I guess..."

"Yes. Before I abandoned the skies, I saw Ais jump after them. There was a river at the bottom of that cliff, so unless Bell can't swim?" She asked, then continued after I nodded, "They should be fine."

I grumbled, but couldn't fault her really. I assumed she didn't want to get hit by lightning, or an arrow, so she came back down. We sat in silence a moment, while I replayed her words in my head. "Asfi, this isn't the first time Hermes has done something like this is it. Told you not to interfere with Bell."

"The fox is wise." She said coldly, "But you shouldn't dwell on it. It is just what he does. All, the, time." She was obviously frustrated with her God's actions. "He is very whimsical, and likes to cause trouble, just to see what might happen."

"So this time, he knew you could help and told you not to." She nodded, "And before, he told us about the killing stone." Another nod. I was grateful he did tell us, but... "There's more though, isn't there?"

"The eighteenth floor." She said, her eyes focused on me, her hand moving to the sword at her hip.

I looked at her sharply, feeling my body tense up, "You made that helmet, didn't you?" She nodded, and I forced myself to relax, the feeling of anger sliding down to resignation. "I understand, more or less how the Gods think by now."

"Bold claim by one who couldn't even speak the language a half year ago." She said, relaxing slightly herself.

"It's simple. They are like adults who have never been told they were wrong about something as a child. Ishtar and Apollo are good examples. Both are very set in their ways, both want things that they believe they are owed, because for them, until they came down here with us, they simply got it. Ishtar took being second place to another Goddess of love badly, because back in the Gods realm,"

"Tenkai." She said.

"Tenkai, she had her own domain. And Apollo got what he wanted because he bullied people into giving it to him." I sighed, "Hephaestus rules the forge, Soma makes wine. All very set in their ways. But, just like children, they can be taught, guided. Soma thinks of something other than wine now, if only just. Hephaestus has learned how to do her own paperwork. And Lady Hestia, I hope, is slowly learning about the rest of what 'love' can mean. Even Lord Takemikazuchi has set aside most of his warlike ways, and is taking care of orphans."

"So you do understand. I underestimated you, I'll admit." She said, frowning, "But?"

"But, while I understand Hermes likes to meddle with us, if I catch him doing something like what happened on the eighteenth floor, to me or my Familia, I'm going to be VERY upset." For emphasis, I put my hand on the stone wall of the cliff, fingertips finding grip on the nearly flat surface, and pulled.

Something within the wall itself groaned as my arm and shoulder tensed up. Letting my magic flow into my body, I pulled harder, my elbow and shoulder straining, until with a sharp crack of splitting stone, I pulled a person sized boulder from the wall. It nearly landed on my foot, and upset my makeshift tarp, letting the rain in again. But the look on Asfi's face proved I made my point.

"I know it's not all his fault either." I said to her as my arm and shoulder relaxed, the strain on my joints sharp and painful, "Even if they are Gods, without us, they have no power. If we don't say no, if we go along with everything they want, then they will not learn."

"I'll deliver the message." She said, taking her hand off her weapon again, "Though I don't think he will listen."

"Fine." I said, using the rock I'd just pulled from the wall to help shelter us a little more from the wind. "So, now what? What are you going to do now?"

"I've been told to keep an eye on Ares, and once the storm lets up, I will go back to doing that. If I'm not mistaken, Loki Familia should be heading this way?" I nodded, "And they plan on bringing him back to Orario."

"Think they will send him back?" I asked, calming down again, "Like Ishtar?"

"It is not something done lightly." She replied, looking up at the sky, her face illuminated white by a flash of lightning, "But I would assume they plan to make demands, and send him back if he does not agree."

I fed a little more wood into the fire, thinking. "Then... Let's do that. I will trust Bell and Ais to keep Lady Hestia safe."

"Very well."

* * *

The two of us took turns napping, leaning against each others shoulder for warmth. It wasn't until nearly sunrise that the storm had died down enough to risk Asfi using her flying boots. Still being more logical than mystical, I wondered at how they might be made, though she didn't offer me any clues when I asked.

"So, how would you like to proceed then?" she asked as she stretched her arms over her head, "They may have moved some time during the night, or perhaps set up an ambush in case I returned."

"If you did a quick look at that plateau? If they have moved on, then you can bring me up there and we can track them." I wrung out my poor shirt, shivering as I put it on over my sport bra. "Brr... If they are still there, give me a signal and I'll jump up there. Now that there is less rain, and more light, I'm sure I'll manage the climb."

"Very well." She tapped her heels together, and the wings on either side of both her boots expanded. With a quick and practised motion, she knelt slightly and jumped into the air, the wings of her boots 'flapping' once.

I started walking towards the slope of the mountain, minding my step so I didn't suddenly lose a boot to the mud. As the softer ground became almost entirely rock, I looked up. It didn't take long to spot the blue splash of Asfi's hair as she did a slow semi circle around the plateau, then descend towards me. Not sure how she wanted to grab me, I lifted both my arms above my head and made ready.

It was like falling out of bed, only backwards, as she swooped over me and grabbed my forearms. I curled my fingers around her wrists and with a sudden twist in my inner ear and gut, I was ascending quickly. "Signs of a camp, a battle, and a hasty retreat." She said into my ear as we went up, the slope of the mountain passing under my feet in a grey blur.

"Ais must have been going easy on them." I said back to her, "If she was of a mind to, she could have left all of them too wounded to run."

"She didn't have time. Lady Hestia and Bell went over the cliff," She paused to turn her flight a little, letting me look down into a water filled ravine, "And she went after them right after."

"Fair. Set me down, lets have a look." I said as we cleared the ledge and revealed the site. I took a couple of running steps and skid to a halt as she let go, my eyes quickly picking out details.

Scraps of uniform, broken weapons, mostly spears as well as helmets and shields wrecked beyond repair. Yes, this was certainly messy. I suspected, as soon as they chased Asfi off, they picked up what was worth the trouble, and kept going. "So Bell and Ais came up here." I pointed to what looked like a bit of the rock ledge that looked almost scraped clean, "Ais, I'm guessing, fought here," I pointed to another spot, that had a neat circle of broken spears, shields and helmets, as well as slash marks in the stone, "Bell followed after her..." I trailed my eyes towards the cliff that led into the rushing waters of the ravine, "and..." A few more bits of cloth, shattered swords, and a freshly crumbed bit of rock at the edge, "And went off there."

"The fox is wise." Asfi said, "Ais abandoned her offence when she saw them go over, and that left them to focus on me."

"And since we made no secret," I pointed to the still faintly smoking remains of my fire, "That we were out there, they picked up and ran as soon as they could." I grumbled, "But, it was either I camp there, risk the climb, or not build a fire and freeze."

"Indeed. I will take a look then."

And she was off. I looked around the site some more, trying to pick out further details. But the hard rains had washed away all but the discarded equipment. There was the remains of a fire inside a shallow overhang of rock, but not much else. There were however only three ways off this plateau. Aside from climbing up, there was the cliff Bell had used, a narrow path that wound down to the base of the mountainside, that I hadn't seen in the gloom, and a path that lead further into the mountain range itself.

Figuring this last one was the best choice, I started down that path.

"Were you seen?" I asked Asfi.

I'd been moving at a brisk walk for at least a couple of hours, when Asfi landed beside me.

"I'm not sure they are even paying attention." She said after she matched my pace, "They are all but running back now, and carrying wounded."

"How much further then? How many can still fight?"

She gave me a raised eyebrow, as if to a child who asked a silly question, "You're level three, at best, they might have a level two with them. Does it matter?"

"Level four." I replied, "And... Oh right."

She was looking at me, stunned, "I'm not sure I should be surprised." She said after a moment. "But even more so, does it matter?"

"Fight every monster as if it can kill you." I replied.

"Ares himself is among them, and roughly in the middle. They have the wounded mostly at the rear, but they all have someone helping them. Ares has at least one level two by his side as well, if the helmet is any indicator of rank." She explained, my ears also picking up the faint echo of metal armour.

"I've never tried to capture someone. Suggestions?"

* * *

I'd always been the little kid growing up. Started school early, grew up slowly and my mother's side of the family averaged about 1.5 meters. So I'd always been a target for the bigger kids who wanted a cheap laugh picking on the little kid.

Well, I wasn't laughing. As I caught up with the Rakia soldiers, I put Asfi's simple suggestion to work. Push anyone in your way, out of the way, and stop when you got to Ares.

Orianos, who led the descent of the Gods to the mortal realm had banned all use of godly power except for special occasions, such as the viewing of the War Game.

But, Gods were immortal. And only another God could hurt their physical body. Should a mortal attempt to harm them, their divine protection would activate. And that, would mean a use of a forbidden power. It might not get him sent back to Tenkai, but it would make him a target of Orianos, who could simply declare a quest to bring him before a god for 'execution'. Aside from possibly Freya, who had Ottar at her side, and Loki, with her collection of level six adventurers, no Familia wanted that target on their back.

So, as I basically quick stepped through their formation, my magic burning though my body, I simply tossed people aside. It was as if everyone moved in slow motion, stabbing at me with spears only to have me catch the shaft of it, and either disarm them, or fling them still holding their weapon, into the mountainside, or another soldier. Or swinging at me with a sword, which I would swat away with my bracer, before slapping them with my open palm, sending them flying.

"She's only one person! And only a woman! What are you doing! Get back in formation!" Ares was easy to spot. Very tall, with wild golden hair, he was frantically pointing at me as I tossed aside his soldiers. Only one man, a lean faced soldier with a sort of Roman styled helmet was keeping his cool, though I could see it in his eyes he knew it was hopeless.

"Sir! I think we should use it!" I heard him yell over Ares.

"NO! I refuse to resort to mercenaries! What are you doing! Kill her!" He shouted back. I was maybe ten long paces from him now, and weren't many left standing.

"Sir! We can't stop her! She's probably level three! And our general is still near Orario!" He yelled back, drawing his blade and standing behind the last dozen or so in my way. "Give me the order! Or you will be taken!"

Even as I grabbed a spear and heaved someone away behind me, I found myself respecting this man. He didn't fear for himself, but for his God. He was trying to lead his God, teach him, change his way of thinking. But, Ares seemed too set in his ways, or this man hadn't stood up to Him enough.

But he was in the way.

"SIR!" I parried his blade between my two bracers, and found myself meeting the first real resistance since I started.

Ares growled, backing away from the two of us, "Fine! It's coming out of your pay though!"

I was paying too much attention to the conversation apparently, and my opponent managed to kick me square in the gut. It didn't hurt really, my magic focused more on keeping my body protected than making me stronger, but he used my half second of surprise to hop back, reach into a pouch, and crush vial of glass.

As bright yellow, almost gold smoke filled the air around us, I heard Ares almost sobbing, "A half million valis..."

Puzzled, covering my mouth and nose with a hand in case the smoke was toxic, I looked at my opponent who was backing away, using his back to push Ares. "I hope they are worth it." He said, "We mush flee Sir. Now."

A moment later, as I stood there, letting them get about ten paces away from me, Asfi hit the ground next to me, two arrows in her back and one in her leg. The angle was weird though, as if they came from above her.

Without thinking, I dove sideways towards her, rolled, and scooped her up, she didn't even cry out as I jostled the arrows in my haste. Quickly, I ran towards the cliff wall, an arrow slamming into the stone where Asfi had just been. I spotted a slight overhang in the rock, and slid under it, another pair of arrows nearly hitting me as I did. Two archers? From where?

I looked at the arrows, and noticed the feathers. Pure white, with gold thread holding them to the white shaft.

"Apollo..." I mumbled, setting Asfi down and looking down the path, seeing Ares and his general running away. "But where..."

I felt my heart sink, and dove out of my shelter. Another arrow split the stone behind me, but I managed to look upwards.

Two gliders. White and gold. Circling high overhead.

"Fuck." I said quietly, an instant before having to dodge aside, the glint of an arrowhead the only warning I got. Ducking, rolling, and sliding back under the shelf I left Asfi, I called out to her, not knowing if the fall had broken anything. Her boots were still extended, the wings out, and that might have stopped her from breaking every bone in her body, but I had no idea. "Come on, wake up, Asfi!"

With the arrows in her back, I ran my hands under her, checking to see if she had any potions hidden in her vest, then reached under her hips to undo her belt so I could go through the many pouches she had. She'd have probably slapped me had she been awake, but I was in a hurry.

"No... No... Maybe?" I mumbled as I went through her potions. She had an awful lot of them, but she was known as the most skilled mixer in all Orario, not to mention item enchanter. I scratched my skin with a fingernail, drawing a little blood, then opened a potion vial that was at least the right colour, and put a single drop on my broken skin. I made ready to cut myself deeper if the wound didn't close, but to my relief, my scratch healed.

"Sorry, but if that's Hyakinthos, I have no time to be gentle." I apologized to Asfi's unconscious body as I snapped the arrows and rolled her over, holding her with one arm and forcing the potion between her teeth. It must have been a much stronger potion than what I normally used, as the arrows were actually pushed out of her by the forced healing. Three bloody arrowheads clinked to the ground and Asfi coughed once her eyes opening.

"What..." She blinked at me, confused.

"You were shot from above." I said, "By two people using gliders. Can you fly? Or can I use your boots?"

"But... What..." She was still in shock I think, but she nodded, "Yes... Put them on, just think about flying, they should do the rest." I was almost instantly working on the laces, "Ouch, my feet are still in there..."

"Sorry. If it is who I think it is, we can't afford to be slow..." I ripped my own boots off in my haste, the leather coming apart under my fingernails, "Damn... Mia is going to be mad..." I crammed my own feet into Asfi's winged shoes, the leather still warm and feeling like it was shaping itself to my foot. "Now what?"

"Stand up, think of the sky, here... take this too." She reached for her belt, then saw its contents all over the ground, "white tube, yes, throw it at something solid. Don't open it."

I'd always wondered if my curse would stop something that was actually meant to break from not working. I snatched up a white vial and dashed out of cover, two more arrows cracking into the ground an instant later. Just how powerful were those bows?

"Hope I catch on to this really fast... Okay boots..." Like I saw her do earlier, as I dodged another arrow, I slid to a halt and tapped my heels together, thinking of the sky. And as I looked up, feeling the ground fall away below me, I found myself looking directly into a pure white fireball, its radiance sun white against the still cloudy grey of the clouds above.

* * *

Notes.

This was probably the most difficult chapter to write. Not so much for the content (topics and such) but the pacing. The camping scene (by the way, this method does work.) wrote slow and rather boring. I had to stop a few times just to wake myself up.

Asfi was also a little hard to talk to. She doesn't get much screen time (anime) and in the book, she's not very expressive either.

And remember what I said a few chapters ago? About her interference coming back to bite her?

Until next time. :)


	33. Chapter 33

Before I start.

Thank you for reading this far. Seriously. 200,000+ words later, and you guys are still here. It's honestly surprising to me, but thanks to you guys, I seem to be the most favoured and followed DanMachi fanfic on the site. It might only be a collection of internet smiley faces, but it gives me motivation to see people reading and enjoying my work. Makes me a little teary eyed honestly.

* * *

Chapter 32

A half second before I collided with the fireball, the winged boots on my feet slowed and it felt like they wanted to twist my legs out of my hips as they tried to rotate me away from the offensive magic. Asfi had said 'they should do the rest', but as I was basically led around by my feet through the sky, the rest of my body flopping and twisting around like some weird streamer, I seriously regretted not just taking my chances with arrow dodging while she recovered.

I must have been twisting about too violently to shoot at with arrows as well, and for that I was thankful. Even with my magic, I wasn't sure I could shrug off something from Hyakinthos's bow. He had shot down my glider at the war game from at least three hundred meters away like it was nothing after all, and he was level three.

Eventually, almost getting airsick while doing so, I managed to 'crouch' in mid twist, holding my ankles and stabilizing myself enough that I could at least level out again. I had to will myself to go faster almost instantly as I saw the fireball catching up, but at least I could see what was around me without the nausea inducing twist. The Rakia soldiers were littered about the mountain path under me, some still unmoving, others limping towards their comrades. Ares was with his general a fair distance away now, and Asfi was still out of sight.

And I was flying too predictably, my leg feeling an impact that felt like fire had been pushed through it, the arrowhead stopping as it hit the underside of my shin guard.

Twisting around again, the fireball passing close enough to start melting the fabric of my clothes, I caught sight of the gliders again. "Okay boots..." I mumbled, my leg hurting ferociously, "That one." I focused on the furthest glider and 'knelt' in the air, the boots feeling almost like snow skis on a slope.

The two people, one I didn't know, and the handsome dark haired Hyakinthos, both had long bows, and a double quiver of arrows. The gliders looked to be built the same, except with one addition, both of the riders had their legs in a sort of 'sock' like a half sleeping bag. My original design left that out, in case the real thing didn't work like I'd hoped and I had to abandon it. But the stability it offered them seemed to let them use their bows a little better.

I was far more manoeuvrable than they were, and now that I was thinking of the flying boots as a sort of 'ski' I found my control over them a little better now. I dodged two more arrows, was grazed by a third, was nearly hit again by the seeking ball of flame, but as I passed by Hyakinthos on my way to his wing man, I took out the little white vial and tossed it onto the white and gold fabric on the top of the glider.

Even with the wind howling past my ears, I heard the distinct sound of breaking glass.

The pilot of the second glider managed to shoot once more at me, the arrow tracing a line of fire down my back, before I slammed into him. Glider, man, myself, were all suddenly tangled up in a white gold and black ball.

Then the fireball caught up to me.

Again, I was consumed by fire. The agony of being burnt once more made me clench my jaw, the feeling of free fall tugging at my gut and inner ear made me want to cling to the man I'd just crashed into, but almost as soon as it happened, it was gone again. An instant of pain, the smell of burnt hair, and now, the scream of terror from the man I'd grabbed as the glider and I collided. I'd brushed it off!

"LET ME GO STUPID BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" He yelled in my ear an instant before I felt something stab me in the side.

My reaction was to let go of him and grab at my side. The boots had put me in a hovering position and I watched the man fall, his hand reaching into his vest and pulling out a two ringed version of my parachute. His body was still smoking from the magic blast, so it might have been comical to watch, if he hadn't just stabbed me. Looking to myself, and trying to command the boots to follow the man down, I grit my teeth as I pulled the dagger from my side, the wound sending droplets of blood into the air around me as I tried to spot Hyakinthos's glider, or his parachute.

I spotted the second glider as it was trying to make a tight spiral down to the ground below, a patch of the fabric slowly melting away above him. I had once heard that Asfi was the only one who knew how to make explosives with liquid... Maybe my curse met half way, with the weaponized glass?

It had cost me, but I'd grounded both of them. Feeling the flying boots propel me downwards, I swore I'd never leave home without a healing potion again.

* * *

"So." Hyakinthos started, drawing his sword and looking at me down its faintly glowing surface, "Now it's you who gets to fight me while wounded."

He'd landed a little further down the path from where I'd left Asfi. His partner was probably over on the next mountain, and out of the picture. And I was indeed wounded. I had taken off the boots and left them to the side, not wanting to trip myself on the winged decorations. The arrow in my calf made every step agonizing, and my side was bleeding heavily.

He was gracious enough to let me actually snap the arrow off and remove the boots, so I replied, "Mercenary work? Really?" I said to him, taking off my somewhat crispy shirt and tying it around my middle to at least attempt to slow the bleeding.

"After your Familia left us nearly destitute, you say that?!" He yelled back, growling, "Apollo Familia has almost nothing now! Forced to live in that wasteland Rakia has become."

"You blame us for what your God tried, and failed to do? Seriously?" I had to stop myself from laughing, as even talking was a little painful, "You blame us for fighting back? And managing to win?"

"YES!" His angular face twisted in rage, "I blame you for going against our pure and noble Lord Apollo! Lowly Familia like yours should all bow to him! Submit to his every wish!"

He'd lost it. So intense was his love for his God, it blinded him from normal thought. He'd turned into a fanatic, blaming everything but the actual cause of his Familia's problems.

"It's ironic, that the cause of all this is here before me, wounded, as I once was, alone, with no one to interfere. Now we'll see how you like it!" And he charged.

He was just as fast as I remembered him. His longsword, with its fire enchantment, left a comet's trail through the air as he swung it, intent on cutting off my head. I ducked under it, feeling pain lance through my leg and side, and instantly caught a knee to the chin. Landing roughly on my back, I felt the cage of my magic starting to shake, the beast inside waking up to my pain.

Rolling out of the way as he tried to thrust his sword into my chest, I got back to my feet as quickly as I could.

"Not so tough now that you are alone hmm?" He mocked, his blade leaving blackened nicks in my bracers as I parried. "No little criminal to shoot at me from the shadows! No rabbit to jump out from under you!"

I did my best with only one good leg, my magic burning through my body, even as felt blood starting cover my hip. But he was right, I was alone. Bell was rescuing Hestia, Lilly and the rest were back in Orario, and Asfi was a few hundred meters back up the path.

His flaming blade left a cut just under my eye and along the side of my head, and as I twisted my head to avoid a cross cut, it felt like my magic was looking back at me now from within.

No, I wasn't alone. But did I want to resort to that again? Was there no other way? Hyakinthos kicked me in the gut as I brushed aside his next swing, sending me flying against the mountain along the path, the rush of air from my lungs bringing up a mouthful of blood. No, I couldn't give in. I was written on my back, it was a tool for my survival.

I twisted, turned, blocked, and shoved him away with my first solid strike against his chest.

Wait. Written on my back.

 _May_ lose control.

"Holding your tail for comfort? Really? What happened to that smug face back at the war game?" The irritating voice taunted me as I reached behind me with a bloody hand, grabbing the base of my tail.

"No... You don't get to mock me." I said back, my inner eye looking at my caged magic, a bloody hand on the bars. "You've lost yourself to blind devotion, your reason to blind faith." I felt the energy powering my body fade.

"You dare!? Apollo is the perfect God!" And he charged.

I opened the cage again, but unlike before, I stood in the way, grabbing onto my suddenly wild magic with my bloody hand.

I swept my free hand across, intercepting Hyakinthos's sword, pushing it aside. Stepping forward, my bloody hand running up along my tail, a black and purple cloud of energy ran up the length, solidifying into the snapping jaws of a very large fox.

He backed up in shock at the appearance of the animal, sword sweeping back to slash at it, but it simply passed through the smoky body, its jaws sinking into his arm as he defended his throat. On his back now, he swung again, but this time I used my arm to defend the manifestation.

I could feel it. The anger, the madness of my inner self, held back by literally its tail. But it was my tail too, and I could feel my inner reserves of magic burning away rapidly as the ghostly fox savaged Hyakinthos's arm, trying to get to his throat.

"You might be good looking." I said to him, yanking my tail backwards, feeling a weird sort of double pain, as my Madness turned a golden eye back to me with a snarl, though it settled down somewhat, "You're God might be a thing of beauty." I grabbed his wrist with my free hand as he tried to swing his sword at me again. "But it's too bad..." I leaned down, both my eyes, and my Madness looking at him, "Because both your souls are empty!"

It might have been my injuries, or perhaps the bleed over from having my rage outside my body, but as I yelled those words to his face, blood from my lips spattering over his cheeks, I clenched my hand, snapping his wrist like a pencil. Even as he screamed, I brought back my fist, and slammed it against his ribs, then again, then again. I broke his nose, pulled out a handful of hair, and very methodically made him look as ugly as I could.

But, I did not kill him. Even as I stood up, closing my eyes and telling my Madness to go back into its cage, I refused to take that last step. "Now..." My vision wobbled as my emotions balanced out and what felt like the edges of mind down crept up on me.

Unable to move, Hyakinthos simply watched with the one eye that wasn't totally swollen shut, as I went through his belongings. "I'm going to warn you, exactly once." I found what I was looking for, two healing potions. "If I ever see you again..." I drank one of the potions, feeling that hot cold sensation as it worked through my body, and even dulling the pain as I pushed the arrow the rest of the way through my calf and pulled it out.

The second potion, I put just out of arms reach of Hyakinthos. "If your Familia ever bothers me or mine again... I won't kill you, but instead, I will bring Apollo back to Orario."

His eye widened slightly. Apollo had been banished. If he entered the city again, for any reason, it was a one way ticket back to Tenkai. And he knew it.

"So, I leave you with this bit of advice. The next time He suggests something stupid. The next time he wants something that isn't His. Do your very best to avoid what happened at the war game. Because if I hear about it, and I will hear about it, I will find Him, bring Him back, and watch as He is sent back." I wasn't sure if he believed me, but I honestly didn't care, I would make it a point to get news from Rakia somehow, and keep a travel bag handy in case I had to make a trip.

"And just so you don't try and bother me while I go after Ares, I'm going to borrow this." I said, picking up his sword, "I'll send it to Rakia after Welf takes a look at it."

He was crying out of his one eye at this point, as I very carefully wrapped the blade up in my bloody shirt. My side was mended, but still somewhat tender, and I was feeling a little lightheaded now from blood loss and the adrenaline wearing off. He had made no move for the potion even after I'd put the flying boots back on. I'd have to apologize to Asfi for getting mud in them, and blood on them.

* * *

"Sir! She's back!" I heard a groan of protest rise up from the collection of battered soldiers as I walked up the path to meet them. I'd found them easily enough among the twisting mountainside path, and instead of walking up from behind, flew over them and decided to try simply blocking the path.

"Useless mercenaries! She's wounded though! Kill her!" Ares shouted, pointing at me.

Not wanting to go yet another round with them, I held up a hand and shouted, "Surrender Ares to me." I looked pathetic. Certainly not very threatening, covered in blood, with limited armour and only a wrapped up bundle of bloody cloth as a 'weapon'. Not to mention I was only wearing my somewhat cut up sport bra and pants that were burned through in many places.

"Fool! It's one against fifty!" Ares shouted, "You'll never beat my elite soldiers as wounded as you are!"

"She's already beaten our elite soldiers my Lord" I heard someone say just loud enough for me to hear.

I pointed to the one who spoke, the general who was standing beside the God. "You, I'll talk with you." I suddenly had an idea, it was a little cruel, but it might save me from having to fight them again.

"Sir?" He looked to Ares.

"Go! Duel her! Bring me her head!" Ares put his hand on the man's back and pushed him forward.

Resigned, the man stepped forward, the other soldiers falling in behind Ares. "Idiot God..." I heard him mumble. "You really think we'd just surrender?" He didn't sound very enthusiastic. He reminded me of a greeter at a store near the end of their shift. There because they were getting paid.

"Well no. But, you really don't think you can win, do you?" Apathy, I could use that, "You seem smart enough to know that."

"I know we can't. Especially now that I see you aren't wounded, at least, not anymore. You beat them then?" I nodded, "Waste of valis... Sigh..."

"What's your name?" I asked, feeling genuinely sorry for this man. He was taller than me, with noble features and sharp eyes, though he looked... dispirited. Weary.

"Marius Victrix, crown prince of Rakia." He replied, tapping his fist to his chest in salute. "Who am I addressing?"

"Kodori, Hestia Familia." I replied, giving him a fist in palm bow, "I'm wondering, why do you follow that idiot?"

Unlike most, he didn't even bat an eye as I insulted his God. "That idiot rules Rakia. My father listens to every word he says and follows it like law. I can't go against my King and country, no matter how much I'd like to."

His words gave me an even better idea, and I had to stop myself from laughing at the simple elegance of it. "What if I gave you a way out?" I offered.

His eyes focused on me more intently, I could almost hear his mind click into gear. He was sharp. "What way out could there possibly be?"

So I told him my plan. From start to finish. More than once, Ares shouted from behind him, egging him on to draw his sword and run me through, but aside from drawing his blade just for show, he didn't attack me.

"You'd do that? You think it would be possible?" He asked me after I'd finished.

"I have a very low opinion of idiots in charge." I replied, carefully putting down Hyakinthos's sword, and raising my fists, a little cheer going up from behind Marius. "You're in luck too, I've already taken out my anger on some one else today."

"Just don't break any bones? We don't have any potions left." He said as he attacked.

He was good. I knew skill when I saw it, and he used his gladius styled blade with swift precision, and steady strength. I wanted to make it look good for the soldiers behind Ares. If they weren't convinced Marius lost in a proper fight, I'd probably have to fight them too.

So, we danced about a while. He took my punches like a trooper, gritting his teeth and brushing the pain off with discipline even Takemikazuchi would give a nod to. I in turn made sure I took a few hits of my own, his heavy boots and broad fist sure to leave a bruise later.

But in the end, he started to tire, and made his first actual mistake with his form. I took advantage, grabbing his elbow and pushing him over my extended leg, slamming him onto his back and taking the sword from his hand.

"Yield?" I asked, holding the sword to his throat. I had to make it look convincing, after all.

"I yield." He replied.

"Then tell them." I tossed the sword off the cliff, picking him up by the front of his armour with one hand, and turning him around to face, the demoralized troops and the red faced God Ares.

"I Marius Victrix, hereby surrender. Lord Ares, must return with me to Orario to answer for our actions in this war." There was a groan of protest from them, and Ares himself was sputtering mad, unable to speak. "She has guaranteed our lives, so long as I, crown prince of Rakia do not resist. Please my Lord? If not for me, for your men and my father?"

I was surprised at Ares's reaction. So far as I'd seen, he was basically an idiot. His command skills were horrible, he had almost no ground level respect, and a bald faced insult about him to his second in command didn't even get a single twitch of reaction.

So my surprise came when he looked at me, his second, and the resignation of the wounded troops around him. "Fine."

* * *

Asfi met me more or less where I'd left her. She had started down the path towards us, and was shocked at who I had with me. I saw no sign of Hyakinthos on my way back, though I did pass by a bloody stain on the ground where I had mauled him.

"You... Captured Ares?" She asked, accepting her boots back with a frown. "And you got mud in them... And blood on them too?"

"Yes, yes and yes." I replied wearily, "And no, I'm fine. Tired but fine." I was holding a rope, attached to both Ares and Marius, both tied up with arms behind their backs. Ares was trying not to cry manly tears, but Marius was... Looking oddly hopeful. "Could you do me a huge favour? Two of them actually?"

After putting her boots on, she gave me a critical look, then, "I'll find Hestia for you. I was going to anyhow, once Ares had been caught."

"Thank you. And do you have a spare shirt or something?"

"Ma'am, you can take my tabard, if you wish." Marius offered.

"Oh, well, never mind then. Could you give Loki Familia a signal or some thing? Let them know I'm on my way?" I asked, "You have no idea how much I want you to find Lady Hestia, but if she's with Bell and Ais, I'm sure they are fine."

"Very well... What's that on your back?" She motioned to the sword I'd wrapped up.

"Remember Apollo? Hyakinthos was the one who shot you down." I sighed, "I made sure he got the point to never do that again."

Ares groaned, "A half million valisssss."

"There there, my Lord." Marius tried to comfort him.

"I see..." She adjusted her glasses at me, "I would very much like to see that sword."

"Visit, without Hermes, some time soon then. I intend on sending it back after Welf looks at it."

"Sending it back? After you won it?" She looked at me as if I were crazy.

"It has no value to me past that of research." I replied, "And I'd rather not have a third meeting with him." I'd likely have to kill him then, I didn't add.

"I'll find time then. Be careful, there may be monsters about, even though this isn't near the dungeon." She tapped her heels together, extending the wings on her boots.

"Sure."

* * *

Darkness was falling as I made it to the first plateau, where Hestia, Bell and Ais had fallen/jumped/jumped after each other. Ares was still pouting, and Marius was stoically silent, his face thoughtful. After taking off his tabard, a sort of billboard like bit of cloth that went over his armour, I noticed that my first assessment of him was actually an understatement. Unlike Ares, who, being a god, was big and strong looking, as depicted in any marble statue you might find of him, he too had the same build. Not too heavy, not too lean. Hard work, practice, good diet.

He'd fit right in where I planned to put him. After a little work of course. But he looked like he'd make any effort to succeed.

"Are we going to stop here?" He asked, the first words since I'd left Asfi.

"Hm, you probably can't see as well as I can in the dark." I replied, looking at them both, making Ares shrink back from me and what probably looked like golden predator eyes, "And since I'd rather not have to carry either of you because you twisted an ankle or some such..."

"Ma'am is kind." Marius replied, "Might I suggest under that overhang? We left some of our fire making supplies there, in our haste."

The two of them sat facing the fire across from me. I'd tied the end of their ropes to my arm, and kept it away from the fire. "Ares, I'm curious about something."

He was rather subdued, his face had grown drawn, as if his defeat was really just sinking in now. "Ask, dark haired fiend." He said.

"Have you ever thought about something other than war?" I asked, "I understand, that as Ares, the God of War, it is what you do. But, is that all?"

"Is there anything else?" His voice had a little more spirit in it now. "I am the God of War! It is my every thought from the time I wake, to the time I sleep!"

Marius looked resigned, that tired look returning to his eyes. I think I heard him mumble 'muscle head' too.

"I understand that. But what if you applied that, and instead of fighting people, you fought a problem." I replied, thinking maybe some Gods just needed a little hiccup in their programming to see something differently.

"What do you mean? Isn't conquest the greatest achievement of war? No! It is the very purpose!" If his hands weren't behind his back, he'd probably be making dramatic hand gestures by now.

"Oh? Then you are saying people are the only thing you can fight? Unexpected from a God of War." I teased.

"You dare doubt me?!" He riled, trying to stand, but failing. Probably because he forgot he was tied up. Even Ganesha wasn't this thick.

"Could you not fight famine? The bane of all people? Or sickness, another thing that can bring entire nations to their knees. Prepare your lands for a siege, not by people but disaster? What good is conquest when something as simple as a flood, or starvation may defeat you before you even start?" I hid my smile as Ares stopped trying to get up, landing on his rear again with a grunt.

"It is true. An army moves on its stomach." He replied, calming down. "And sickness would slow even the strongest of men."

Aha.

"Think on that, Lord Ares." I added the honorific for style, trying not to interrupt what I hoped was the start of a tiny bit of change in an otherwise immutable being. I glanced to Marius, and he was smiling slightly at me.

"Oh its the Fox." I heard a voice call from across the plateau, "I know those ears anywhere."

"Aha." I said to my two prisoners, then called across to the voice, "Tiona?"

"Tione!" Came the reply, "You should know the difference by now!" She came closer, the larger breasted of the Amazon twins breaking into the circle of light from the campfire.

"Sorry, it's hard to tell unless you are side by side. Though your voice is a little deeper." I replied with a smile.

"Hey!" Tiona, the lesser endowed, said from just behind her, "Why do you have to be so mean... Oh, you look like you've had a bad day." The two of them stood near me, Tiona looking at me while her sister observed the captives.

"It's been eventful." I replied, suddenly feeling tired. "I'd like to talk to Loki, if She's around."

"Sure, She's down at the bottom, with Finn and Riviera. Asfi told us you'd be around here someplace so we scouted ahead." Tiona replied, "You know, I'd always thought Ares would be taller, and who's this?"

"Marius, crown prince of Rakia, at your service." He replied formally, his state of being tied up not hindering him one bit. "I'd bow, but..."

"Oh, he's not bad looking. Personal spoil of war?" Tione leaned down over me, head on my shoulder, rubbing her cheek against mine, "Even though you have that darling Haruhime?"

Playing along, I hooked an arm around her hip, turning my head and making an attempt to nip her ear, "I much prefer the ladies, though I'd bet if you asked nice Marius would love to chat with you, over dinner some time." Even my tail got into the act, wrapping itself around her upper leg.

All at once, Marius blushed, sputtering an apology, Tione blushed as well as suppressed a moan as I actually managed to catch her ear between my lips, and Tiona dissolved into laughter. Growling quietly, just for her, I let Tione go, smiling as she backed up a pace trying to stammer out a half dozen denials at once.

Mimicking Eina's professional 'ahem', I tried to get things back in order, "I don't suppose either of you have any food do you?" It had been over a day and a half since I'd had that rice ball, after all.

* * *

I sighed, not for the first time that afternoon, as we, that being most of the Loki Familia aces, myself, Ares and Marius marched back to Orario.

The sisters, after sharing their food with us, kept watch while we slept. The next morning, after greeting the collection of Loki Familia, as well as Loki herself, I asked if I could have a bit of an audience.

The reason for my sigh was that to be granted this audience, I'd have to carry Loki on my back while we talked.

"You know, Loki." I spoke in English, partly for the secrecy, the other so I'd be perfectly clear on my intention. "I think I know why you seem to have no luck with groping your female Familia members."

Her legs were hooked over my hips, leaving her hands to hold onto my breasts under the borrowed tabard. "Oh? Whyzzat?" Her hands stopped for a moment as she asked.

"You're _terrible_ at it." I replied, hopping slightly to settle her weight on my back a little better. She was feather light, but her attention on my chest was making her wiggle about happily. "All enthusiasm, no technique."

"Oh? You think that's it?"

"I know that's it. You're going to bruise me if you keep that up." I grumbled, "Now, if you're going to insist on putting your hands there, I'm gonna have to ask you to pretend they aren't for grip training."

"You're no fun you know that?"

"Do I have to tell Ais on you? Or call Riviera over?"

"Urk..."

"That's better. Now to business?" I sighed again, relaxing my face from the hour's worth of trying to endure Loki's utter lack of skill.

"Finnnnnne."

"I'd like Marius turned over to me after Ares is dealt with." I said flatly.

"Pfffft! Really? What makes you think... You're serious aren't you?" She stopped in mid taunt as my tail flicked itself across her back lightly. "Why?"

"He's a smart man. Good head for tactics, knows his people, knows himself. He's kept his head clear of the mindless worship the rest of his country has fallen into." I replied, wincing again as Loki's hands wandered, "Gently please."

"Sorry. But yeah, so?" She leaned over a little, resting her head between my ears. "I mean, what good is that to you? We would ransom him back later anyhow right? Heck you caught him, you'd get a cut."

So I told her my plan, her hands moving from my breasts to my ears. Those she at least treated gently, and I had to concentrate to stop myself from getting distracted.

"Oh... Oh that's sneaky. Positively, absolutely down right dirty. But a really good idea. Where did you come up with that idea?" She asked after I'd finished, "For all her braggin' about you and the Little Rookie, itty bitty isn't joking about you bein' smart."

"So, do I have your support in this? Without one of the top Familia giving me a little backing, I doubt the guild will go along with it." I replied, my tail swishing behind me worriedly.

"Bah, the guild is powerless, to be honest. If it weren't for Ouranos supporting them..." Loki started.

"It's there to provide the illusion of balance so all the Familia in Orario at least pretend to get along, I know." I shrugged, "Freya, with Ottar and the rest of her Familia could take the city in a week at worst. We all know it, but that would ruin everyone's fun."

"And we're all about fun!" She crowed, her hands dropping back under the tabard, "Sure, I'll vouch for you. It's a good idea, and it might actually work!"

"Thank you. Now... About these hands of yours... Treat them like you were doing with my ears. Seriously, you'll have a much better response."

"Like this?"

"No touching bare skin."

"Aww..."

"But yes like that."

"Yay!"

Behind me, I could hear Finn whispering to Riviera, "Any idea what she's so happy about?"

"Aside from the obvious?" Came the curt reply.

"Well yes."

"No idea."

* * *

And so it came to pass that Ares, God of war and More Or Less Lord of all of Rakia, was brought to Orario for the crime of war, general idiocy, and a list of other things that went along with it. Excusing myself during the procession, I led Marius back to the Hestia/Takemikazuchi home of Hearthstone manor. I'd be meeting with Ares personally later, if nothing went wrong, but I needed to clear something up first.

"This city..." Marius marvelled as we walked towards home. I'd untied him, after he swore to behave himself. "It is so vibrant, when I compare it to home."

"All due to the dungeon, and the tender care the guild puts into keeping the place from burning down." I replied only a little sarcastically.

"Truly a marvel. How does it run with so many different Familia?"

"It's... Hard to explain. But..." And I started to explain. About the guild, the rules, and the endless balancing act. "It's not as if there aren't problems, but for the most part, it works." I finished.

"Amazing. I'm surprised that some of the Familia play along. The way you describe the top Familia..." He replied, his head turning to look at things as we walked past.

"It's all in the pursuit of amusement. They all know that if they pushed too hard, it would stop being fun." I said with a sigh, "But, we're here." I pointed to the white marble building as it came into view.

"That's you isn't it?" He commented as I unlatched the gate.

"Yes. They keep thinking I'm wise or some such. Bell, you'll meet him later, and I were the first two members of Hestia Familia. Our smith, Welf, you'll probably get along with him, cast it himself."

"Welf Crozzo." He said, "I hope he doesn't hold this foolishness against me... Is that a monster?"

"He's pretty laid back usually. Sort of. That's Chime, our mascot." I picked up the rabbit, who was napping by a pillar near the main door. It opened its eyes as I did so, its ears perking up and his head leaning into my hand as I pet the soft fur. "Chime, this is Marius. Friend." I held out the critter and the soldier accepted it automatically.

"Huh... I have much to learn." He mumbled, letting the rabbit sniff his fingers before he tried petting it.

"Big sister is back!" one of the many orphans said as I motioned Marius to kick off his boots.

* * *

Notes!

Going to pause this one here. I'm curious to see if anyone can guess what Kodori is trying to do with Marius. Some of you have commented on how level headed she can be, and I figured I might try and work a little more with that.

As well, I wonder if anyone caught the movie reference I made. I dropped a game reference a while ago, with the rust red armour of hers, but no one said anything. :)

And how did you like her new 'manifestation'? Too much? Too little? At least she didn't pass out?

See you all again soon, and thank you for reading.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Still covered in blood and various bits of travel, the only thing stopping me from looking like a walking horror show was Marius's tabard. After a hard day in the dungeon however, this was normal really, and after the orphan ran back into the main area of our home, my ears could track the kind of pool ball effect of him telling the others, and them all running about looking for the adventuring team.

First to arrive was Takemikazuchi himself, the boy who had 'discovered' us tugging his sleeve as He smiled and followed him. Next close behind was Ouka, then Welf, the big spear man wearing a part of a new set of armour and our smith holding some straps he was probably going to attach to it.

Lilly and Haruhime were after, our tiny supporter was pushing the shy Haruhime into the room, the latter being dressed in something that was almost exactly like a french maid outfit.

I kind of ignored the arrival of the rest of them, walking over to Haruhime. Standing in front of her, I knelt down and gave her a really good look.

Peeking out from behind a frilly black cuff, she asked, "Do you like it?" She even had a feather duster tucked into her apron belt.

"If I wasn't covered in dirt, blood, and ash, I'd hug you so hard right now." I said to her, bringing my face to hers and giving her a tiny kiss on the forehead, "You look amazing." I said with a smile, reaching behind her to pat Lilly's head, "Best supporter."

"heehee." Lilly grinned, "Lilly told you so!"

"Not to interrupt sister..." Welf asked, tapping my shoulder with the back of his hand, "But why is there a Rakia soldier in our home?"

"Well, I had this idea. But first, introductions." I stood up and looked over to Marius.

If being the centre of attention, in what might be considered hostile territory, or at least unfamiliar territory, bothered him at all, he didn't look it. Tapping his fist to his chest in salute, he said "I am Marius Victrix Rakia. Crown prince of Rakia."

"The honour of capturing Ares was mine." I said, "Though Loki Familia made the actual delivery. Marius was part of it as well. I beat him in single combat, and then pleaded to Ares to surrender so I didn't have to beat up his guardsmen."

"Again." Marius added with a tiny smile.

"Again." I corrected myself, "But, before I can get to the 'why', Lord Takemikazuchi?"

"Hmm?" The currently swarmed by orphans god of war tilted his head at me in question.

"For the future of Rakia, would you be willing to take in another orphan?" I asked, "I would like Marius to stay with us for a year and a day, to train and learn with us."

The normally unflappable Takemikazuchi blinked at me, puzzled? Shocked? Maybe my 'year and a day' was the same as back in my old world, as a term for what amounted to a 'slave for a year'.

"I would be willing. But, why?" He asked. I was getting odd looks from everyone else too, Welf especially, who was looking almost hostile.

"If I may?" Marius offered, turning the looks away from me to him, "Rakia, as Master Welf knows, is a dictator state. Ares is basically the sole God there. And my father listens to his every whim, declaring it law if the people do not fall into line. Our people suffer under the constant military rule, and while everyone who came here to siege Orario is an adventurer, there is only one level three out of the 60,000 troops. And it isn't me."

He had of course lost the orphans attention, but everyone else was listening, even Welf, who looked more irritated now than angry.

"Ma'am offered me a way to fix it. And asked if I would be willing to be taken as a prisoner of war, to live here, train and learn, and then return to lead my people."

"Ah." Mikoto said, tapping her fist into her palm, "You would be the strongest in the military."

"And could bring many of the ideas we have in the city to his home. Basically become everything his father is not." I said, "Sorry."

"No offence taken Ma'am." Marius replied, "You're correct. My father is a fool, and I intend to replace him and undo all of the damage listening to Lord Ares's every demand has done to Rakia."

"So, Lord Takemikazuchi?" I looked back the Eastern war God.

"The fox is wise. When shall we conduct the transfer?" He asked, giving me a tiny bow.

"The guild has to have a very VERY long chat with Ares first." I said, "It may be a few days from what I hear. Eina said she would send word."

"What is going to happen?" Ouka asked, shrugging his shoulders, his new leather armour creaking slightly.

* * *

What happened, was that everyone captured by Orario's adventurers, this included Rakia soldiers who were wounded and pulled off the field to the clinic outside the wall, were released from Ares's Familia. Permanently. After everything Hestia's blessing had given me, the thought of becoming 'normal' made me shiver. Part of this was due to Loki saying she didn't want anyone getting free Exilia from fighting her Familia and running away with it.

Ares wasn't allowed to rest for nearly two full days, as he stripped his blessing from nearly 10,000 soldiers. And considering he needed a drop of 'blood' for every one, he was in pretty bad shape when myself, Takemikazuchi and Marius entered the cell he was confined in to do the work.

"Do not worry my Lord." Marius said as he stripped off his shirt and knelt on the floor in front of Ares, "I will return to Rakia in a year."

The war god was silent, though his exhausted eyes were misty. He used the tiny knife he had been given to poke his fingertip and draw it down Marius's back. There was a brief red glow, then Ares said, "It gives me small comfort, that I entrust you to another war god. Turn."

Obediently, the soldier turned on his knees, his back now to Takemikazuchi. The Eastern God touched his thumb to a small knife at his side, then bushed it down Marius's back. The glow this time was a pale violet, "I will care for him, as my own, and send him back to you with his shield, or on it."

The two Gods nodded to each other, knowing the nature of adventurers.

"Stand Marius, now of Takemikazuchi Familia." Takemikazuchi said, "Let's go home."

"Can I go too?" Ares asked, tears in his eyes.

* * *

"What do you think so far?" I asked Marius as we walked home, "I know you've basically been house bound until now, but..."

As per order of the guild, Marius was indeed a prisoner until Takemikazuchi made it official.

"I must say... It is much different from being a Rakia solider. Though your morning exercises are far more..." He looked for a word.

"Energetic?" I offered.

"Intense." He said, nodding, "Though, that too. As a military, much of our equipment is standard. Swords are just so, spears are this long, shields are shaped as such." He didn't bother making hand gestures, but I got the idea. "So I find this mixed sparring rather refreshing."

"Made any progress with Welf?" I asked hopefully.

"No. Master Welf seems intent on disliking me." he replied, "I blame him not at all, honestly. My father was the one who ordered Master Welf's father and grandfather, as well as the Rakia army, to bring him back."

"He'll come around. He's still a little sore about dealing with his family directly. Just treat his weapons with respect, and I'm sure he'll warm up to you." I offered, "Just never ask about magic sword."

"Noted." He turned to Takemikazuchi, who was simply smiling his tranquil smile at us, "My Lord. What are my duties, now that I am of your Familia?"

"Well, I am sure none of this is new to you, but since you have asked." His smile got a little wider, "Once our wise fox has found you a place in the dungeon, you must simply return alive at the end of the day."

Marius was puzzled, the simplicity seeming to escape him. "That is... All?"

"Well, Kodori-san's mother, so to speak, told her, 'if you come home, you win'. I think I agree to this way of thought." Takemikazuchi said seriously, "There is no mission, if that is what you are asking, other than to return."

"Don't let Mia hear you call her a mother." I said with a smile, knowing 'Mama Mia' was her nickname. "But that's right. Aside from doing your chores, taking care of your equipment, and making sure any problems are brought up before they become a bigger problem... There really isn't much more."

"Problems such as?" He asked.

"If your weapon no longer takes an edge, Welf won't have any problem tossing it into the fire and making a new one." I replied, "If dinner didn't agree with you and you need to take something for it, or skip a day, fine." I added, "And if you don't know how to cook, you don't get to cook. Though you get to help one of our cooks until you learn."

"Understood." He said, nodding, "As unprofessional as you all look, it is good to know you only look it."

"Hey!" I made a face, "To be fair, and I want you to really REALLY take this part seriously." I waited until the little smile he had went away, "The dungeon hates us. If you aren't careful, you might die to something as simple as an untied boot. And even if you ARE careful... More than once, I've nearly died to surprise, and so has almost everyone on our team." Or doing something stupid, but I didn't mention that.

"I understand." He said seriously.

"Do you?" I asked, "The only way you get to go home, is if you really do understand that. You can't be afraid of risk, but you must know where the line is, between risk and folly. You must know where your place is in our formation. You must be flexible, in case that formation fails. No hesitation when the call is made to charge or retreat. Treat every monster, from a goblin to a dragon, as if it can kill you. Do you really understand that?"

"No Ma'am. I do not." He replied. We had stopped walking at some point during my rant, and we were drawing looks from passerby as I talked to him. He had his hands behind his back in a sort of parade rest, his feet shoulder width apart and his eyes focused straight ahead.

"Good. Because we are going to help you learn." I grinned, giving him a light punch to the chest, "Starting with how to make tea properly. What ever it was you made last night was terrible."

"Yes Ma'am."

* * *

That night after dinner, I went to the workshop. This tension between Welf and Marius was getting on my nerves, our smith refusing to even eat at the same table. It was odd. I'd never thought of Welf as someone who held a grudge. But there it was. Now, he was still a professional. The replacement blade he had made for Marius was just as fine as if he'd made it for Bell, but...

"Welf? You in?" A silly question, but he had a tendency to miss the anvil if I popped into the smith area without announcing myself at the door. I could hear the steady music of his work before I even got to the workshop door.

"Yeah sister." He said, the sound of something hot being dipped into oil following, "It's good to have you back in the shop. Those days without you here were kind of boring."

I walked into metalwork room, spotting his latest work being held in a clamp to cool. "No matter how it turned out, I'd much rather have spent it here... I'm still worried about Bell and Lady Hestia, but..."

"But they are together, and with the sword princess. I don't think there is anything that could go wrong there." He replied with a grin.

"True. I just kind of miss them. Oh who am I kidding?"

"Yeah, not fooling anyone."

We shared a laugh, and I got some of the leather I'd been working on together in front of me. "So, I've been meaning to ask... Why aren't you even trying to get to know Marius?"

"I don't like the idea of him being here. At all." He replied, standing and coming over to sit at the workbench next to mine, "I get that he's here to improve, that he wants to change Rakia. But so what? Ares will still be in charge, and eventually, he's going to want war again."

"Yeah, true." I nodded, "But tomorrow, I plan on taking us to the upper floors. Same thing as when you joined, and when we joined with Takemikazuchi Familia."

"And you're worried that I might turn my back on him when it counts?" He asked with a growl.

"No. I know you better than to think that." I waved my hand to clear the air, "You're too good a person to ignore someone who might be in trouble. But I am worried you won't speak up before he gets into trouble."

"What do you mean?" He sat back down grumpily, picking up a bit of leather and a knife, "What's the difference?"

"Saving him from trouble is one thing. Telling him before he needs to be saved is another." I replied, "We have to keep the air clear of any personal problems in the dungeon. Be it watery bowels or old grudges."

"Yeah. True." He grumbled, reaching over and taking the bit of leather I was working on and shaving it a little with his own knife, "You can count on me sister. It's all business in the dungeon. Especially after what happened the last time." He handed the leather back to me, his little bit of work making it just a little better than what I had it at. "A little more of an angle here, and... Yeah like that."

"Thanks. So how about Hyakinthos's sword?"

"When you handed it to me, I thought it was my birthday." He grinned as if the last topic was never discussed. "I see what you mean too, between enchantment and magic sword."

"So I was right? About the maker being less powerful?"

"No! The other thing. Making the blade fit the magic, instead of the magic fit the blade. Who ever made that blade... It was like they made it with the intention of holding that exact power. Like filling a mould, instead of stuffing a pillow?"

"Aha. So the next question is, can you do it?" I asked, grinning. My theory was spot on, but I lacked the skill to test it myself. Welf seemed to just... Pick up on it.

"I don't know. The sword I made from your fur was a special case I think..." He scratched the back of his head, looking away, "I mean, you seem to be able to resist or cancel magic out, so just..."

"Just?"

"Just like a monster, I used a part of you to make something. A hell hound tooth helps with directing fire, a drake scale is hard as steel..." He mumbled.

"And a fox tail soaks up magic?" My tail swished around and wrapped around my wrist, and I pet it out of reflex, "Huh. So it's not just for balance and trying to hug everything I like when my hands are busy..."

"Ahem. So yeah. I think it was 'cause I had everything on hand that I could make that one. But something else? I dunno, I have no experience in this area." Welf continued, what ever was bothering him cleared from his mind.

"Well, you're in luck. Asfi wants a look at Hyakinthos's sword too. You can ask for a little instruction, in exchange." I replied with a grin. "So, lets get my new gloves finished. I've been hitting things with my bare hands too long and Haruhime is pouting at me for it."

It was good to know that Bell wasn't the only one I could turn into a stuttering idiot with just the right comment.

* * *

"Ko-san..." Haruhime's new pet name for me called my attention back to her. "I know you're still worried, but Bell-san will bring her back safe."

I hugged her a little tighter, her ears brushing my cheeks gently, "I know... You know, aside from when I went missing, I don't think I've ever been away from her for more than two days. Oh, wait, there was that meeting she had once... Donatus?"

"Oh..." She laughed sleepily, wiggling around a moment until her back was to me, "Hestia-sama is very caring. She loves us all, truly, not like..."

I put a finger over her lips, getting comfortable, "Yes. It's hard not to miss her when she is so... Present. Ready for tomorrow?"

She yawned in a totally unladylike fashion, "Yes. Marius-san seems dependable."

"We'll see. It will be his first day in the dungeon after all, even if he is level two. Now get some sleep."

But she'd already drifted off.

* * *

I was both pleased and disappointed with our practise the next day.

Welf and I had finished my new gloves, the second skin feeling and solid adamant backing giving me a little thrill every time I made ready to punch something. Our morning warm up went without a hitch. Takemikazuchi had joined us and even started giving Haruhime and Lilly some basic tai-chi lessons. Even with our faster learning due to the gift of Falna, I doubted they would be kicking monsters around any time soon, but it made me smile at how honest the effort was.

I was a little disappointed that Marius was the target of a very small betting pool. Lilly had placed a small bet against him, betting he'd panic at some point during our trip. Eventually, everyone but myself and Marius put a coin in. It seemed a little mean, but Marius himself simply shrugged saying, "I can only do my best."

He really did act like a soldier. Almost everything his superior officer said (in this case, all of us) was taken at face value. Thankfully, none of us joked around when it came to information about the dungeon. No matter what his background was, giving him the wrong information might get him killed. And if Eina ever found out...

So, it was to my great delight that, as we trained on the first two floors, practising our by now standard room breaching, hallway clearing, break and break through, and other such formations, Marius fell into line without a single hitch.

Not only that, he offered suggestions. He really was listening when I said that no problem was too small to mention.

Lilly lost her bet as well. He was standing right next to the wall as it bubbled and cracked, ready to spawn. He simply called attention to it, waited for the monster to start breaking out on its own, and drove his sword into it. We had to pause out current drill and switch to an actual formation as the room we were in spawned more monsters, but afterwards, the 'new guy doesn't panic' side of the bet collected their coins.

My big disappointment of the day was near the end of our trip. We'd gone down to floor six, just on the edge of where the killer ants might show up. Marius seemed capable, and we had all decided that we should at least give the losers of the bet a chance to win their coin back. I was thankful that Marius still kept his cool, but it was after we'd cleaned up our last encounter of the day, when other adventurers were coming back up for the evening as well, that we encountered the problem.

"Hey, isn't he one of those Rakia guys?" It was a trio of men from a Familia I didn't recognize. They were all well equipped and confident looking, and even stayed clear of Lilly and Chigusa's pile of unharvested monsters. "I thought we threw all of them out?"

"Oh? Hey, aren't those the Foxes?" The second one, a mage, if his staff and heavy robe were any indication, said pointing at us. "Where's the Little Rookie?"

"Didn't their Goddess get captured or something? Shouldn't you guys be out looking for her?" The third, another warrior type with a two handed sword over his shoulder commented, "Instead of down here babysitting this guy?" He hooked a thumb at Marius.

"Bell is with Lady Hestia." I said confidently, though I was still a little worried at how long they'd been away. "And we aren't babysitting. Lord Takemikazuchi has taken him in."

"Really? Why? We didn't even notice the Rakia army here in the city. They were all incredibly weak." The first said, looking Marius over. "I mean, you guys have done well with all the things going on recently, why bother with him?"

And here's where I ended up disappointed. "Yeah, I mean, he even turned his back on his country. Why would you want the likes of him in your Familia anyhow?" The mage asked, assuming the worst with basically no real information.

"Pardon me?" Marius said, kneeling next to Chigusa, "May I borrow that?" He pointed to the shield she usually carried.

"Um... Yes." The Takemikazuchi Familia supporter unstrapped the tower shield, "You can adjust the straps here like so."

"Thank you. Hm, good, heavy." He mumbled, everyone assembled looking at him as he fit the shield to his left arm and stood. He was the tallest of us all, and the tower shield on his arm looked almost like a proper roman tower shield. "Ma'am, may I defend my honour?"

"Seriously?" The first asked, "You want to fight?" The man was a little shorter than me, but wore a pair of short swords.

"Your words are false." Marius said as I stepped aside, "I left the Rakia army, so that I may return to it one day and rule. I left not as a traitor, but a patriot. And I will suffer no insult to me, or the God kind enough to shelter me during this time."

The three of them looked at each other, shrugged, then the first one stepped forward, "Well, if you insist on making a fool of yourself, I suppose..."

"Keep the room clear." I said, sweeping my eyes over Hestia and Takemikazuchi Familia members, all of them taking up position near the walls, weapons drawn in case of monster spawn. "And keep it clean." I said to the two who weren't fighting. They shrugged, then backed up, giving Marius and the other space.

With a hiss of steel, Marius and his opponent drew their swords.

The man was fast, I had to admit. He used his paired short swords with grace, despite his rough appearance. Marius however, had simply locked his left arm in place, and turned his body to manoeuvre the shield. Even with paired swords, the man simply couldn't find an opening. Each time he got past the shield, Marius's slightly longer gladius would swat it away, then follow with a simple practised swing.

It seemed simplistic. Basic. But I could see what he was doing almost from the start. Using his body and not his arm, he was saving stamina. Countering with a single swing instead of following through taunted his opponent to attack.

And after every swing, the taller Marius took a step forward. It seemed simple, so simple. But it was putting pressure on his opponent. Like he was fighting a glacier. Stat wise, I guessed his opponent was also level two, so it quite literally became a question of skill. I had hopes for Marius when I offered my hand to him before bringing him in, but I was grinning like an idiot as I realized he had planned this fight from the moment he asked for the shield.

A moment later, as his opponent tried once again to thrust past the shield, Marius didn't block it with his sword this time. Instead, he took a shuffling step with his front foot, and extended his shield arm, the wide face of the shield slamming into the other man pretty much flat to his chest. THEN he stepped forward, pushing the now off balance warrior to the floor and pinning him flat.

His two friends winced as he fell, then watched as Marius backed off, put his sword away, and offered his hand. "And that is how I will return to my country, and that is how I will change them."

"Ow... Okay, yeah, I take it back." I was pleased again, this time by the good nature between them. More than once I'd seen this sort of situation go bad.

Then I heard the walls starting to crack again. "Back to work! Fall in!" I called out.

"Drinks later, Rakia man?" Marius's opponent asked as he got himself ready.

"If I am permitted. I am the new guy after all." He replied seriously.

* * *

Welf, Ouka and Marius had gone to join the three after we exited the dungeon. He actually did 'formally request' that he be 'permitted to join' Welf for a drink. It was somewhat more formal than I was used to, but I did understand that he had lived his life in a military environment. Maybe a year with us would help him relax a little?

"Lilly was wrong. Mister Marius is very dependable." Lilly said as she walked beside me.

"Lilly was mean." I said, ruffling her hair a little, "But yes. I hope he lives through the year and returns home."

"You mean, Kodori-san, you didn't just bring him home because he was good looking?" Asuka teased, in one of her rare vocal moods it seemed. "He is rather tall and... Rugged? Is that the right word?"

"Ko-san! No... Don't tell me you're going to leave me?" Haruhime asked, her eyes getting misty, though her tail was swishing back and forth, giving her away.

"You know I'd never leave you!" I said dramatically, spinning on a heel and sweeping her up off her feet, holding her behind the knees and under her back. "Must I kiss you to prove my love for you?" I started to lean my face towards hers, my eyes looking into hers and widening hungrily.

"Haruhime broke." Lilly said after a moment, my face close enough to feel the heat from Haruhime's face.

"Kodori-dono, you must treat her gently." Mikoto chided, "She is of royal blood, and a gentle soul."

I looked over to our samurai woman, "You should ask her sometime. If she has a single complaint, I will gladly submit to your judgement." I said seriously, though I think my eyes were still projecting my thoughts on how I treated the golden fox.

"... Miss Mikoto broke too!" Lilly said, waving a hand in front of Mikoto, who had frozen in place in mid step.

"Well tough, I'm already carrying someone." I replied.

* * *

Left to my own devices in the workshop, I invited Haruhime to help me with something. Instead of her usual kimono or new french maid outfit, I'd gotten her to wear a pair of my pants and shirt. They looked almost comical on her, my height and build all wrong for her proportions, but the forge was a dirty place, and I didn't want to ruin her nice clothes.

"Ooo... So many things in here." She commented, looking around. "I only looked in here twice... but... Kodori can use these things?" She carefully held a leather cutter.

"So long as I use a tool, as a tool, I have no problems. Did you bring your brush?" I sat down at my work station, taking the leather cutter away from her gently and smiling as she took the brush out of a pocket. "Brush my tail for me? I want to try and make something."

Curious, but holding her question, my tail offered itself to her. While she brushed, I did some simple cuts with some of our toughest leather. After she finished, I took the brush and tapped out as much of my black fur as possible. Putting that in a little container, I motioned Haruhime to sit, and I gave her tail the same treatment. "But... Don't we do this... you know..."

"Yes, I do know. But... See that sword there?" I pointed over her shoulder, at the red swirled obsidian blade Welf had made, then later hung on the wall proudly, "He made the blade with bits of my fur melted into the metal. So I'm going to try copying him."

"Ohhh. But to make what?" She asked, my hand having to stop her tail from wagging, "Oh sorry..."

"Well, first I'm going to try and just make the metal itself. If I can get that right, I'll work on the next part." I leaned forward, giving her neck a kiss, "Now, let me show you how to work the billows."

* * *

This was completely new ground for the gentle girl. Her relatively soft life so far hadn't included much in the way of labour, but she took the simple tasks I'd given her seriously. I made sure she didn't pick up any tools, just in case, and made sure she wore a leather apron when I started hammering to keep her skin from getting burnt. She looked rather adorable in the oversized safety equipment.

But, by the time Welf returned from his after dungeon drink, we were ready to pour out two small crucible bowls. Unrelated to those, Haruhime and I had made a few simple trinkets. She only wore the bracelet I'd made her on special occasions, as it served no purpose in the dungeon, but she insisted I make one for myself. Aside from that, it was just busywork, no real aim in mind save for the practise and an excuse to involve her in something I liked doing.

"Wow. Now this is unexpected." Welf said as he entered, Haruhime sitting at a workbench, using some salamander wool on the bracelet. "I mean, I suspected you'd be here, but you got her to come along too?"

"I'm helping!" Haruhime said with a smile, "Oh! Is is done yet, Ko-san?"

"Looking good." Welf commented as he leaned over Haruhime to look at her work, "And is what done?"

"Grab the cup tongs." I said, waving him over. "Lets see if this stuff turned out how I hoped."

I quickly set up the ingot moulds while Welf picked up the special tongs for the crucible bowls. "Just iron in these?" He commented, bringing the first one over, "Wait... What did you add?"

As he poured, I grinned as I saw the molten metal fill the ingot trough, "That one had Haruhime's fur in it." I could see as the metal cooled, under the black char was a pale gold colour. "And that one," I said as he went back and I applied the wire brush to the surface of the gold ingot, "Has mine."

"Wow... It's slight, but I can feel the difference." He grinned, his eyes locked on to the black metal as it poured into the second ingot trough, "You only had to watch me do this once too. You learn fast sister."

"You're a good teacher." I replied, "Question is, what can we do with it?"

"I'm curious too! What can you do with it? It looks pretty though..." Haruhime said, offering me the bracelet, "All done?"

Since she insisted that I wear one that matched, it had a rougher appearance than what I knew I could make. I didn't want to outshine the one I'd given her after all. She'd done a good job on the final polish, the worked surface gleaming red, "Perfect." I said, putting it on.

"Well, I'm not sure what I can do with this one." He used a mallet to tap the side of the ingot trough, then flipped it over, the golden iron bright under the magic stone lighting. "I mean... If we went by what you both can do with your magic... Hm." He tapped the other one and flipped the black iron ingot out. "I mean, I know how your magic works, mostly."

"Well, are you okay to stay up a bit longer Ha-chan?" I tried a pet name of my own for my opposite, patting her head and brushing one of her ears lightly.

"Yes! I want to find out too." She said excitedly, "But not too long." She sniffed at her arm, "I want a bath before bed."

"Me too. I don't like the smell of burnt fox." I chuckled, actually able to make the joke without thinking of magic swords or offensive magic.

* * *

And done for another chapter.

This, with the 'persistence' of Marius, is a true deviation from the books. (Aside from Kodori herself and what ever is directly involved with her and her shenanigans.) Yet another case of her 'from after the history books' knowledge.

Thoughts and comments welcome! See you all soon. :)


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 34

Day three without Hestia around. I knew she was alright, the status on my back, my link to her by blood, was fine. The others too knew she was still alive. But I could tell that all of Hestia Familia were starting to find ways to distract themselves so they could ignore her absence.

Case in point, Marius had managed to drop me in practise. He had borrowed Chigusa's shield again, and during our morning spar, he'd done close to what he'd done in the dungeon yesterday. Instead of using his weight against me, he'd used my own lack of weight, lifting me off the ground with his shield as I braced against it, and then tilting it back. This bruised both my pride and my rear but proved that Her absence was becoming a problem.

"You're really good with that thing." I commented, rubbing my rear.

"There are few monsters near Rakia, so most of my training is against people, after all." He said, waiting until I'd left the circle to turn around to face Mikoto.

I grumbled quietly, watching the two of them spar. Mikoto was probably the only one of Hestia Familia not bothered by her being gone, but since Takemikazuchi was only a few meters away, training Lilly and Haruhime with something that looked like Tai-Chi...

"What's the plan today sister?" Welf asked, balancing his great sword over his shoulder as he watched and waited for his turn to spar, "You don't look like you feel up to a dungeon trip."

"I wouldn't mind, I could use something to take my mind of waiting." I replied, wincing as the tall Marius was flattened by a pommel strike to the chin, the following clatter of armour sounding like a collection of pot lids being dropped. "But the dungeon is not a place for 'distractions'."

"Could always spend it in. Or maybe we could call it an odd job day?" He grinned, taking a step forward as Marius collected himself and left the circle, "Always the forge."

I chuckled as Mokoto and Welf squared off. His suggestion had a lot of merit. We could use the money, and our two Familia were still mostly unarmoured. There was still a lot left to do before I even wanted to think about a trip past the eighteenth again. Asuka was about a hand span from getting her throat torn out after all...

Welf landed on his back next to me with an thump. "Yeah. Good idea."

"Ouch... Knew you'd see reason sister." He replied after the stars had cleared from his eyes.

* * *

Takemikazuchi Familia with their new addition of Marius, as well as Lilly and Mikoto had gone to do odd jobs. Welf stayed behind in the shop as usual, and I swapped myself on the 'who's turn was it to shop' list with Bell. Haruhime followed me as well, bringing Chime with her.

"Where are we going first?" She asked, one hand holding the tiny rabbit, the other on my elbow. "What is on the list?"

"Food mostly." I replied, squinting at the list and mumble reading it, "Rice, vegetables, flour... Umm..." I held the paper to her, "Is that some kind of meat?"

"Oh, yes, we had it that last week." She replied, "Catobalas."

"Well, I must have liked it, if I don't remember disliking it." I said, "Some clothing, wood, replacement stones for some lamps, toothbrushes..." With a household like ours, the variety on the list was to be expected.

"Lord Takemikazuchi is kind." She said, "It makes me think about how even Gods can change."

"For him, its less of a stretch than you might think." I replied, trying to keep my voice light, "Orphans are a part of war, after all."

"Oh..." Her ears drooped a little, "I hadn't thought about it that way.

"Most people don't want to think of it that way." I replied, my tail swishing around her hips, "But, you're right, he is kind. I think he was the one who wrote down this part here." I pointed out the long list of things that could only be for the orphans. "He's very mindful of their needs."

"Yes. It's a shame he isn't as mindful about some other things." She sighed, "I'm not sure he will ever notice Mikoto-chan the way she wants him to."

"Urg, yes, Gods can be so... thick headed about that."

We continued to make small talk as we travelled. Most of it was basically gossip. One of the things I had picked up on, almost as soon as I learned the language, was that gossip was almost like currency. Not like an informant's information on something, but rumours could be almost as powerful as directed force in this city.

My own slip up when Bell and I reached level two was a good example. Our progress had fuelled the fight on level eighteen. I could feel that sort of 'force' directed on me again as we walked too.

"Ko-san?" Haruhime tugged my sleeve, "What's wrong?" Shy, but in no way unobservant, she'd picked up on my unease.

"People are avoiding us." I replied, noticing that as I looked around, many of the adventurers around us looked away as I caught them watching. It wasn't hostility, but caution.

"Oh?" She looked around as well, her tail slowly moving back and forth.

I could guess why. One person had overheard me admit not to just killing Phryne, but reaching level four. I'd also brought in, and taken under my care, what most people would consider an enemy.

* * *

"Really?" I sighed, tugging Haruhime close to me as we rounded a corner. It was our second last stop, a cloth seller, and it was in the less visible of area of the shopping district. Waiting for us were roughly a dozen adventurers, reminding me of the rag tag group that had assaulted Hestia down on the eighteenth. "You've really got nothing better to do?"

A few of them chuckled, others glared, and there were a couple of blatantly lustful looks as well. "So is it true? Is the Demon of the Eighteenth floor a murderer as well?" One of them asked, grinning, "It wasn't enough that you nearly beat someone to death, that you had to kill someone else too?"

Haruhime looked up at me as I sighed and did a facepalm. "You really have no idea how stupid you look right now." I said back to the crowd. "I mean, if what you say is true, you're trying to bother me about it." I put a hand on Haruhime's head and stepped forward, putting her behind me. "I mean, what if I did? Is it really a good idea to get in my way?"

"Blah blah." Another replied, "Rumour also has it, that it was the leader of the Berbera." A few of them agreed, "And she's level five."

"So there's no way you could have killed her." Another commented. "Even if you're level three, there's no way!"

"More of that Hestia Familia's lies!"

"She even brought in a soldier from Rakia!"

It was grade school all over again for me. Bullies, gangs, mob mentality.

I felt a hand on my rear, brushing a hand over my tail in just the right way, Haruhime squeaking in surprise as someone probably did the same to her. "And good riddance, I say." A familiar voice said over me, "Are you guys bothering my friends? I hope not."

Looking back, my hands clenching into fists to suppress my first reaction of elbowing the person touching my tail, I saw the rugged beauty that was Aisha grinning over my shoulder at the crowd. "You should ask before doing that." I mumbled to her, "Ha-chan might kick your shins."

"You're so cute together." She mumbled back before raising her voice, "Phryne IS dead." She said, "And unless you want to bother the person who did it, you'll piss off, right now."

There was a moment of tension as the Amazon stared them down, but after a moment, they dispersed, vanishing down side alleys or directly away from us to blend back into the market district.

"Aisha-san!" Haruhime said with joy, jumping into the Amazon's arms and hugging her. I had to rescue Chime before it fell off her shoulder too, her excitement making her forget about the critter.

"Hey tiny." She said, hugging her back and petting her head, "Good to see you too." She looked at me, "Fox."

"Legs." I nodded to her, then shrugged and hugged her as well. "Good to see you again, your timing was perfect."

"I stopped by your place a little while ago. One of the kids said you went shopping." She said after we'd let go of each other. "Considering there are only two of you in the city, you're oddly not that hard to find." She grinned, "It's the ears I think."

"Could be." I replied, "Friend." I said, holding up Chime, "Have a bunny. Walk with us a while?"

"Sure..." She accepted the rabbit, bringing her face right up to it, "Have to talk anyhow."

* * *

"Wow... You have shopping handled." Aisha commented as we walked out of the last stop for the day, "It was never that organized in the district."

"Ko-san is very efficient with her chores." Haruhime commented, "Since we saved time, we can do something else now, right?"

"Exactly." I said with a grin, "So, what brings you by?" I asked, "I mean, you are always welcome, though sneaking up on my tail..."

The Amazon raised an eyebrow at me as she simply raised a hand, palm out, and had my tail curl around her wrist obediently. "Oh really?"

Haruhime giggled while I sighed, "Traitorous appendage." I mumbled, my tail refusing to leave its new perch when I tried to take control of it mentally.

"Well, a few things brought me by. First, though this news is a little old, I'm part of Hermes Familia... Unofficially, sort of, kind of." She mumbled the last part, "He's a really shady guy."

"Sigh... If he causes trouble for Eina, I'm going to be even more annoyed with him than I already am." I said, "I hope he takes my message seriously."

"Asfi mentioned that actually." Aisha grinned, "Said you made quite the statement. But yeah, he's taken me in, but probably wont tell the Guild."

"Why not?" Haruhime asked, "Isn't he supposed to tell them?"

"Hermes has an... interesting view on that." Aisha replied, "He's one of the only Gods that works in this city, who isn't actually part of it. Hermes Familia doesn't have a base here, and most of the members are sort of... Free. As close to mercenaries as you can get."

I thought about it, and it fit Hermes's nature as a 'messenger God'. "Well, glad you have someplace, though I do sort of wish you had joined Hestia Familia."

"Aww, how sweet." Aisha replied, putting the rabbit back into Haruhime's hands, "But you already have Haru, why would you want me around?"

"You give better back rubs?" I offered, making Haruhime pout, and Aisha smile, "But seriously? You're strong, smart, and would be an asset no matter what needed to be done."

"Flatterer." She gave my shoulder a punch, "But no, I wouldn't feel right..." She trailed off, "Anyhow! Enough of what could have been!" She reached behind her into a leather sac, "I um, salvaged, yes, salvaged, something from one of Ishtar's former holdings." She produced a book, an old leather bound thing, with symbols burnt into the front. "It was with some of the other things Ishtar imported from the East, and I figured you might want it."

She handed the book to me and I could feel a phantom hum where my fingertips touched the leather. I lowered it so Haruhime and I could both get a good look at it. "I know that's Eastern." I said, "But no idea what it says." I let Haru take the book from me, "Love? You know it?"

"It's... A tome. A magic tome!" She said excitedly. Aisha always seemed to let Haruhime drop her usual reserved manner. "This is... Priceless! Are you sure?" She asked the Amazon, "I would have to read it, but you know how these work, right Ai-san? You can only read these once, then the magic in it fades."

"Sure. Never had much use for magic, past that of some one else healing me." She grinned, "Besides, its from your homeland right?" She gave the golden fox girl a pat on the head, teasing her ears, "I also *cough* found a few other things that more than make up for what ever value that book might have had for me."

I gave her a raised eyebrow, to which she shrugged.

"Ko-san! We should try reading this." Haruhime held the book out to me proudly, "After we get home, can we?"

"But... I can only just read the local letters..." I admitted, "And my Eastern is... ummm... Wa, Ta, Shi, De, Su, I... Se... Um... Ku... N..."

She giggled as I fumbled for more syllables, while Aisha said, "The book will take care of it. It's magic."

I'd almost forgotten the usual explanation for really weird things, 'A wizard did it.' But, it did remind me of the book Bell read when he learned Firebolt. He had said something like 'I read the book and then I knew'.

"Sure. How about tonight before bed? I've got to help Welf with the armour. The next time we go back into the dungeon..."

"Oh, sounds like a story!" Aisha said, getting between Haruhime and I, hooking one arm around my middle and the other over Haruhime's shoulder.

"Well, you know how Takemikazuchi Familia and Hestia Familia are living in the same place now?"

* * *

"Oh... So that's how it happened." Aisha said after I'd finished the story. "And you just woke up a week later, with a harpy feather in you hand?"

"Yes. It was... Odd. I remember the fight now. Or rather, most of it. But there's still a gap. Little moments that I remember, sounds mostly, but then I woke up."

"We were so worried." Haruhime pouted, petting Chime, "But Hestia-sama said you were still alive. So we kept looking."

"She is so grounded when she gets home." I said grumpily, "And I'd love to tell Ganesha what I think of him, if I thought it would do any good."

"Well, I do know you pretty much did the impossible." Aisha said petting my tail, "But after asking around on the eighteenth, some of the townsfolk who helped Bell and them get back into that room... Well, the fact that they didn't want to tell me what they saw was clue enough."

"I'd rather not think about it any more than I have to, please?" I pleaded, "I'm already going to have to deal with some idiot who thinks I'm lying about it. You probably saved me from another Guild fine earlier."

"No sweat. Besides, the easiest way to deal with that is to just stand up to the bunch of them and dare them to take the first swing." Aisha punched her palm with a firm snap of sound.

"And I would, if I weren't already called the Demon Fox, oh... I wonder. Ha-chan? Hold still a moment."

"Yes? Oh!" She turned to face me, and I put both hands on her shoulders, leaning my head down and resting my forehead on hers. "But were in public..."

"Shh... I'm trying something..." I turned an eye back to Aisha, who still had my tail, "Don't move unless something happens." She nodded, and I closed my eyes, holding the image of Haruhime's wonderful green pupils in my mind.

I was calm now. No anger, no stress. Just myself, holding to the quiet support that was Haruhime. Yet, I still looked inside myself, at the cage that contained what I saw as my magic. Ryuu had once told me that emotion coloured your magic. It was no wonder that each time I'd drawn on my anger, fear or hopelessness, I lost control. When I'd fought Hyakinthos, he'd said I was alone, but I had told myself he was wrong, and proved it, literally bringing my Madness out to bite him.

So with a hand on the cage of my magic, I opened the bars, and offered my hand.

"Oh!" The effect was instant. I could feel my inner reserves of magic burning away quickly, but I could feel a second phantom sensation as Aisha pet my ears.

Opening my eyes, I looked back and saw the Amazon petting what looked like a small black fox made out of mist that was fizzing off of my tail. It was weird. Now that I was calm, I could feel more 'information' about what I had done. I could see through the manifestation's eyes, feel the sensation of Aisha's hand on its ears, even smell the strange exotic wood scent she wore on her. But, I could also feel my hands on Haruhime's shoulder, the scent of her hair and her hands on my hips.

"Wow... You don't look so good? Are you okay?" Aisha asked my eyes seeing a sort of double wall-eyed vision of her looking at me from two different angles.

"Oh no! Ko-san broke!" Haruhime said as I went down to a knee and closed my eyes tightly.

"No no... It's... I can feel and see everything... twice. It's very confusing." There was a moment of vertigo as Aisha moved her arm, the sensation of motion without moving making my stomach twist a little. "Okay, nope..." I relaxed my magic and felt the sensations centre out on my body again.

"Oh... You sure you're okay?" Aisha asked, patting my back, "You looked like you ate something bad."

"I just need more practise." I said, feeling my inner ear stop telling me I was in free fall or something. "Those flying boots weren't as bad as that."

"Well, it was kind of cute." The Amazon said, keeping a hand on my back as I stood and steadied myself.

"I nearly killed Hyakinthos with that," I chuckled, "Though, I wasn't in such good company at the time. Thanks." I nodded to Aisha and she took her hand away, "So where are you going next?"

"Dunno, might entertain myself in the dungeon." Aisha said with a grin, "Or just entertain myself somewhere quiet. I dunno."

Haruhime blushed, while I gave the Amazon another raised eyebrow. "A quiet place to make noise in?"

"Oh yeah." She replied with a grin, waggling her eyebrows at Haruhime who hid her face against me. "Oh how I wish I could paint. That's such a cute picture. How do you keep your hands away from her when she does that?"

I could feel my opposite's face burning against my side as I hugged her, "I don't?"

* * *

"Well..." Welf said as I held up leather vest, inspecting it critically, "This one is for... Asuka right?" I nodded and he accepted the vest from me. "The leather is cured right. No soft spots. Metal plates are all solid... Still flexible where it needs to be... All it needs is the inner lining, and a bit of working in." He handed it back with a thumbs up, "I'm not sure I could do better sister! Good job!"

"Yes!" I cheered, "Lets just hope she doesn't grow too much more." I said with a chuckle, "I mean... The measurements we took are pretty exact."

"Just means you get to make another. Haruhime's vest is going to be the big problem though."

"You wanted to use the Goliath leather? That stuff is almost like lead." I replied, getting to work on the salamander wool lining of Asuka's armour.

"Yes. But its nearly indestructible and we don't even need to treat it." He replied, holding up what was going to be Haruhime's vest, "Lilly won't have a problem with it, with her support skill, but..."

"Hm." It was true, the Goliath hide, from the irregular we had fought down on the eighteenth, was almost impossible to puncture or cut without special tools. Even then, it would try and heal itself, as if the leather itself was still alive with the monstrous vitality that let it keep fighting, even without the top of its head. Again, only with special tools could we even shape the stuff. "As much as I love how soft she is, I think it's time to get her more involved with morning exercises. It might take a month or two, but..."

"You sure? I mean, I agree, but she's kind of... It's not something she's ever really needed to do, it might be more effort than it's worth." Welf replied, scratching his head.

"Oh, don't worry about that." I got out a pencil and bit of paper, "And no amount of effort is wasted if it keeps you alive."

"True. So what about that metal you made? I've got an idea or two, but you made it, I don't want to use it all before you've had a chance with it." Welf leaned over to watch me draw something on the paper.

"After I do this and get the lining into this, I'll heat up the forge." I said, "Haruhime and I have plans tonight, so I'm not staying too late."

"Plans?" He asked, getting up and watching me draw, "Oh, I see what you're doing."

"Yeah. Met with Aisha while we got our shopping done." And I filled him in on what had gone on.

* * *

"Well Asuka?" I asked, watching the quite Takemikazuchi fighter as she twisted this way and that in her new armour. "No pinching? Still move everything?"

"Yes! It's not too heavy, and... I can still touch my toes." She flexed herself around a little more, then stood up straight. "But... This design isn't very flattering..." She mumbled to me, motioning to the 'uni-boob' form of the vest itself. She wasn't the largest of busts in the Hearth manor, but...

"How's your shoulder?" I asked, her face telling me I'd made my point, "But it's good it fits perfectly. There won't be a next time for what happened on the nineteenth floor."

"Yes, Kodori-san." She replied, unbuckling the armour and getting back into her 'around the house' shirt again. "Thank you for your hard work."

"No problem. It's Haruhime's turn to cook, and she would love your help I'm sure." We stepped out of her room and split up, the quiet girl giving me a wave as I went the other way.

* * *

"Ma'am." Marius greeted me as we passed in the hallway, "What news?"

"No news. Though, I'd like some advice, actually, not advice..." I paused, "May I see your armour?"

He looked puzzled, "I don't see why not?" He turned and headed back the way he'd come, "Is there a problem?"

"Probably not?" I tried, "I figured, since Welf and I are making armour for everyone..." I gave him a brief description of what happened on the nineteenth floor, the veteran soldier frowning with concern, "So, I wanted to get a look at your armour, in case it needed fixing, or replacement."

"Understood. We only really have access to base metals in Rakia. Our land is rich with ore, but it is only through import that we get some of the more exotic metals." He explained, opening up his room and stepping inside.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I entered. He'd only been here a few days, so he didn't have much in the way of furniture. A bed, a desk, a chair. But he'd made a stand for his armour, a sort of modified coat rack. The armour itself was sort of Roman. It wasn't quite the 'lorica segmentata' I remembered from the history books, but it was close. Wide bands of metal layered like scales, covering the chest, shoulders and abdomen. Simple, flexible, and easy to mass produce. It required almost no effort to replace broken or dented parts either, only requiring the removal of a few rivets to get at the damaged parts.

"We can work with this. I'll chat with Welf, and we'll get something tougher made." I said, poking at one of the plates where I found one of my knuckle prints, probably left there by my duel with him, "I mean, it's good work, but we can do better here."

"Understood." He said, a tiny smile on the corner of his mouth, "Ma'am punches rather hard after all."

"Well, if you are here to train, and return a hero, you should at least be wearing something that fits the role." I grinned, standing up straight, "I'll get your measurements later, and put it on the to-do list."

"Yes ma'am."

"And do you have to call me 'ma'am'?"

"No ma'am." His smile widened slightly while I sighed into my hand.

* * *

After scrubbing the day's efforts off of me with a scalding hot shower and soak, I headed back to my room. All in all, it had been a productive day. I'd gotten work done in the shop, gotten almost all of the shopping done, set things in motion to bring the newest member of our house up to par with his equipment, and tried out a new thing with my magic.

Full manifestation. And not just something I could use 'when cornered', like I'd done with Phryne, or lost my self from having Bell in danger. But a tangible expression of my magic. The double sensory thing was a bit of a sticking point. It would be nothing more than a gimmick if I couldn't get over wanting to pass out, vomit, or fall over when I used it. Entertaining at parties, but nothing more.

My skin still steaming from my bath, I entered my room and looked about. Haruhime was already there, dressed in her 'sleeping kimono', sitting at the low table writing something. She had a very neat hand, her casual kanji writing looking like art.

"Journal?" I asked, getting behind the changing screen and setting my clothes out for tomorrow.

"Oh? No." she replied with a ruffle of paper, "Lord Takemikazuchi said that some of the orphans from back East might want a letter. Not just from me, but everyone."

"And since you have the nicest writing?" I walked over to her, naked, my feet making no sound as I crossed the tatami.

She leaned her head a little to the side as I knelt behind her, carefully hugging her so I didn't disturb her pen hand or the ink bottle. "Yes. Since I have the best writing." We rubbed our cheeks together lightly, "Does Kodori-dono wish for me to join her?"

Her suddenly formal tone made me shiver a little, "Yes, I would. We have a book to read, do we not?" I rubbed my cheek against hers again, amused by the thought of not having ears on the side of my head making this much more satisfying. "Would my Lady wish her tail to be brushed first?"

It took a little work to break her normal reserve. She was, despite having lived in a brothel, a proper 'lady'. But my question, and the fact I locked the room door, let her unwind a little more than she normally did. "Yes, I would like that, but just that tonight?"

"Yes, just that, I am also interested in what this 'tome' does." I replied, trying to ignore the wonderful feeling of sliding myself off her back and settling behind her so I could brush her tail. "Welf and I came up with an idea for your training too." I added as I ran my fingers through the fur of her tail, "It might be tough at first, but I hope you forgive me for it."

I had to capture her tail as my 'accusation' that she might not be 'thankful' for my attention made it try and stand straight up. Proper 'Eastern' manners could be such a pain sometimes. "I would be happy to learn to not be a burden on the party." She said an instant later, "I would never... rrrr..."

I shushed her by scratching the exact spot on her back I knew she couldn't reach on her own, "No no. It's not 'not be a burden' it's 'be more effective'. You already bring a lot of worth to our formation. But, there is always room to grow, for all of us. It just might be a little tough on you at first." I set the brush down and gave her back a light pat, "Just because you are a supporter, doesn't mean you can't be supported. Now, my turn."

After she had gone over every centimetre of my tail with the brush, making pouting noises at how I had to take better care of it and my trip outside the walls leaving terrible mats that she just HAD to brush out, we finally got into bed. She reached under the pillow and produced the tome, its leather bound cover still giving me a low electric tingle when I touched the surface. Laying on our stomachs and propped up on our elbows, we set the book on the pillow, and opened it together.

* * *

Notes? Notes!

More slice of life going on here. The book (yes, once again, I mention the book) had Bell and Hestia taking about a week or so not including travel time. Given Kodori was gone about 3 days, that gives me time for more stuff.

The tome, some might wonder, is an actual thing. Aisha did find it, and give it to our golden fox. So her new spell is scripted. Kodori on the other hand... I have a few ideas and I hope that you, my dear readers, enjoy how I bring that about. (Some one even suggested it. See? I listen to reviews!)

The party doesn't stop, until the cleric is dead and we run out of potions.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 35

Who are you?

I am Kodori.

You are a name?

I am a protector.

Defender of those weaker than yourself?

I protect those close to me, even if they are stronger than myself.

Is that all?

I am a teacher.

You share your knowledge freely?

I give them a piece of knowledge, so they might find there own answer.

Is that all?

I am a leader.

You stand behind and push them forward?

I stand where I am needed, and help others do the same.

Is that all?

I am a follower.

Are your eyes open? Or are you blind to your direction?

I follow the example of those I respect, in turn, hoping others do the same.

Is that all?

I am emotion.

Controlled, or contained by your desires?"

I am only mortal, after all.

Is that all?

* * *

I woke with my eyes feeling like some one had poured rock salt into them made worse by the magic stone lamp we had left on feeling like a spotlight. I'd rolled over slightly onto my side, one hand on the book, the other stretched over my head. Haruhime was in the exact mirror of my position, her eyes still closed but with faint dark circles around them, as if sleep deprived. Stiffly, I reached out my hand and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

I ran my experience through my mind as I admired her face. Who am I? Over and over that dry misty voice asked that question. Asking me to summarize myself. To put myself into an exact box. Like some sort of factory worker who was only allowed to do exactly one thing, lest they risk being noticed and dealt with like a nail that hadn't been hammered down properly.

But, I answered all of the questions. Some of them were simple, others so abstract that it felt like hours before I could come up with an answer that wasn't a single word. I was Kodori, and Kodori was many things. A legion of facets that made up the encapsulated whole that was me. Regardless of what I started my existence as, I would always be myself.

Stupid philosophical magically induced dream sequences. I could feel the tip of my tail raise itself off the floor and make 'tap' noise as it mirrored my sleepy annoyance, as well as tighten around my leg... and curl over Haruhime's hip...

"What the hell?" I said in English as I lifted the blankets off of myself and looked under the covers.

* * *

Haruhime had remained sleeping while I had a very quiet freakout and tried to figure out what had happened. First, I had more tails. Five of them now. Each one was as long as my original, with its usual soft jet black fur. Second, they each seemed to have the same penchant to just not listen to my mental commands. If it weren't for my unbreakable grip, I'd have never managed to count all of them as fast as I did. And last, they all seemed to have a different personality. One was somewhat lazy, another didn't like me holding it in place, a third was quite content to be held...

They all seemed to agree however, that Haruhime was adorable, and as soon as I let them go to try and get a feel for them in my mind, as I'd done when I first arrived, they all migrated over to her and curled up around her body.

Like sleepy cats... Or foxes.

"Because I am Kodori, and I am many things." I mumbled to myself, looking over my shoulder at Haruhime and the collection of curled up tails. "Move over I want to hug her too." It hardly felt like I'd slept at all, so I just set my current problem aside in favour of more Haruhime cuddles.

* * *

I was woken again by my opposite stirring in my arms. This was quickly followed by a more panicked motion, then a pause, then a gentle shake of my shoulder. "Ko-san... Ko-san! I can't move!"

This was followed by another wiggle, prompting me to open my eyes. "Oh... Yeah... Um..." I tried to exert my will over my new collection of appendages. Slowly, almost grudgingly, with a pleasant tingle of my fur sliding over Haruhime's warm body, my tails fell into line behind me. It was then I sat up and reached out to her. "Sorry... The book seems to have done something."

"Me as well... But it only taught me a spell... I think. I feel the words in my head..." She seemed unsure, her face twisting up slightly as if she thought she might sneeze. "But..." She sat up as well, rubbing the corner of her eye and yawning, "You have... five tails now?"

"And I haven't even managed to get my first one to listen to me, this is going to be such a bother..."

* * *

I'm still never going to tease a woman about her clothing. After getting dressed, an epic level project when you have to put five tails through a hole in the back of your pants, and then get ready for the day, I managed to get to the practice field where the bulk of Takemikazuchi Familia was already waiting. The new collective sprouting from my spine was making my balance feel a little off, and they all wanted to compensate for it at a slightly different speed.

Mikoto and Takemikazuchi didn't comment on my discomfort, while the rest seemed to go through several versions of 'jaw drop'. Marius gave me a raised eyebrow, checked his pulse and forehead, then raised the other eyebrow, and Lilly...

Was mobbed my them when she reached a sleepy hand out to pat my tail in the usual way she greeted me every morning. "Lilly is trapped! Lilly is trapped!"

I'd never tried to see how strong my tail was. It was fluffy, sleek, and... expressive, but only when I had a savage manifestation of anger jumping out of it, had I ever used it in any offensive capacity. Lilly struggled as my tails seemed to try and cuddle her to death. "Sorry... Let me... And you... and you... and you... no you can't stay..." I had to grab each one individually again. "I will braid you all together if you don't behave." I threatened them/myself. Together, they seemed to be quite capable of holding onto Lilly, who weighed about as much as a young teenager.

It was about then that Welf arrived, holding a bundle under one arm and scrubbing his eyes with the other, "Whoa sister... What... Five? But... what..." He mimicked Marius's check for a fever. "Um... You know, I'm just going to make my delivery and not ask."

With that, he turned to Haruhime to chat.

"Well..." I said, holding all my tails in a mostly subdued bundle, "Let's begin shall we?"

* * *

I was pleased (read: so thankful I'd set up a small shrine to Hestia if I didn't talk to her in person all the time) that my tails seemed to understand the importance of staying out of the way in combat. Aside from learning to balance myself just a little differently, they didn't interfere. Being fuzzy, and sensitive, would qualify them as a liability if they got grabbed or stepped on while I fought. Aside from apparently being highly magic resistant, conductive and more or less fireproof, that is.

Welf's delivery was a new shirt and pants for Haruhime. My design was basically what you could buy in a fitness section at a department store, a weighted shirt, with pants to match. Little pockets held flat weights, and were distributed evenly around the body. I'm wasn't sure how much extra weight Welf had put in them, but poor Haruhime was sweating more than I'd ever seen her sweat. But she had a determined look on her face that reminded me of Bell so much I could feel my heart hurt. Takemikazuchi was kind enough as well, to keep his Tai-Chi lesson to something basic at first.

Thanks to our ability as adventurers, I knew that with every status update she got from this point on, her strength would rise, her body would retain the muscle memory, and it wouldn't be long until she could keep up with the rest of us on a more physical level. I just hoped she stayed as soft skinned as she was.

"As much as I don't want to do this without Bell." I said after our morning exercises, "I have a favour to repay to the innkeeper on the eighteenth floor." I held up a hand before anyone could ask, "Just a simple delivery of food. An 'on the house' basic cargo delivery." All but Ouka lowered their hand, "Yes?"

"This has to do with your return from that week?" I nodded, "Oh, you did come home in someone else's clothes. Right... yeah..." Most of the women were giving him the 'look', so he shut up.

"As well, aside from my um, new look." I looked over my shoulder a moment, then back to the assembled adventurers. "Haruhime has a new spell. As usual, something new means we have to make sure we know how it works before trying it in a real fight. So some of our trip will be working on that."

"What about the armour you want us to wear?" Chigusa asked, looking at Asuka and Ouka who were the only two we'd managed to outfit.

"After training, the rest of you, will be coming back up. Ouka, Asuka, Marius, Lilly and myself will be doing the rest of the trip down. I 'plan' on it being a there, and back. Avoid what we can, make a delivery, and then back up."

I had trained them well it seemed. Every single one of them gave me a raised eyebrow at the word 'plan'.

"We'll be taking the usual survival gear, but we should be back by dinner. It's my turn to cook, and I know you all love pasta night." One of the things I'd learned at the Hostess of Fertility was how to make their famous pasta dish. "Any questions? Good. Lets get packed."

* * *

Haruhime's new spell, after a slightly longer string of words I only half understood, was that she too, grew more tails.

Except, unlike mine, they were only glowing constructs of golden light. I felt disappointed about that for some reason too. But, with her second, and third tail, she was able to give her enhancement magic, her first spell, to two extra people.

This gave us no end of ideas. Her boosting magic already made a level two into something close to level three, but now she could do it to more people at once? Going past level eighteen seemed a lot closer this time.

But, in the time we, that is, Welf, Mikoto and I, started talking about it, Haruhime passed out, fast on the way to mind down. Her new spell was amazing, but there didn't seem to be any 'discount' on the effort she needed to sustain the magic. Unlike me, who had the Mage skill, and used magic almost every waking moment, she lacked the stats for it.

"Lilly thinks we should let them go up now." She had Haruhime's head in her lap, and was gently petting her ears, "We could give Miss Haru a potion, but it would only wake her up at this point."

"Yeah, we can spend the rest of the day doing odd jobs. We're getting pretty popular with that, actually." Ouka said, "Remember that house we helped rebuild?"

Welf laughed, "Hell yeah. With you guys acting as my hands, we had that house up in record time and looking better than it was the first time it was built!"

"Well, I'll leave the rest of the day up to you guys. Mikoto? I leave her in your care." I said seriously, though my tails were all in agreement, and swishing back and forth in amusement.

"Hai. I will take her to safety, Kodori-dono." Her smile told me I was just as transparent as I'd hoped.

"Thank you. Lilly, Ouka, Asuka, Marius? Down we go."

* * *

Even with me as a young level four, the experienced Ouka with his new spear and armour, Asuka with her gloves, bow and armour, Lilly with her crossbow, and Marius with Chigusa's shield and razor sharp gladius, we took no chances on what would be considered 'the level two' zone of the dungeon.

Mostly, because we had Marius. He was brave, and surprise didn't make him flinch, but he hadn't had to deal with hell hounds or killer ants yet. Sheer number, or fire breathing dogs the size of small horses were something far outside his experience. I also didn't want to get bogged down on something I wanted to finish quickly.

"I must ask Welf to make me a shield of my own." Marius commented after a brief encounter with a hard armour. "This one is good. But not quite right for me."

Ouka raised an eyebrow, "You seem to do well with it, what's wrong? Is it the shape? Weight?"

"I am much taller than Chigusa." Marius started, holding the shield tight to his side, "A proper tower shield should cover from ankle to chin." His current shield covered him from only mid shin to shoulder. "It should be slightly wider, almost shoulder to shoulder." Again, he moved the shield, the front of it covering only his chest, leaving both his shoulders exposed. "And, the curve of this one is meant more for bracing, not deflecting. An arrow or bolt might pass through if it hit flat."

I nodded. Each point was quite valid. Chigusa herself carried the shield for Ouka, but the Takemikazuchi supporter was a slight girl. When she carried it on her back, it covered her almost too much to walk at full stride. Marius on the other hand, was nearly twice as broad of shoulder, much taller too. "Welf and I can work on something, or you can work with us if you don't want any of our artistic flair stuck on it."

"Yes Ma'am." The others chuckled at Marius and my reaction to him calling me 'ma'am'.

"Lilly thinks we are almost to the tenth floor. It should be just over here." Our supporter said, "Unless the dungeon moved it again."

"Moved it again?" Marius asked, his face a little shocked.

* * *

"Orcs." Marius started, "I do not like them."

"Bah, you handled yourself well for a rookie!" Ouka said with a laugh, "Welf and Kodori-san will make you something better."

"Yes! They are very good at making armour. And with the leather we got from them?" Asuka put in, looking at me with a question.

"I'd say we could make at least two more sets with what we got. Maybe. But since Lilly is the best supporter, I'm sure it won't be her skill at cutting up monsters that will be a problem if the leather is bad." I gave Lilly's head a pat, making her smile up at me.

"Lilly has a lot of practise! Kodori and Master Bell are good at getting monster drops."

"When we get back then, I suppose." Marius grunted, stretching out his shoulder. The biggest problem with the roman segmentata armour was that the wider plates were easier to dent. He'd taken a land form weapon, one of level ten's petrified trees, to the back of his shoulder. He was fine, being level two and a career soldier, but his armour had practically come apart on that side, most of the rivets popping out of socket. With no way to fix it without tools, we had a very quick, very serious burial for it.

Lilly had even written a little note. 'Adventurer not dead, armour just broken.' Just in case anyone felt like doing charity work and finding a dead body to bring back up for proper service.

* * *

Despite all his serious soldier demeanour, Marius was... awestruck at the eighteenth floor. I would have been too, had my first visit not started by almost getting killed a dozen times and wanting nothing more than to find a bed the instant we had some sort of safety. Ouka and Asuka assured me they would keep watch while he played tourist, leaving Lilly and I to make our delivery.

The dwarf greeted us after a moment of 'who was this person, oh yeah!' passing over his face. The rest of the patrons, a small group who had that 'tired but satisfied' look of a successful trip look on them sat around two of the small tables. A few of them seemed to know me and Lilly, raising a mug at our entrance then explaining to the ones who didn't know us who we were.

"Ah! Miss Fox came back. I'd wondered if something happened or you forgot about me." The dwarf started, filling up a couple of simple wooden mugs with something that smelled only mildly alcoholic. "Heard some whispers you were involved in the war up top."

"You could say that. If you haven't heard, Rakia lost badly." He chuckled and shrugged, but I continued, "I mean, Ares was captured and about ten thousand of his troops were sent home without falna, badly." That got a gasp from around the room. The party behind Lilly and I must have been in the dungeon a while to not have heard. "Yes. That was part of the punishment, to not get sent back up."

"Harsh. Who brought Ares back then?" The dwarf asked, rubbing his bare arm to try and hide the chill he felt from the thought of being 'normal' like that. "That Loki bunch I'd bet. Being second gets them the dirty jobs."

"Heehee." Lilly smiled, sipping her drink and giving it a look, "Miss Kodori caught him." She said proudly.

"Really? How did you manage that?" The bartender asked.

"Well..." I gave Lilly's head a pat, two of my tails wandering over and finding bits of her to perch on, "If my supporter will unpack your delivery, I'll tell you the story."

By the time I'd finished telling the story, Lilly had unpacked everything, the Dwarf had shelved it appropriately, and my three party members had returned. "And this," I stopped in mid sentence, "Is Marius. Part of Ares's punishment is that he sticks with Takemikazuchi Familia for a year."

Not even close to a full explanation, Marius took a look around the room, saw the look in my eye and picked up the ball I'd left him, so to speak, "Yes. I am here to both keep Rakia in line, as my Father would be hesitant to put me in danger by starting another war. But also to be strong enough to fix Rakia's problems when I return." His usual voice, hardened by his life as a soldier, held a strong conviction. "To me, this is an opportunity, not punishment, even if it might look like it."

This got him a round of cheers. All at once, he had given praise to Takemikazuchi for accepting him, and dispelled any thought that he was here for any other reason than to be the best adventurer he could be, even if he was an 'enemy'. "I'll drink to that... What even IS this?" I asked making a face at the bartender.

"Told you I was low on some things." He said a little embarrassed, "There is no substitute for some things when you make beer."

"So bitter..."

* * *

"We are making good time." Asuka commented after we got to the tenth floor again, our spirits fairly high even though we were running a little later than we'd planned. The group that we met at the tavern declined to travel back up with us, saying they were going to stay the night. The dwarf, with his new supplies laughed and said he might need another delivery soon if they decided to party all night.

"The eighteenth floor..." Marius drifted, "It's... I'd never imagined something like that might exist underground."

"None of us have been much further." Ouka said, "But from what Loki Familia say, there's some really strange stuff down further. A water zone where you might freeze if you stand still too long. A fire zone with dragons who can kill you by melting the ground under your feet, from the floor below. A zone of total darkness... Poisonous air, nearly invisible monsters, harpies, spiders, snakes, jungles..." The big man shivered, "I want to see it, but..."

"Kind of don't." I finished, "I've heard all of that as well, and very soon, after Bell returns, and Welf and I make proper armour for all of us, we are going to try going past level eighteen again."

"Miss Kodori sounds determined!" Lilly said, "Even after what happened."

"If we stop just because we were defeated, then we will never grow. Right Marius?" I grinned at the soldier.

"Indeed..." He trailed off squinting suddenly through the heavy fog of the tenth.

My eyes widened as I followed his gaze and spotted six red stripes that seemed to hover in the air. "Drake!"

Marius looked at me with wide eyes, the very first time I'd ever seen him look truly worried about something. "Orders?" His voice was as close to pleading as I could imagine him getting.

"Lilly, spare cloak! Ouka, left side! Marius, stay behind your shield and cover Lilly! Lilly! Watch for bats too! Asuka too!" I hoped I was ready for this. I'd only been joking when I told Welf that I could go kill another drake for more scales. But with less than half our fighting strength on the floor, I wasn't sure we could do it without getting hurt.

And as if on cue, the bats showed up, along with a few orcs, their heavy feet along with the drake's lumbering slither sent little shocks through the leather of my boots. "Change! Ouka, orcs!" I called out, "Delay them! Marius, you too! Lilly! Cover and bats! Asuka! Help with Orcs!" Simple instructions, set up from our long hours of practise. Ouka and Marius would cautiously fight the orcs, and keep distance from the drake. Lilly and Asuka would find a tree or rock or a bit of wall to shoot from safely. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Marius, wearing an undersized but mostly useful cape of salamander wool as he followed Ouka towards the half dozen orcs. Lilly was out of sight, but I heard the distinctive click of her crossbow just as the bats started screeching that sonic garbage that made my ears flatten to my head instinctively.

That left me with the drake. Knowing where my party was, I ran towards it, diving forward and to the left as it let out a blast of flame. Its head followed me as I got closer, its leftward motion moving its head away from where Marius and Ouka were dealing with the orcs. Already however, it was breathing in again. I couldn't so much hear it, but actually feel the air in front of me get thinner as its great lungs devoured air for its next blast of fire.

I could almost count the bats die as the sounds around me changed. The excitement of knowing that the party, my close friends, were supporting me set my nerves on fire. Everything became sharper, my vision started detailing every single scale on the drakes body, my mind even started to count how many were fully red(37). My skin felt the wind and heat, my body following by sending me into a short jump over its lashing tail without even having to look. With the bats quickly vanishing from the air, my ears started to pick up the low rumble of the drake's breathing, and the gurgle of what ever it used to breath fire.

"I will not bend." I started, the words just falling from my mouth before I even thought of them. "I will not break." Its ribs, where the thinner scales lit up, glowed almost white hot, "I will be a wall for the home my Goddess has given me." It was an old spell, my first, hardly used now that my level and basic magic use had made me tough enough that the situation never got dangerous enough to use it, but, "I guard its gardens!" I wasn't done, "With a wall of thorns and TEETH!"

It was as if some giant hand had passed through me, taking that ethereal feeling of my magic with it. Pushed from my heart backwards, it flowed down my back and into my tails. I felt my skin hardening, the first part of the spell working as it should, but as the drake turned its head towards me, throat and mouth glowing white hot, I took a step forward, my tails coming alive with a madness of noise and snarls. I kicked the drake right in the chin, its mouth opening and bellowing out a burst of flame toward the ceiling.

Leaving its soft throat open for five very angry sets of teeth that were very real despite the black inky smoke that made up the rest of their vulpine bodies.

I closed my eyes and covered my face quickly as the throat opened and what was left of the blast of fire, a liquid, half molten gunk, sprayed then gushed from the ripped open throat. But I could see through all five sets of 'eyes' as my tails snapped like whips back and forth, ripping bits of flesh away before lashing back behind me to repeat.

I think I screamed. Or roared. Or howled. Maybe all of it. The molten gunk felt like a spark of metal from Welf's forge, except over most of my legs, my arms, and one of my ears. The stuff was thick too, my legs and feet feeling like I was backing up through the mud from the storm I'd given up on running through. I fell onto my rear, the sound of bacon on a pan following.

"Kodori! Hold on!" I heard six versions of the same voice shout, feeling the pounding of feet through twenty sensitive paws. "Lilly! Potions! Whoa!" Ten eyes focused on a face I dimly remembered, five throats growling at it.

"Friend." I said to myself with a single voice. My eyes still firmly closed, some of the molten gunk burning its way past one of them, I reached out and pet the closest of the five fox heads. "I'm safe." I reassured myself, the double sensation of patting my own head winking out as I felt the magic of the five foxes soak back into my tails and settle back into my core someplace. "I can't..." I felt my chest, feeling my hand pat bare skin that felt somewhat slimy. "Lilly?"

A pair of small hands gripped my hand carefully, one of them withdrawing with a hiss of pain from Lilly. "Miss Kodori's armour is hot!"

A bigger hand gripped my elbow, past the metal of my bracer, while another gripped my the other arm and my hand. My legs felt like they were buried in hot mud, but with a grunt the hands pulled me free. My eyes still closed, I was almost tempted to try and summon a fox to see with, but for all the magic that went into the spell, I had almost nothing left. "Can you feel your legs?" Marius asked, "How are they even still there..."

"Miss Kodori has been burned many times. She doesn't have eyebrows again though..." Lilly said. I felt little hands brush cloth over my face, once twice, and I felt like I could open my eyes again.

My body felt encased in grit, almost like getting glue on your hand, only over my entire body. My armour still radiated heat though I could tell it was cooling. One of my ears felt cold, and parts of my face felt like I'd scrubbed too hard while bathing. "Marius? Don't suppose I can borrow your tabard again?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"If salamander wool didn't itch so much on bare skin..." I mumbled, putting a hand carefully on Lilly's shoulder and grabbing Ouka's arm for support, "I'd just make my clothes of it. How many times is this? Look I'm naked again in the dungeon!" I sighed as I talked, my front turned away from the two men. I didn't care if they saw, but I'd rather not give them ideas. "And once again, I smell like burnt fox... Thank you." I accepted the tabard, putting my head through the top and letting the flaps fall down to my knees. "Lilly? Bit of rope? Thank you." I belted it with a rope and looked to the dead drake.

"Lilly will get to work!" She said with a grin, handing me a potion. "Lilly needs help though."

Much better off than the last time I'd done this, I downed the potion, a dual one from Lilly's emergency pouch, and kept watch with Asuka as the minty rush and cherry warmth flushed through my body.

* * *

I still cooked dinner that night. Just to prove that I wasn't actually that hurt. Just partially bald and without eyebrows. And after the day I just had, I wanted pasta.

* * *

Haruhime, in a show of unusual assertiveness, demanded to join me in the bath after dinner. To make myself presentable, after politely brushing off everybody in favour of a quick shower to wash the dungeon off me, I'd then went to make dinner. As we ate, the five of us retold the story of 'The Hestia and Takemikazuchi Famlia slay the drake', while trying not to laugh about my lack of eyebrows. It was an instant after I'd put my fork down and said 'I'm full', that Haruhime all but jumped to her feet and dragged me towards the bath again.

"Sorry." I said as she dumped a bucket of cold water over my back as I sat in front of her on a little stool. "Brr..." I could feel the chill of the water soak into my tails as they lay subdued on the tile floor. "Wow..." I looked in the mirror at myself and the teary eyes of Haruhime behind me as she grabbed a cloth. "Want to help me put on some hair grow stuff later?"

"Yes." She pouted, "Why did you fight it? Why didn't you run?" Her usual gentleness was gone as she scrubbed my back with twice her usual force. "You didn't have to fight it."

"No, I didn't." I replied, wincing but not complaining about her treatment, I figured I'd earned it. "We could have gotten away, probably. It was far enough, and not in the way of the way up, maybe." I turned my head to get a look at all the little bald spots I had. After Zanis and the magic sword incident, I'd abandoned my hope for long hair, and kept it around shoulder length and short up front, to keep it out of my eyes. Now I'd have to start all over again.

"Then why?" She asked, grabbing the shower head and sprinkling me with warm water. "You always say to never take unnecessary risks, yet..."

"It might have chased us to a higher floor. Or grown bigger and more dangerous. Or maybe we couldn't all outrun it." I reached for a pair of scissors, and handed them back to her.

"So...?" She looked into the eyes of my reflection, taking the scissors and snipping at my hair, "You could have tried."

"Yes. I considered all of those." For about a tenth of a second each, honest, "But I chose to fight. Not because I knew we could win," I really was only about 95% sure we could, "But because if we didn't, it might have come across a group who couldn't. I trusted Lilly, Ouka, Asuka and even Marius to trust me in return, and together, we survived." I put my hand over hers as it rested on my shoulder, "I am a leader, who stands where I am needed, and helps others do the same." I felt the echo of the book's inquisition run through my mind. "As close to my skin as you can please?" I leaned back a little to rest my back and head against her front.

"Okay." She sniffled and pushed me forward again, getting to work on my hair.

* * *

"Big sis big sis!" One of the orphans ambushed Haruhime and I after our bath. He had a little folded envelope in his hand and was waving it over his head to get my attention.

"Thank you. Shouldn't you be going to bed soon?" I asked, accepting the letter, one of my tails moving around and patting him on the head. "If you wake up early enough you can watch us train tomorrow you know."

"Yes ma'am." He pouted, trying to catch my tail but failing.

"Good boy." I waved him off and Haruhime and I looked at the letter. Simple, plain paper envelope. Red wax seal with the guild emblem pressed into it. "Oh... This might be bad." I mumbled.

"What's wrong Ko-san?" she asked, "Why would the guild want to contact you?"

"I can honestly think of a half dozen things. Only... Two of them might be good." I replied, opening the door to our room. I sat down at the low desk and ran my thumb under the wax. Haruhime sat behind me brush in hand, but seemingly at a loss for where to start. "Never had so many choices, I guess?" I commented, closing my eyes and letting out a slow breath.

"Oh!" she squeaked as one of my tails suddenly had a small fox form on the end. "This one first then. Yes you are a good fox."

I kept one eye closed and felt my scalp tingle as she pet the misty fox. My closed eye contained Haruhime's gentle face as she got to work on that tail, and I read the letter slowly and out loud for her to hear as well.

To Kodori, Hestia Familia.

It has come to our attention that something is drastically out of the norm for you, and your Familia. You, Kodori, and Bell Cranel, have ...

"Exhibited."

"Thank you."

have exhibited ...

"Radically."

"Best girl."

"Heehee."

Radically different growth. As well, your Familia has been the constant focus for many of the recent troubles in the city.

As such, this letter is to demand you, Kodori, Captain of Hestia Familia, to appear for a formal...

"Inquisition."

"Fuck."

"Ko-san, don't swear."

"Sorry."

Inquisition.

Please arrive, tomorrow, at the Guild Hall. You will be expected.

What followed was a flowery signature that was SO flowery, I couldn't read it. Nor could Haruhime.

"So much for a relaxing day in." I sighed, opening my other eye and dispelling the fox that had been chasing Haruhime's brush. "This is bad news."

"Why? You haven't done anything wrong, you and Bell-san."

"The letter is basically right however. Bell and I have broken the levelling records by a very wide span. Level one in a month, two in two months, and me hitting level four in three months. Give or take a few days." I turned around and took the brush from her, "Not just that, but the incident with Soma Familia, the war game, Ishtar, Welf's father and grandfather, Ares capturing Lady Hestia, Ares coming back with me, and me taking in Marius."

"I never really... Put them all in a line like that." she admitted, her back to me, though her ears had turned to face me.

"There is also me personally. Killing another adventurer. Inventing something like the glider. The level eighteen incident..." I could feel my tails ALL doing the irritated 'tap tap' of tail tips patting the floor, "Justified or not, I'm going to have to try and explain it all."

The conversation dried up as I finished brushing her tail. I couldn't stop myself there however, and soon my hands were wandering over her back...

* * *

NOTES!

There we go. I think next chapter I'll have Bell and Hestia come back. Maybe. I hope I'm not boring too many people with my wandering plot line.

After reading books 9 and 10, I have what feels like a huge metal door in the way of the next step in the main plot. For those not in the know, the next two books ALSO start with a sort of 'some time passes' feeling, where our hero Bell is just... suddenly down on level 25 helping another Familia do a thing.

As well, the plot itself is DARK. It's a very graphic demonstration of the question 'who are the real monsters?' I won't give away any more for those not in the know, but those who DO know, should know what I'm talking about. You know?

But as a writer, who is trying to keep to the plot, its like... very intimidating.

I will however, keep going. :) With so many fans, (I have 100 follows! Holy crackers!) I just have to keep going now. :)

Until next time, dear readers.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 36

"Come on love." I whispered into Haruhime's ear, "It's time for practise."

"nooo... sleepy..." She pouted, hugging my pillow.

"I only gave you that back rub because you were working so hard yesterday." I couldn't keep my hands off her last night, but instead of a ... mutual effort to relax, I'd given her a massage. By the end of it you might have been able to pour her into a jar.

"but if I go it will ruin your hard work."

"Then I'll do it again later." I put a hand on on her lower back, not quite touching her tail, and whispered into her ear, "And if you don't get up, right now, I'll skip practise too, but I'll make sure everyone in the house hears why." my fingertip drew little circles on her lower back.

"so mean... fine." she pouted, her face blushing slowly.

* * *

"So that's MY plan for part of the day. How about the rest of you? Any preferences?" I addressed the two Familia as we put our practise equipment away. I'd told them all about the letter, though I didn't bother giving them my take on the mater.

"There are still many jobs suited for us on the job board." Chigusa said, looking at her Familia members.

"How about a few minor gathering missions?" Ouka asked, looking at me, "Not all of us are armoured, but if there's anything around floor ten we could handle it."

"Could I get a volunteer?" Welf spoke up, "With all these odd jobs, we've got a mess of stuff in storage. We could probably sell some of it, or find out exactly what we are running out of." This got him a collection of raised eyebrows, "What? I make stuff. I only stop when I'm with you guys in the dungeon, or we run out of materials."

"I'll help." Asuka said.

"Thank you."

"Okay, keep safe, don't be afraid to cut your losses if something goes wrong." I grinned at them, "Not like I need to say it, but let's do our Familia proud."

"And me, Ma'am?" Marius spoke up as the others were turning away.

"Up to you. Follow the others into the tower, take a look at the job board, and do your best. Mikoto is second, since Bell is out still." He nodded, and I held up a hand to stop him from turning away, "You did well yesterday. I was starting to think you were fearless, but I'm glad I was wrong."

This puzzled him, "Why... Would that please you? Fear is a soldiers worst enemy, next to hunger and blind obedience."

"It means you took me seriously when I said the dungeon is dangerous. You knew you were out of your depth, and admitted it." I gave the big man a friendly punch in the shoulder, "Knowing your limits, and still finding a way to act is a good quality for an adventurer."

"Do you fear? Seeing you fight, against a weak, and now a strong opponent, I am wondering if you fear anything." He asked.

"Most of my fears, are for others. I'm still worried about my Goddess. Worried for Bell. Worried that one of my friends won't come back from the dungeon." I sighed, "One of the reasons I took you in, it because I have the problems YOU are going to have when you return."

"The burden of leadership." He nodded, "It is heavy, isn't it?"

"Yes. So I train them, I lead them, I teach them. So that I can sleep at night knowing that I've done what I can to keep them alive. The only fear I have for myself, really, is that if I do fall, that they fall with me." He surprised me by putting a hand on my shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze. "Heh, thanks."

He realized what he'd done a moment later, and took his hand away as if burnt. "Sorry Ma'am."

"Just no hugs." I replied. "Now, go catch up. Make sure you have everything. Maybe get Welf to take your measurements so we can get started on your armour."

"Yes Ma'am. Good luck with the... administration." He said the last word ominously.

"I knew you had a sense of humour in there someplace." We shared a chuckle, then he left for the workshop after Asuka.

* * *

"Morning Eina." I greeted my favourite guild employee, four of my tails lashing back and forth happily, while the fifth seemed to still be sleeping.

"You... What..." The other two at the front desk, a cat girl and human, had both stopped talking to the adventurer they were dealing with to look at me. "ahem." She looked at me and stepped back from her desk, "This way please."

I made a point to wave at the other two before following Eina to one of the private rooms. "It's been an interesting few days." I commented, "And I'm sure you know about the letter I got?"

"Yes." She replied curtly, "But, since you are early enough, I'd like to chat with you before hand."

Entering the room and seating ourselves, she looked across the desk at me. I watched her eyes trying to follow all of my tails as they waved about over my shoulders at her. "Well, I suppose I'll start with these..." I moved my chair closer to the desk, closing one eye and getting started on my story.

"And since I still had some of that hair cream from Nazza, I've at least got enough hair back to keep my head warm." I finished, brushing a hand over my head and over each ear. "Haruhime did a good job with the cutting before hand, too." She had actually almost refused to cut the fur on my one ear, but relented after I told her I'd look silly with one shaggy ear and one just barely covered.

Throughout my story, from the capture of Ares, to my getting the letter, I'd gotten in a little practise with my new ability, letting Eina play with two of the ghostly manifestations as they hopped and played on the desk, at least one paw or tail always connected to one of my real tails. "You've certainly had an eventful few days." She said as I opened my closed eye and dispelled the two foxes. "If you weren't already in trouble, I'd lecture you on your reckless actions yesterday."

"So I am in trouble then?" I asked, my tails, still on the desk, started doing that irritated pat pat thing. "And you?"

"Yes..." She admitted after a moment, her hand reaching out and petting the closest tail. This of course, got the attention of the others, and they all flopped closer to her hand. "Thank you." She said, "But it's my own fault really. I know the rules, and I chose to break them."

"And you have no idea how much that means to me." I replied, "What can I expect?"

"THERE you are!" The door to the room opened suddenly, letting in an absolutely obese man. No, not man, elf. His ears, with his snow white hair tucked behind them, were longer than Eina's. Had he been maybe forty kilograms lighter, his clothes might have looked good on him. As it was, the guild uniform was stretched to its limit. Pale green eyes looked at me with a mix of irritation and fatigue. "Trying to collaborate with her before her inquisition? Typical half blood attitude! Get back to work before I throw you out onto the street!"

"Dinner later, Eina." I looked her in the eyes as she hastily got to her feet. "On me." It wasn't said as a request either.

With a barely perceptible nod, she turned and left, the warmth of her hand lingering on the end of my tails. There was a tense moment as I looked to the shorter elf, my tails sliding off of the desk to weave behind me. "Follow me." He said after a moment.

Slowly, I stood. I was almost a head taller than him, and I did my very best to 'loom' over him without resorting to aggressive body language. "After you."

* * *

I'd never been very deep into the Guild building. Front desk, a few of the consultation rooms, and that was it. The elf lead me further back, up a flight of stairs that made him huff with effort, and down a long hallway. My nose picked up the scent of books, lots of books. This must have been where they kept records. Near the end of the hall, he stopped in front of a thick wooden double door. Taking out a key, he applied it to the lock and entered. I followed him in, and he made sure to shut and lock the door behind us, before walking across the room to a wide desk made of polished dark wood.

He had money. The desk was well crafted, with fine details all over the sides and legs. There were shelves lined with books, the smell, now that I was in the room, hinted that most of them were bound in leather. The magic stone lamps were bright, the light given off under the cream lamp shades was bright and pure, with no flickering typical of a middle or low quality magic stone lamp. This person had money, and status, and his office was showing it off.

I really didn't like him already.

"Let's get this over with then." I said to him as I followed him to the desk. There was a chair opposite him, padded in dark red with a high back and sweeping armrests. Carefully, I sat down, my abundance of tails not really made for close backed chairs unlike the simple ones we had back home.

He clicked his tongue at me when he noticed, and heard, the metal of my bracers and gauntlets touch the wood of the chair. They were still discoloured from heat that the drake poured over me too. "Try not to scratch the wood. Typical adventurer... Always in armour, never dressing for the occasion. Always dirty."

"I wasn't aware this was a formal function." I replied, curling my fingers over the ends of the arm rests, just to keep them still. "And in case you are wondering, the armour is clean. It's just discoloured from the drake I killed yesterday."

"Whatever." He dismissed my explanation with a wave of his hand. "But yes, I agree, lets get this over with. The Guild suspects you and your Goddess Hestia for many crimes against the rules we have in place. Mischief, tampering with status, destruction of property, conspiracy, harbouring criminals and treason against Orario as a whole."

"That's..."

"Furthermore, we are having trouble deciding what to do about it." He interrupted me, "Not only are you, the captain, a murderer, you have brought in a known enemy, a Rakia soldier, and brought him into... the Takemikazuchi Familia."

"He..."

"It is bad enough that you already have that little thief, formerly of Soma Familia, but you involved another Familia with the Rakia soldier."

"Lady..."

"Furthermore, the issue of you and your Familia in many of the recent troubles, involving Soma Familia and the destruction of property near their home, Apollo Familia and them leaving the city, the use of that... flying thing appearing in the war with Rakia, all require addressing."

"I..."

"And finally, the fact that you and Bell Cranel have broken not one, not two, but three levelling records." He was about to look me in the eye, but I think the fact that my shoulders were starting to twitch told he that he would not like what he would see there, "This brings your Goddess into suspect of tampering with your falna, an illegal use of divine power. If found guilty, your Familia would be dissolved, the members banished, and She would be sent back to Tenkai."

"..."

"What do you have to say for yourself?" He asked when I didn't reply.

"I'd say you were only seeing one side of the coin." I said flatly. I knew this kind of person from my old home. The bad manager. Much like adventurers, they also fell into two categories. There were the good ones, who had worked from the ground up, who knew their job, knew, or at least knew enough of all the other jobs, and kept an ear to the ground for any problems. An open office policy.

Then there were the ones who ruled by stick. Finger pointing, power hoarding, all about the money or status, and were quick to blame others for a problem, or brush off the blame when the fault was theirs.

This one struck me as one who was closer to the latter, and I'd spent twenty five years dealing with them. I had to make sure I didn't kick his ego, lest it shatter and send its bits towards Hestia and Takemikazuchi Familia.

"First." I extended a hand, "Kodori, Hestia Familia." This surprised him, but he shifted his bulk forward to accept my hand. Surprising me, he took my hand and gripped it as an equal. Had he put his hand under mine, making me lower my hand to his, he would have been showing submissiveness or a deep respect. Had he put his hand over mine, making me raise my hand to his, it would have been a sign of either disrespect or a show of dominance over me.

But no, he'd shook my hand as a potential equal, though his grip was a little weak. "Royman Mardeel." He let my hand go and settled back into his chair. "Only one side of a coin? I hardly..."

I held up a hand, my thoughts reshuffling in my head. My first impression of him was very VERY far from a good one. But that simple handshake had hinted that something else was going on. But, was I right to think so? "Let me start with this. If at any point you think I am not telling you the truth, we can find a God or Goddess you trust, and have them present."

"I don't think this is something that we should trouble one of them with. They are busy after all." He said, picking up a quill.

"Fine, but I had to mention it. I'll start with personal matters first. Yes, I did murder someone. Amazon Phryne. Formerly of Ishtar Familia. She held a grudge against several of my Familia, and caught us on the nineteenth floor. I stayed behind, and we fought."

"According to..." He frowned as if someone had just told him someone had kicked his dog or something, "Records, you were only level three, and she a level five. There should be no way you could have won."

"Has anyone ever surprised you? Made you drop something you were holding? Surprise can be fatal to anyone down in the dungeon. I just happened to surprise her." I still had mild nightmares about that, my fingernails digging into her upper arm, and her trying to fling me off by swinging her arm like a baseball bat. Even with her one arm being stripped to the bone in some places, she still managed to fight. I suppressed a shiver, "It also helps that I have my own magic. I've never tried to find my absolute limit, but, off the record, my magic stat is very very high."

He wrote something down, "And you and Bell Cranel? Levelling far faster than anyone in the history of Orario?"

"For him, it is a special skill. His determination, drives him forward. That, and the help of his friends to keep him on the path of a hero." I replied.

"A special skill... That half-bl..." SNAP "..."

The sculpted wood of the armrest under my hand splintered like rotted wood. "This is between you an I. Please, keep your thoughts on a person's race to yourself." I noticed that his hands were suddenly shaking slightly, "Sorry. But yes. Bell has a special skill. But, that is not all. He and I, as well as both Takemikazuchi and Hestia Familia train very hard, every day that we aren't too hurt to move."

"Y-yes..." He wrote that down.

"You've been doing this a while, correct? Do you know how an adventurer gains a level? More or less?" I knew that being an employee, even if he was the leader of the guild, he was not an adventurer.

"To my understanding, they must do something that the Gods themselves would notice and acknowledge as an act of a hero." He replied, looking at my hands as I took the splintered bit of wood and started using my fingernails to carve it.

"Yes. So, this brings us to the list of things you blame us for. This... 'causing trouble' thing." I kept my eyes only half on him while I took the bit of wood apart. "Zanis, of Soma Familia was responsible for the destruction of that area, using a magic sword. Bell and I were there, because Lilly, the criminal you mentioned, was basically being held hostage by her own Familia. Under his thumb, she did, indeed, commit crimes."

"The way I see it, Hestia Familia interfered with another Familia. You two had no cause to be there." He replied. His eyes were firmly on my hands as they worked, though his mouth was set firmly in a frown.

"True, on the surface. At the time, Lilly was just starting to become our supporter. But, she was also going to be used as bait in the dungeon, and had Bell and I not 'interfered' she would have been killed. Had Bell and I also not been there, Soma Familia would probably still be doing what they were doing." The wood was smoothing out again, taking shape. "An act of heroism. Isn't it?"

"I will give you that point. With our vow of neutrality, we cannot act without due cause." He replied, letting out a sigh that seemed to deflate him almost enough to fit into his shirt a little better.

"I know. And understand. But, the next point, Bell and I levelling. We hit level two on the same day you know. He had saved my life, and killed a minotaur. As a level one. But, he had also overcome his fear of them. You might not have heard that he was almost killed by one early in his career. Ais Wallenstein, Loki Familia, saved him." I picked carefully at the wood, "I used my magic, a stat boosting spell, and as a level one, killed a drake with a single punch. I had the help of Bell, but I did something that would have ended my life had I failed."

"These were in the reports. I don't see how that matters." He replied, his eyes looking up from my hands and into mine as I gazed back at him.

"Don't you? We both did something heroic, something that the Gods themselves would nod their heads at. I risked everything on a single strike. And Bell overcame his fear, and fought to protect his friends. Heroic acts." A little curve here... "Our level three, after the war game, was the same. For all of us, we trained until we bled, got back up, and trained some more. We planned, we prepared, and in a six against over a hundred, won. My level was likely gained by training, but also planning. Almost all of our strategy was mine." Another line there... "Bell beat a level three. An experienced level three. With skill, hard work, and determination."

His eyes went back to my hands, "Another heroic act. That plan was yours? Truly?"

"Welf, level two after the irregular on the eighteenth. He got over his aversion to making magic sword. Saw that without it, he would be giving up a potential tool to help the people he cares about. Growth, on a mental level. But not only did he make a magic sword, he trusted only himself to use it. Stepping into battle when he could have just handed it to someone else." I carefully twisted my pinky finger to drill a tiny bit into the wood. "And yes. Lilly sneaking in, Welf handling the mages, Mikoto crashing the gate, our friend holding off much of their forces, and me in the air making sure it went like clockwork."

His expression was giving me more clues to what this was really about. As I explained things, his earlier tension was fading away. He seemed dead set on pinning something on me from the start, but now... "I see. And you gained level four by standing up to, and defeating Phryne." He frowned again, though this time it was more towards himself, instead of me, "The... Glider? You called it? That is a problem as well."

"I flew kites as a child." Truth. "I simply made one I could use." Not quite truth. "I also encountered them before I captured Ares. Speaking of the war game, Apollo Familia was working with them. Mercenary work."

He snorted, but his frown turned towards me again, "Losing that many adventurers was a severe blow to the city you know."

"You should know that the Gods do what the Gods do. But, I would also say, that as much as they were my enemy, the ones who left with Apollo loved him."

This made his face soften a bit, making something a little clearer for me. "Yes fine..." He sighed again, "And you bringing in that soldier along with Ares? The report says Loki herself backed that idea? How did you manage to gain her favour like that, with your Familia being, quite honestly, insignificant in scale to Hers."

I nearly ruined the little block of wood at his question. I couldn't tell him it was because I'd let Her feel me up for about three hours while I carried Her on my back. Well I could, but he looked like he was getting on in years, and I didn't want to give him a nose bleed or something, "I let them claim the honour of bringing in Ares."

"I see..." He squinted at me but relaxed a moment later, "And the soldier you brought into the city?"

"You are aware that he is Rakia's crown prince, correct?"

"I'd heard rumour, from Loki Familia captain Finn." He replied.

"Well it's true. I took him in because in a year, after living here with us, and learning, and gaining experience as an adventurer, it's my hope he returns to Rakia and beats some sense into them." I smiled, though with my head down focusing on my little project, I'm not sure he could have seen it, "It is an... umm... Putting something aside for later... banking it... umm..."

He actually smiled slightly as I fumbled for the word, "Investment. I see." He wrote that down too. "I see that part of your file was no exaggeration."

"Yes, I really did arrive here without being able to speak the language. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?" I carefully smoothed what I had been working on with a combination of rubbing it with my thumbs and compression with my strength.

He considered carefully, his eyes going to the paper in front of him, "I am... Surprised. Your file, however sparse," He said that with a 'I know who to blame' tone, "had given me the impression you were simply another violent adventurer. As well, your cold manner when I pulled you in here, gave me the wrong impression of you."

"That was because you insulted a friend, for something she has no control over." I made sure to show him as many of my teeth as possible with THAT smile, he shrank back into his chair as I focused on him, "If you wanted to blame some one for who their parents were, blame the parents, not the child."

His face flushed an angry red, but as I leaned forward slightly, he seemed to swallow his words.

"Eina works very hard. If it wasn't for her skill as a teacher, Bell and I would likely be dead. And we are only two people out of all those she has taken under her care. Who her parents are, or were, has NOTHING to do with her work."

That seemed to rile him enough to speak, "That does not excuse the fact that she hid her reports on you and Bell Cranel! That sort of misconduct would cost her her job if I were a mind to do it!"

"True, she did hide what Bell and I were doing. But she was protecting us from YOU, who until now had nothing but negative ideas about what was going on! You were threatening us by sending our Goddess back to Tenkai, when you didn't even have a clue what was really going on!" I was on my feet now, looming over him from across his desk, "And if your employees would go THAT far to hide something as simple as THIS from you because they KNEW you'd act like this, YOU should really think about WHY!" With the sound of snapping twigs the chair I was sitting on came apart as my tails wrapped around it and pulled.

I might have over done it, but he cowered there in his chair, his face sweating his pupils wide. Carefully, I put the bit of wood I'd been working on atop the bit of paper he'd been writing on. Of course, it was a fox. Crude work without tools, but it was close to what was on the Hestia emblem.

"Many people now, have called me wise. God and mortal both." I started, the bits of chair held by my tails waving slowly behind me, "So, this is my advice. Earn the respect of your workers, and they will work harder, knowing that what they do is appreciated." I backed up, very carefully put the bits of chair in a pile, and stood straight, "Now, I have a question for you."

My instant of anger was gone, and in turn he started to recover from his shock. After a moment of patting his head with a handkerchief, he replied, "What might that be?" Carefully he picked up the quill again, though his hand was still shaking too much to write.

"Who put you up to this?" The quill snapped in his hand, blotting the paper and the little fox with black specks.

"Wha... How?"

"Little things. Your... ... damn... Dislike of a race?" I tried.

"Racism." He answered automatically.

"Racism aside, a lot of little things. Your handshake, your expression when I mentioned certain things, nervousness, willingness to admit your ignorance." I listed, "You respect and fear us adventurers, you worship the gods even though you are not connected like we are, and you like money, a lot." Each point made him twitch a little, "When I came in here, you were set in finding a problem. When there was no problem, you seemed at a loss, but weren't disappointed."

He settled into his chair properly, sighing that sigh that made him seem smaller. "A few of the minor Familia, with connection to the floor eighteen incident, and fairly long list of adventurers have put in a request to have you and your Familia questioned."

Another clue. I suddenly felt a little bad about intimidating him. I knew the Guild had a lot to deal with, but it seemed that this man was fumbling around in the dark just like the rest of them on how to do it and make everyone happy. And when some of those people could kick down a building with nothing but a bare foot... And I was sure he knew that the Guild was just something in place to give the illusion of power. Enough people had raised a fuss and he just had to cave in.

"So now all that's left is what your response will be..." I mumbled, "I have two requests, for the false accusation of me and my Familia." I smiled in what I hoped wasn't a predatory way.

"What but... You can't..."

"First! Choose one person for each department in the Guild. Help them learn their new job, then let them do it. This will put less pressure on any one person when it comes to stuff like this." He was trying to form a response, but couldn't seem to figure out where to start, "Second, find a hobby, and take a little time off. Your weight is bad for your heart, and too much stress can cause problems with digestion."

He deflated a little more, "What your asking is... The Guild is a huge network..."

"The right of leadership is to grant responsibility. And it doesn't have to be overnight. Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot. But from where I'm standing, your work is going to kill you." He blinked at me as if I'd slapped him, "Grant some of your workers a little extra work, assign each team a leader, pay them a little more for the extra work they do. If there is a problem they can't handle, THEN you step in."

"I'll have another chair brought in." He said thoughtfully, "I'd like to hear more."

"I'll replace this one later too." I said, pointing to the pile of chair bits I'd made.

* * *

In yet another case of me bringing modern ideas to a primitive culture, I helped start the re-organization of the biggest organization in the world.

* * *

"Wel..." That was about as far as Chloe got as I entered the Hostess of Fertility.

"Oh, look, I broke her." I said as I got closer, my collection of tails visiting the stunned cat girl by perching on her arms and shoulders, "Hello everyone."

"Wow... What happened to you?" Arnya wove her way towards me, avoiding the few full tables in the room, the evening rush just starting. I recognized a few of the patrons too, earning a laugh and pointed finger as my tails claimed a spot on the dark haired Chloe, "I've... Never seen her just... turn off like this." Arnya poked her friend's cheek.

"Well, if you set aside a table for two, I'll hover at the bar and tell you. But first..." I stepped past Chloe, who was still sort of stunned, my tails sliding off of her, and very carefully gave her tail a pet.

With a full body shiver, she finished her introduction, tried to get away from my hand, and squeaked all at once, making most of the customers laugh and point. "GAH! You are so mean!" She finally huffed at me.

"Are you bothering my girls?" Mia had noticed, and came over, ladle in hand, though she was smiling. "Good to have you back. Heard some of what happened out of town. I'm glad you're safe."

"Me too." I said with a grin, giving Chloe and Arnya a hug and reminding them they were still on the clock. "Busy night?"

"Not as busy recently though it's picking up again now that that nonsense out of town is done." Mia replied, getting back behind the counter and filling mugs with beer. "Heard you had a hand in that."

Ryuu came by, my tails going to greet her with a gentle brush against her arm and side before returning to rest behind me. She gave me one of her 'good to see you' smiles, but picked up the tray of mugs Mia had filled and left again.

"Well, let me tell you about that."

* * *

As I was getting close to the end of my story, Eina arrived, still dressed in her uniform, and looking... Confused. Like her day had simply stopped making sense and she'd given up on sorting it out. "Ah, my guest has arrived." I said as I spotted her, "Two menus please." I asked Mia.

I walked over to Eina, menus in hand, and lead her over to a table Arnya had put a little paper 'reserved' sign on. At least, I think that's what it said. Who ever had wrote it had horrible writing. "You..." She started, her usual grace and poise almost gone as she dropped into the chair. "Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but why did you invite me to dinner?" She opened the menu up and glanced at it.

"I figured I owed you for all the trouble Bell and I have caused you. That, and I don't think he's given you that dinner he owed you. We've been busy after all." I smiled at her, her expression telling me she'd forgotten about that.

"I didn't expect he would actually do it... Though, I wouldn't have minded." She admitted, "But... I've had a very odd evening."

"I'm sorry." I said bowing my head and clapping my hands together in apology.

I opened one eye to peek at her face, watching her expression shift about amusingly as it went from puzzlement to realization. "You're the one who caused that?"

"Do I give you a congratulations?" I asked hopefully.

"Um... yes? For some reason he promoted me to... something he called, 'Team Lead' of consultation." She said, putting her menu down, "Basically I continue doing what I am doing, but bring him anything I can't handle myself, or seems out of place."

"But otherwise he doesn't need to handle everything personally." I added. "Good he's listening."

"And several other departments also got the news... Why am I not surprised you had a hand in that?" She sighed, waving a hand towards one of the girls. "I hope your purse is ready. I think my new responsibilities have given me an apatite."

* * *

As I returned home, I felt both pleased and a little sad. Sure, I'd used up a solid chunk of my personal funds on dinner. But that was for a good cause and Eina deserved it for all the help she'd given me and my Familia. I'd headed off disaster with a combination of diplomacy and intimidation, but headed it off all the same. I had a chair to replace, a potential apology for a few others in the Guild for them suddenly needing to take on more responsibilities, and was now a day behind on crafting more armour for us.

But I'd done it alone for the most part. Bell and Hestia were still not back. And until I could tell them what had happened, everything I'd done since they went missing felt... Incomplete. The last time I could remember feeling this way was... When I'd done something and just had to tell my parents. I don't even remember what it was, but I felt proud that I'd done it, but sad no one that mattered to me was around to tell.

"You're late!" A voice said as I opened the gate to the Hearthstone manor. "And didn't I ground you?"

And just like a child, I ran towards that voice. Unlike a child however, I picked her up in a big hug. And unlike a human, my tails wrapped around us both to join in. "Welcome back!" I said, shaking Hestia back and forth lightly, her feet dangling above the ground, "I have so much to tell you!"

* * *

Notes!

This seems like a good spot. Very dialogue heavy, but this should more or less do it for the 'Rakia war' book. I think the next chapter or two, I'll address some of your comments about going deeper into the dungeon.

*ahem* In the books... At least, the ones dealing with Bell specifically (not Sword Oratario... or what ever its called) don't really get into the dungeon. The other set of books, dealing more with the Loki Familia, DO get into the dungeon. They are an explorer guild first and foremost, and they do all kinds of crazy things and meet/kill all kinds of crazy monsters. So after a little research, I'll get into that.

Until next time. :)


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 37

"So... After you fell off the cliff." We had gathered inside, had dinner, and then had a little gathering for storytelling. Hestia and Bell had finished their story and I was summing it up just to be sure I understood it all. "Good catch by the way little brother." I said, holding out my fist to Bell, who gave it his usual tap. "So you were washed down stream. Lady Hestia caught a cold, and the three of you stayed in a little remote village while she recovered."

"Yes! I'm sad you weren't there with us, all of you, they had a little festival and everything." Bell added.

"Then there was the festival, so you stayed for that." I continued, "Then you came back on foot even though Asfi offered to give you a lift."

"There was more too, but yes." Hestia said with a little sniffle. I'd never have guessed that the Gods could catch a cold, and she sounded like she was almost over this one. "Asfi said she could only carry one of us at a time anyhow."

"That I don't mind." I said, "She's a good person, who hasn't thought to say no to Hermes for anything. But, you didn't think to send word back at least?"

Everyone, Takemikazuchi and Hestia Familia both nodded, with various versions of 'we were worried' sounding out from around the circle we had made.

"Well... I wanted to walk?" Hestia said with a pout, shrinking a little under the gazes of the mortals in the room. "And I figured she would have told you anyhow."

"She works for a messenger god. And is very professional. You didn't ask, she didn't do." I replied, "But. It's good to have you back."

More of that communal noise from everyone in agreement. All of us lifting up a teacup in cheers.

"But you are so grounded." I grinned. Making everyone laugh.

* * *

Finally, that little nagging feeling had vanished from mind. Hestia had returned, Bell as well. I'd hardly call it women's intuition, but it also seemed like there was less... distance between them. They sat together in the circle, shoulders touching, but not seeming to notice. Had it been before they left, there would have been the usual cascade of blushing, stuttering and possible boob arm hugs from Hestia to keep her rabbit from running away.

As punishment for their absence, they did the night's dishes, and even then, there was a little less distance between them. Almost like how Bell was while we worked in the dungeon. It gave my heart a little warm fuzzy feeling to see the two of them get over some of that crippling shyness towards each other.

"Lilly wonders what happened." She said quietly from near my elbow as I peeked into the kitchen on my way to the work shop. "Miss Kodori sees it too?"

"Hard to miss, considering I've been here from the start." I mumbled, my tails gravitating towards her and finding places to perch. "You can't interrupt them tonight, okay?" I said, looking down at her brown hair and patting her head, "Tomorrow, you can ask, but give them their moment."

"Lilly understands." She smiled up at me, trying to pet all of my tails at once, "It's good to have Master Bell and Lady Hestia back. Even if Lilly is behind now."

Gently, my tails held onto her, and lifted her up. I continued on my way to the workshop, so our chat wouldn't be overheard. "I'm not sure 'behind' is the right word. I think it might be an... understanding of what they mean to each other. For now at least."

Lilly dangled thoughtfully, "Lilly hopes so." She giggled as I put her down again, "Maybe she will try giving him a hug later..."

"Tomorrow." I said firmly, patting her head again, "But you should definitely try." I grinned, "I already miss seeing Bell turn into a stuttering idiot." We both shared a laugh, "I'll be in the shop, we almost have your new armour ready too."

"Lilly looks forward to it!"

* * *

"Ko-san!" Surprising me, Haruhime was already in the shop when I arrived. "I was just helping Master Welf. He's waiting for you."

We shared one of those 'I'm dirty and don't want to get dirt on you' hugs, "Working the bellows for him?" I motioned to the thick leather apron she was wearing over one of my oversized shirts.

"Yes!" She tugged my sleeve and I followed her back to the metalworking room. "He's come up with some ideas, and said he needed the furnace extra hot."

I thought about what he might need to do that for, but simply followed without question. The steady clang of hammer to steel was ringing thought the workshop with its familiar music. He'd been very busy while I was at the Guild hall it seemed. There were flat bars of metal leaning against almost every patch of bare wall. There were spools of wire, bits of bone, monster teeth, horns, hide... And most of it was all scrap material. Not every bit of hide Lilly cut, or tooth that ended up stuck in me, or claw that was left behind were perfect. These imperfect materials had a tendency to get passed over when we wanted to use that bit of material.

"Oh... You know, I had no idea we had so much spare stuff." I said as I looked over some of the bits, picking up a hell hound tooth with an obvious cavity in it. "Or all of these leather scraps..."

Welf stopped hammering looking at the bar of metal he had been smashing. "Yeah sister. After Asuka and I went through our supplies... We really needed to go through it." He shoved the bar of metal into the forge to heat up again, Haruhime perking up and quick stepping towards the bellows to feed air into the fire. "One, two, right?"

"Yes!" She replied.

"Well, I didn't want to waste any of it." I commented, picking up weirdly cut up square of orc leather. "But I suppose there are limits. Not much we could use stuff like this for without getting really creative."

Welf nodded, leaning down a little to peer into the forge before grabbing the tongs and sliding the bar out again. "When Lady Hestia returned, Asfi came by too. Just to say she would be by tomorrow."

"Is that why you have..." I motioned towards the dozens of metal bars leaning on the walls. I picked up the sledge as well, though he shook his head at me, so I put it down again.

"Yeah. She said have some spare material ready. She wanted to get an idea where I was on my own, and to use clean material."

"Right." I hmm'ed, watching Haruhime as she eagerly kept an eye on Welf's motions. It looked like he was making the beginnings of a blade, though I wasn't sure what kind yet.

"Also, I'm planning to work on Marius's armour tomorrow too. That mass made junk they wear is easy to make." He chuckled, putting the bar back into the forge, and motioning Haruhime to resume her work. "But because you are asking so nice." He gave me a raised eyebrow, but smiled when I shrugged, "I'm going to make him something that will make him look like a proper general."

"Gotten over your dislike of him then?" I sat down at my usual workbench and picked up the gold tinged bar of 'Hime steel'. I ran my fingers over it, feeling a little tingle of magic under the surface. I picked up a thin saw.

"Well... Screw it, yes. After we went out for drinks, and a talk with him while I took his measurements... He's a pretty good guy. I think he has a chance to turn that wasteland of a country around when we send him back." He admitted, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm glad I didn't bet against you on this one sister."

"Me too. I hate seeing potential friends not getting along for silly reasons. That Guild master... Let me tell you..."

* * *

So the three of us worked for a couple of hours. I talked about my day, then passed the storytelling rights to Haruhime, who talked about her day, as well as telling us a few amusing tales from her time in the 'entertainment' district. Welf picked up after that, making Haruhime blush with some very bawdy jokes Aisha had told him on one of her visits.

By the end of the night, I had in fact gotten creative with that odd little leather scrap. The small square slice I'd taken off the end of the Haru steel was turned into a flat backed oval, polished to a mirror shine then set into the leather scrap by heating it up until it started to become soft. With a bit of pressure, and a rapid cooling, the metal was now set inside the leather as if it were metal. Any serious twisting would pop them apart, but for the moment, it was a mildly magical pendant.

That did pretty much nothing but feel magical. Kind of like Haruhime herself when she was sleeping.

* * *

"You're here early." I commented as I let Asfi into the gate, offering her Chime since we were still doing our morning training and Hestia, our usual Chime holder, was still sleeping. "Friend." I said before she accepted the critter.

"I..." She paused to pet Chime, giving the tracking pendant on its chest a close look, "Kind of threw Lord Hermes to the wolves today." We walked back to the training yard, where Mikoto and Ouka were having a furious spar, spear and sword ringing off of each other.

"Oh?" I certainly wasn't sorry for Him, but was curious as to what sort of wolf would nip at a God.

"Shortly after my return, a letter from the Guild... Firmly requested, his presence. Something about some misfiled paperwork... Why are you laughing?"

I couldn't help it. Even my tails were wrapping around me as I broke down. The best Karma is the kind you set in motion yourself, after all. I was still giggling as I managed to reply, "My fault, but I am so not sorry."

"What... How is it your fault?" She was still petting out micro rabbit, and not even aware that she was doing it. Poor girl, I'd have to invent a stress ball for her.

Bell had gravitated towards me to see what I was laughing about, and I put a hand on his shoulder to try and recover from my sudden laughing fit, "Well, heh heh... Yesterday, the Guild called me in too. For all of the... things that Bell and I seem to get caught up in." I raised an eyebrow at Asfi, and she nodded slightly. "Yes, those, but also some of the other things, like how he's already level three... Oh..." I hugged Bell tight suddenly, putting a hand over his mouth, "And I'm level four, after the fight with Phryne."

He struggled a moment, first embarrassed at the sudden hug and silencing. After he calmed a moment later, his eyes widening, I let him go and nodded. "Mikoto already guessed it, but yes. We can chat about it later, okay?"

"Yes, Miss Kodori." Bell replied, holding out his fist to me. "Congratulations."

Inwardly I was relieved he took the news so well. I tried not to let it show as I tapped his knuckles with mine, "So, yes. After some explaining... And you've met the Guild master?" Asfi nodded ignoring Bell and I's little byplay. "Well, we had some... Choice words for each other, but after that we came to an understanding. But I also taught him a few things..."

After my explanation, Asfi handed Bell the little rabbit, and hugged me. Not just for a moment, but a full strength hug of joy. Caught off guard I could only accept it, my arms pinned to my sides. "I've been trying to figure out how to straighten out that ..." She used a long string of words here I didn't know, but could easily guess, considering Bell's face was slack with shock at the language used, "Lug of a God."

"Can't breath!" I gasped, happy but in severe distress as my ribs made those subsonic noises they did when you can only hear things through the water in your body. "I give I give."

Putting me down, she adjusted her glasses and accepted the rabbit back like nothing had happened at all. She even did an uncannily similar version of Eina's "ahem". "Well, he will be busy at the Guild for a long time today. Who ever was in charge of our Familia when it came to records at the Guild, is no longer doing so."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me." I took a deep breath to make sure I still had all my insides in order. She didn't look like it, but she was quite strong. "It's my turn in the circle. Better warm up a little more Bell. I'm skipping the dungeon today, so I'm getting ALL my exercise in now." I adjusted my gauntlets and made sure to crack my knuckles for effect as I smiled at him, then turned to face Mikoto in the circle, hearing Bell gulp behind me in worry.

Mikoto, despite her loss, was smiling at me. As always, I had to be extra careful about her total skill with her weapon. Two levels under me or not, if I wasn't respectful of her skill, it would be like my sparring with Takemikazuchi. Strength meant nothing against absolute skill. I looked forward to her eventually reaching level three.

Welf started with his usual 'Go easy on me sister! Still have work to do later.' line. But then continued, looking over to Haruhime, "A little help?" My opposite looked first to me, then to Welf. I gave her a thumbs up, and waited for her to chant her spell, a second tail glowing into existence behind her. I noticed that Asuka took on the same glow as Welf, telling me who my next partner would be.

Except they both charged. But if Bell could do it against two level six adventurers, I could fight two level two and a halfs.

And I did. Though, Welf's strength was very close to what mine was, without pulling on my magic. His hard work at the forge, choice of weapon and Haruhime's magic, boosted his physical power to amazing levels. Asuka was like a mini tornado, with my hand me down gauntlets. Aside from her bow, she trained in a martial art that reminded me of caporia and muay tai. Not nearly as strong as Welf, she had VERY pointy knees and elbows and her new armour didn't seem to hinder her at all.

But aside from hardening my skin to absorb the shock of blocking Welf's sword or deflecting Asuka's kicks, I had won without too much trouble.

"Phew... Well Bell, lets see if you've gone soft while you were away?" I took a deep breath, my lungs expanding, the feel of air, and magic filling my body. "I'm not going to hold back. Bring everything you have." At my words, everyone backed up. Except Asfi, who stood there wondering for a moment before she took the hint and backed up as well.

He stood across from me, rolling his shoulders, his armour shifting over his torso soundlessly. Welf had done amazing work on Bell's armour, the plates not hindering him at all. With that, he drew his daggers, the flame red minotaur horn blade, and the black, purple glowing Hestia knife. "Yes, Miss Kodori."

And he vanished. He had set his feet firmly, tensed his legs, then vanished from my sight. My eyes caught up an instant later, as his incredible speed closed the ten pace gap between us in less than an eye blink. I pulled in my guard, the air pressure against my face and ears telling me more than my eyes were at that point, and I deflected his first strike off my right arm, and his second against my left shin, mostly through intuition.

Furiously, we traded kicks and punches, slashes and elbows. And slowly, with each breath, I was pulling in more of my magic, feeling the ember inside the cage ignite, then blaze. But even as I slowly started to pressure him back, to predict each of his moves a half step ahead of him, his speed compensated for it.

"FIREBOLT!" He crouched down under a kick aimed for his ear, dropped the red dagger and held his open hand at my face, just under my chin.

Eyes wide, I grinned down at him and slammed my forehead against the open palm, my tails whipping forward to touch his chest.

Ears ringing from the sudden explosion, forehead feeling sunburned, the fur on my tails standing on end, Bell was sent backwards as if he was shot by a cannon. Blinking rapidly to try and clear the spots from my vision, I dashed after him. Executing a perfect 'got thrown tuck and roll' Bell was on his feet again just as I got to him. But he'd lost momentum, as well as a dagger. Quickly, I started to punch and twist around his desperate dagger swings and punches, trapping him in the motions of 'sticky palm', before I finally grabbed an elbow and slapped my other palm against his chest lifting him off the ground slightly.

Then with a quick sweep of my leg, I leaned forward and pressed him into the ground with a final KYA!

"Ow." He said as the air around us seemed to settle back to a normal thickness. "Miss Kodori, you have a hand print on your forehead." He said as I recovered my breath, "You've gotten so strong big sister."

"And you've gotten faster..." I sat up, touching my forehead. "That itches..." I stood up, offering my hand to him, "Let's keep practising together."

"Yes!" He said, taking my hand and getting back to his feet. "We might have to fix the yard..."

I looked around at the devastation only two high levelled fighters could make on an innocent grass field. "Yeah..."

* * *

"You're right." Asfi said as I held out the little bit of polished Haru-steel. "Magical, but useless." Brushing her thumb over it carefully, her face thoughtful, she added, "That you even made magical metal out of a bit of base iron and some fur is amazing in itself, but this has no... What's the easiest way to explain..."

Welf and I waited patiently. Asfi, for all her scholarly looks, was not a very focused teacher. It's hard to call any teacher a bad one, but she was like an actor with no lines to read from. She had gone over all of Welf's bar stock, touching each with a finger and thumb and testing them for something. I guessed it had something to do with magical conductivity. Next was Welf's prize creation, the magic sword eater. The obsidian and blood red blade he had taken on the old Crozzo relic his father was threatening the city with. She was genuinely impressed with the blade, surprised that it not only worked, but worked how it did. The look she gave me after we told her what went into it made my tails nervous.

"Part of enchanting, is that you need direction. What were you thinking of when you made this?" She handed the little token back to me.

I'd read enough fantasy books that I caught on instantly, "It was a shiny bit of metal that I'd put into that scrap of leather. Pretty, but with no other purpose." I brushed my thumb over the metal, smiling, "Well, that's not true. It's a perfect reminder of who helped me make it." Smooth, gold, and calming. Yes, that described her perfectly.

This got a chuckle from Welf, and a tiny smile from Asfi, "Be that as it may, since you had no purpose in mind, it has no purpose in the end." She picked up the raw bar of the Haru-steel, "I'm shocked you thought of using your fur for these."

"I'm not." Welf said with a laugh, "If you've seen her soak up magic the way she does, you'd know those aren't just for show. You saw what she did this morning right?" He waved his hand to indicate my tails as they swished about lazily.

"Hard to miss. But that gave you the idea to bind it to the metal?" Welf nodded, "And you made this second..." She put her hand on the Ko-steel, and froze in place a moment, "This... You don't have the Mystery skill correct?"

"I have 'Crafting'." I replied, "Rank F. I've compared my work to others with a more focused skill, and my F is less than say, Welf's earlier works at the same rank. I seem to be capable at any craft I pick up, but am less skilled than someone with the true skill." Welf gave me a look, most likely because I was telling her about my status. But I figured that full disclosure in this case was harmless so I returned his look with a shrug.

"I see... This metal is also enchanted... Though it would be more appropriate to say, 'holds potential for enchantment'." Welf and I gave her a blank look, making her sigh, "If someone wanted to enchant this, they just... Could. Provided they had the right mindset, they wouldn't need any other skill." She put the metal down carefully, "A rookie smith could make that into a magic sword or minor artifact. A very weak one, but one, none the less."

"Oh... Wow..." I managed, idea's going through my head, most of them with dollar signs attached to them. "No, that's terrible. For the..." I was about to say 'love of God', but I'm sure they would laugh at me, "Great..."

I started pacing, "What's wrong sister?" Welf asked, "I mean, you have basically an unlimited supply of fur, people would be... oh... crap, okay, I get it."

Asfi adjusted her glasses, "Ah. As a Crozzo I'm sure you get that sort of attention already."

I sighed, sat down, and hugged my tails, except one, which got away and curled up around the bar of Hime-steel. "Well, lets put that topic far away for now. Please continue, Asfi?"

"Indeed."

* * *

Until almost lunch, Asfi gave us 'direction' on how to enchant. I can't really say she taught us, as magic was a very personal thing. But just like Haruhime did when I was trying to put words to my magic, she tried to give us hints at how to do it for ourselves. It was around the time my stomach was telling me it was time to eat, when one of the orphans knocked on the door to the shop.

"Big sis! Big bro!" He said, "There's a strange man outside the gate. He was asking for Miss!" He pointed a finger at Asfi, who raised an eyebrow while Welf and I chuckled.

"Strange man. Yes, that sounds like Hermes." I said, "I suppose that concludes today's lesson?"

"Yes. I am sure he will be... Distressed about his time with the Guild." Asfi replied, standing up.

"Still not sorry." I mumbled.

The three of us went to meet him at the gate, carefully stepping around some of the craters Bell and I had left in the yard. Hermes was his usual scruffy self. Not quite clean shaven, worn feathered hat, travellers clothes. His eyes were sunken in however, as if he'd seen something he shouldn't have. Or gotten one of Eina's lectures.

"Rough day, Hermes?" I teased, earning a backwards glance from Asfi, "You look like you ate something bad."

"Asfi! Help! The guild is going to audit us agaaaaaain." He broke down as soon as Asfi opened the gate, trying to cling to her, though she had put a hand on his forehead and kept him at arms length.

"If you weren't so sloppy with your reports to them, you wouldn't be having this trouble." She replied, as cool voiced as ever. "Thank you for showing me Hyakinthos's sword. I hope my lesson was helpful." She replied over her shoulder, "I suspect the rest of my day is spoken for now."

"Thank you for the lesson." Welf and I replied, bowing to her as if it were Takemikazuchi, fist in palm with a bow.

Welf locked the gate up behind them as they headed off, and looked back to me, "Think we can forget to send that jerk's sword back? I mean, he did try to kill you, twice. And even Asfi was impressed by who ever had made it."

"He'd just come after it. Besides, I promised. Lets get some food and get back into the shop." I grinned, "I'm looking forward to the dungeon again, and we have more armour to make. Yours too!"

"But I hate wearing OW leggo my ear! No pulling!"

* * *

"You sure you want to try this?" Welf asked me later. It was getting late in the evening, the others due back soon. "I mean, sure, you shrugged off Bell's magic, and you said Hyakinthos's magic hardly stung..."

I was looking into the forge, keeping my eye on a chunk of Haru-steel as it changed colour from gold to bright red. "Just be ready with the potions." I had survived literal dragon fire, and molten stone from where the gunk was so hot that it had softened the dungeon floor enough that my legs sunk into it. "If it doesn't work, then you get to tell me how stupid I am and watch my fingers grow back." The emergency potions were Nazza's best work. Not as good as the best alchemist Familia, but enough to restore missing fingers and toes, ears and tails, so long as the wound was fresh.

"Alright sister..." He backed up a little, hand on the blood red potion bottle.

I put a scrap of orc leather in my mouth and bit down on it, reaching my hand into the forge to pick up the little cube of metal.

* * *

"Oh that feels nice." I said a little later. My hands were fine, on the surface at least. Just as slender and girly as my adventuring allowed them to be. Except it felt like I had Scorpion Pepper juice on them. A deep burning ache that only settled in once I had stopped concentrating on what I was doing. And even though my hands were now soaking in the oil filled quench trough that Welf used for his blades, that throbbing ache wasn't going away.

"Well, you didn't need the potion at least. And you even managed to make something too, with your bare hands! Do you have any idea what I'd give to be able to do that?" He was sitting at my usual workbench, looking closely at what I'd left there. "If I could put detail like that on something without tools... I mean sure, WITH tools, we could both do better."

"For my confession they burned me, and I found I was for endurance made." I said clenching my fists a few more times, remembering a bit of flavor text on a game card I owned once, long ago. "That being said, what do you think? Oh, I think the pain is going away... Nope." I took my hands out of the oil, then went to the water basin to scrub them some more under cold water.

"I say Apollo better be thankful. You didn't have to make these for him. Though, I like these..." Welf commented.

I'd made two small foxes. Black and gold. Both were the size of a child's fist, and in a position of rest. Before they had cooled, I had pressed them together, so it looked like a sort of Yin-Yang symbol with the two foxes connected at the throat. They still needed polishing, and I planned to do that. "They aren't a gift." I shook my hands out, drying them on a rag, "But a reminder of something He will never have."

"Oh... When I think of it that way, that's rather cruel." Welf grinned, "And these... Earrings? Or pendants?"

"Too big for earrings." The second item, or items, were also a pair of foxes. Though, these were solo, in a sort of 'chasing their own tail' design. I was surprised my fingernails could etch metal, but the detail work on them was pretty good considering the lack of any tools. They were also about the size of a dollar coin. "I think I might go over them with tools later. Bring up the detail."

"You used your metals for it though, did you try and enchant them?" He asked, getting out of my chair.

"Not yet." I grinned, "But I have an idea or two. Or three. Maybe I'll make a whole set, representing everyone."

"Only three suits of armour left to do too." Welf grinned as I started polishing the two foxes, "Just Marius, yours and mine. I mean, you killed it, you wear it, right sister?"

"Should be some left over too." I replied, scrubbing the surfaces of the black and gold emblem I'd made. "I mean, unless we want to save it for when I eventually get my armour wrecked, again, we could make a vest or two."

"Don't jinx yourself sister. That stuff is almost as hard to work as that Goliath hide. And don't even think about saying you'll kill one of those..." He finished scrubbing the worst of today's work off his hands, coming over to inspect my work.

"What? The one on floor seventeen is much OW! Leggo my ear!"

* * *

"This..." Marius was looking at what we had brought him after everyone had returned for the day. We called him into the workshop for the final fitting of his armour. But also to present him with something else.

"Like it?" Welf asked, "It was her idea." he pointed at me, and I grinned, "But I have to admit, its a nice effect."

Holding it up, I stood next to a massive shield. Looking like a classic Roman scutum, it was easily as wide as I was across the shoulders. Tall too, from the ground up it was level with my nose. On the taller Marius, it would be ankle to chin, as he described. But, I think it was the design on the front he was most stunned about.

"The next time we face a drake, you can stand in front of it." I laughed, "hold out your arm so we can get the straps right."

Using some of the drake scales that weren't going towards my new armour, Welf and I had covered the front in scales. The metal behind it was an adamant alloy Welf had worked on and hammered flat. I'd quickly slapped together a wooden form that would let us bend the plate of steel to the right curve, then we padded the back where the arm would go with salamander wool and leather. We had lucked out on the scales too. They were almost uniformly rust red, a properly intimidating colour for the big fighter.

I described all this, while pointing out the other things the shield could do. There were only so many things you could make a shield do, aside from say, get in the way of things, but, Welf and I had put a pair of triangle studs on the bottom, in Marius wanted to smash the bottom into a skull, or plant it into the ground as a barrier. They weren't sharp, just sort of pointy, we didn't want him to accidentally cut off his foot in case he couldn't brace the shield properly.

The shield could be worn two ways, like a proper shield of course, but also at an angle, in case he wanted to use those two bits on the bottom as an actual weapon as well. Not exactly orthodox, but if you had a choice between punching, or smashing a heavy steel spike into something...

"It..." He was still rather overwhelmed by our creation it seemed. "I hope, at the end of my year here, I truly can bring this back with me."

"We haven't even shown you the rest of it!" Welf laughed.

The rest of it, or rather, his replacement suit of 'segmentata' was made from most of the bars of steel Welf had set aside for Asfi to look at. Aside from having a really good smith make it, there wasn't much different about it, over his old suit. The metal was a little thicker, the rivets more secure, there was a salamander wool lining, and a few of the plates had been adjusted for better mobility. Orc leather and smaller plates covered under the arms and gut, where flexibility was important without sacrificing protection. In the spirit of the original, every part was made of easy to replace parts, just that the parts were of much better make. We'd also made him some leg armour and grieves. Standard metal coverings with the usual leather and wool backings.

"It's a little heavier than I'm used to." He admitted, flexing this way and that, strapping on the shield again and taking a few steps around the workshop. "No pinching, no tightness at the joints... I should be able to march for hours in this without getting rubbed raw anywhere." He picked up a bar of metal we had on the work bench, holding it like a sword and taking a few exaggerated swings. "Shoulder moves well, no hitches, no restriction..."

"And you look good in it." I added. "Well Welf? Proper armour for our king in training?"

The smith laughed as Marius gave me a raised eyebrow, but he recovered and said, "Definitely. We even made sure you could replace everything, just like the old one. We'll make you a new helmet when we get a chance. The old one is just fine as it is."

"Thank you both." Marius said with a bow, "I will try to live up to the equipment you've made for me."

"No, don't do that. Just live. Seriously. Don't be a hero, be a survivor." I said, giving him a tap in the chest with my knuckles, "Come home at the end of the day. That's a win. If the armour gets left behind, we make new armour. If the shield gets destroyed, we make a new shield."

Welf nodded, "Now, lets get to dinner. All this work, and I'm starving!" He growled, "And I think it's Lilly's turn to cook."

"Hm, spicy food night." I mumbled, "You have spicy food back in Rakia, Marius?"

"Not... Really. Being a military state, luxury foods are... well, a luxury." I was happy to note that his armour, as we walked back to the main house, didn't make too much noise.

"We'll get some cheese cut up then. It will help if it's too much."

* * *

Dinner was indeed spicy. Lilly herself was surprisingly into spicy food. Something about living with a Gnome, a humanoid earth spirit, and its penchant for spicy foods, had rubbed off on her. It took a little getting used to again, in this new body of mine, but once I'd adapted to this world's version of a hot pepper, I'd helped Lilly 'invent'... Taco night.

I was not sorry about this, at all.

I was fun to watch the various reactions of people as they tried out Lilly's latest attempt at taco night. Welf loved it, his face almost as red as his hair, but he didn't seem to care at all. Most of the Easterners were okay with it, though they had milk or cheese on hand. The two Gods at the table were opposite sides of a coin. Hestia couldn't do spice, apparently, and Takemikazuchi ate it like fine cuisine. Bell was sweating, and aside from a bit of a red face, and the glass of milk next to him, he ate like a person twice his size.

Then there was Marius, and Haruhime. The two of them sat side by side tonight, nearest the milk pitchers and wheel of cheese. I could tell they wanted to say something, but were too polite to do it. Watching them react to it was almost as good as just eating. As one, they both took a bite of the wrapped up mix of ground meat, lettuce, cheese, and tomato. And as one, they chewed, squinted their eyes shut, wiggled side to side a moment, swallowed, and took a gulp of milk. They would then sigh, as if all was right in the world. Then do it again.

Then there was Chime. Who very carefully hopped around the table, stealing bits of lettuce and tomato that had fallen to people's plates.

* * *

"You've all grown so much recently. Even while I was away, or especially, for some of you." Hestia said from behind me as I sat in 'the chair' (version 3.0). My tails were all resting in her lap, a small fox made of black mist sitting perfectly atop them. "And you've learned something new."

Eyes closed, to better focus on my manifestation, I chuckled, "Why wouldn't we? We all wanted to make sure you came home to a Familia you could be proud of. Just as we support you, using your blessing to bring you what ever it is you desire, we care for each other too."

"Just having you all alive and well... That's enough for me." Hestia said, her hand petting the ears of my manifestation, making my own ears tingle. "I certainly won't complain if you take a break, from time to time. You've all given me a good home, warm friends, a soft bed, good food... Well, most of the time."

"You'll get used to it." I dispelled the fox, opening my eyes again, looking back over my shoulder, "Eventually. Once you get used to the heat, the flavor is so much... more alive."

"Bleh." She stuck her tongue out at me. "I see your effort mirrored in the rest of my Familia too." She held up the little silver knife, touching it to her fingertip. I turned my head forward again at the sight of the almost golden 'blood' that appeared there.

"I do what I can." I replied, feeling her finger trace down my back, and the familiar heat rising from under my skin, "The day after tomorrow. Maybe the next day. And we will all be ready for the dungeon."

"You really are determined, just like Bell." I heard the rustle of paper before she pressed it to my back, "Asuka getting wounded... It worries you, doesn't it?"

"Nearly getting killed." I corrected her, her hand on the paper flinching, "Yes. It does. At first, I didn't bother worrying about it. Takemikazuchi Familia has always been poor. Up to now, at least. So they relied on skill to win the day. But, a single moment of ignorance, nearly got one of them killed." I thumped my hand atop the wooden back of the chair, "So, no matter the complaint, I won't have any of them, or your Familia, go into the dungeon without something between them and the next moment of ignorance." I put my shirt back on, then took the paper, glancing over it. "Of all the wonder I've seen since coming her, a single life is all we get."

I turned around, sitting in the chair properly. "Yes. And even then..." She sighed, eyes closed. "I took your advice, with Bell, I mean."

"Oh?"

"We had an argument, the morning I was captured. Or... A misunderstanding." She started to twiddle her fingers nervously, "I just... Got so frustrated at how he sees me. I know he sees me as his Goddess. A living embodiment of something to be worshipped. But I just... Wanted him to see me as a person. Just a person. A woman. Just once." My tails had wandered over again, and she paused as she had to pick one to pet. "We all love differently. Us Gods."

"You are all different, after all, just like us." I replied, turning a little in the chair so my tails could get more attention.

"Ganesha, loves the people. Not personally, just... Universally." She started, "Apollo loves beauty. Men, woman, art, they all capture his heart. Ishtar was all about love..." She blushed but pushed out the words anyhow, "on a personal level."

"In a twisted sort of way, yes." I agreed, shivering, "In a brittle way."

"Yes. But I'm... Not sure." She looked up at me, "I know, that even if one of you dies, I will wait and once your soul returns, I will find you again. The mark on your back is mine, always, even if you die." She mumbled, "I'll ask again, if you'd like to join my Familia."

"That... Brings me an odd sort of comfort actually." I admitted with a smile. "If you remember, I didn't really believe in any Gods, when I got here."

"I hope you do now." She giggled, the gloom broken.

"If I say no, are you going to ground me again?"

"Yes."

"My Goddess is wrathful." I chanted, earning a karate chop of justice. "But on a more personal level?" I asked.

"I think we have... An understanding." She said finally, "I'm not sure if I even can love him... Like a normal girl."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "I have vowed to remain neutral, in the 'who gets Bell' thing that is going on." I reached over to give her a hug, then let her go, standing, "But, I know you, like all the other gods, have the capability, if not the courage, just yet at least." This time I gave her a karate chop of justice, "No breaking. If you ever want to take that step, even if it's not with Bell, you will have to think about it. You have time to think about it, but we might not. I'm sure even a Goddess can regret something."

"Yes. You've said it before, we are a lot like you children." She waved at me as I went to the door, "Send in the next person."

* * *

Notes!

Well, I think I have the next story arch plotted out. I'm hoping all this 'filler' isn't bothering you, my readers too much. But I have a time table to keep for content, and I don't want to just... Stop writing. Getting momentum back is the hardest thing to do, be it physics or creativity.

But, as said above, one more day of 'prep' and then its down into the dungeon again.

Also, the last bit with Hestia. For those who haven't read the books. Bell and Hestia do come to an understanding. Her entire reason for getting upset at Bell, was he couldn't seem to 'get over' her being a Goddess, AND wanting a mortal's affection. It just didn't click for him. She has ALWAYS been a sort of Icon for Bell. But during the end of book Eight, they come to a sort of half way point. All the Gods love differently, but no matter what, do not reject that love. Something like that at least.

Until next time.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 38

"Well, what do you think?" I asked, doing a little twirl in place.

"It's almost like the last one." Welf said critically, "But, aside from the colour, and the fact my skill is a little better than when I made the last one... But as you've said before, its not about form, but function. What do you think?"

"Lilly thinks Kodori looks scary." Lilly said with a smile.

One of my tails went to perch on Lilly while I patted myself down and did some simple stretches. "Potion loops are secure and padded. Nothing that shouldn't be exposed is exposed." I had seen a lot of the 'bikini armour', and wondered how some adventurers lived so long. "And I can move like it almost isn't there." I balanced myself and did a quick back flip, centred, then did a front flip. "And the weight is actually a tiny bit lighter... I think."

"And you still look like you." Welf grinned, "I mean, I understand the need to keep your soft bits covered, it's armour, that's what it's for. But you still look good in it."

Lilly giggled and actually waggled her eyebrows at him, and I laughed as Welf blushed. "Well, even if you have your eyes on someone else, you can still look." I said, giving myself one final look. No two drakes were the same, so the pattern was a little different, but it was still that nice black and rust red, the coat going down to my knees, with the chaps just as they were, form fitting but not quite restrictive. "So, how about yours Welf?"

"Well." He eyed the pile of armour that he had tried on, then took off after giving it a nod. "Our sister Familia likes it." It was a sort of simplified Samurai armour after all. "I got rid of those silly panel bits, and went for more of what I did with Bell's armour. My style uses a bigger swing, so plates like Marius's suit wouldn't do."

"You're still wearing the skirt." I pointed out. I didn't know the word for 'kilt' or if they even existed in this world.

"Lilly wonders if that's breezy too." She chimed in, "Maybe Miss Kodori is setting a trend? AHH THAT TICKLES!"

She dissolved into giggles as my tails, all five of them, poked at her ribs and under arms.

"Well, It's the most comfortable of the lot. I'd rather wear something like the Goliath hide, but our two supporters needed it most I think." He looked at Lilly, "Speaking of, I think we should get the last bits done for them. Think Little Haru can handle it?" He seemed to not notice our supporter's predicament as she tried to fend off my tails.

"Sure." I forgave Lilly for her joke, my tails following suit and putting her down gently. "I'll go find Haruhime."

* * *

Lilly was pouting at me as Haruhime and her stood side by side, arms out, as we put the last touches on their two robes. They really did feel like lead suits. Like that apron you had over you when you got an X-ray at the dentist. Lilly, with her special skill, that made her stronger, the more she was carrying, let her wear the heavy black robe with no difficulty. After we buttoned it up the front, she did a couple of hops up and down to settle it on her shoulders, and gave Welf and I a nod.

"It's... Heavy..." Haruhime said, raising her arms slowly. "But..." She took a few steps, hopped up and down carefully, then did a spin in place. "It's not uncomfortable. Just heavy... If I don't have to run..."

I scooped her up, noting the extra weight myself as I held her under the knees and shoulders, "Then I will carry you. Or Bell. Or whoever needs to." She blushed as I kissed her forehead, still not comfortable with public displays of affection that went past a hug. "And with your magic, so long as it isn't me, you can help them as well." I put her down then knelt between the two supporters. "Just remember." I poked them both in the ribs lightly, "It should stop an arrow or blade, but won't help against the impact." I clenched my fists and tapped them again with my knuckles, "We could have added metal to these, but they are heavy enough as it is."

They both nodded seriously, "It is comfortable, even in the workshop." Haruhime commented, "But yes, we will remember."

"Lilly too!"

"Good." Welf said, "So Sister. What about the other project you mentioned?"

"Right. I don't suppose I could get a little of your hair?" I asked the two of them.

Puzzled, they looked at each other then shrugged.

* * *

"Why two?" Welf asked later as I handed him a small metal hammer with a red metal head and black iron handle.

"I need someone to ask Hephaestus if the last of our adamant quest is done." I grinned as he looked away and blushed, the little token held in his fist, "Oh just go see the woman!" I got behind him and nudged him towards the door of the workshop, "Show off your new armour. As much as YOU don't like it, it's good work."

"Fine fine. Geeze, no need to push." He picked up the pile of armour and strapped it on as he walked, "I suppose I'll be out past dinner time, so save me some."

"Sure. I'll let Mikoto know." I said grinning, "Have a good night." I watched him wave over his shoulder and went back to the little pile of metal tokens I'd made after lunch.

I'd made my first concentrated effort at enchanting. Each little token represented one of the people in the two Familia. Using hair, or blood, I'd mixed the metals myself, and each time I touched the metal, I filled my head with what I knew of them.

Mikoto was also one I'd made two of. Using blood, I'd made two finger length swords. Sheathed katana, with a little of her blood mixed with iron. Images of her skill, determination, insight and kindness. I even thought of her skill at cooking as I shaped the metal with my bare hands as I pulled them from the furnace.

Ouka, Iron and Hair made into a spear. A protector who knew the seriousness of his role, yet could enjoy the little things in life without reserve. I'd put a single strand of Chigusa's hair in with it, because I knew, and they did too I'd bet, that one day, if they made it to retirement, they would be together.

Chigusa, Copper and Blood made into a shield. As I pulled the hot mix of metal from the forge, I thought of her quiet cheerful nature, supportive, thoughtful, willing to carry any burden for her Familia, and be ready to offer her strength at a glance. A strand of Ouka's hair went into the mix as well.

Asuka, Silver and Hair, made into a bow. Technically the most difficult of the tokens I'd made, the bow string was a hair thick strand of silver. For her, it was the sure strength, of someone who knew where her skill was most needed. Quiet, but never absent when you needed her.

That was it for the Takemikazuchi Familia. Even as I polished them carefully, I could feel thoughts of them sort of float to the surface as my fingertips brushed their surfaces.

Lilly, I had to ask for advice from Welf. We had known her long enough, and she had told us enough of her past, that we both agreed that no single base metal would do. Iron for endurance, Copper for its shine when polished, and a drop of gold that I used for decoration. Both hair and blood went into this one, a faithful representation of her backpack. A complicated past, a shining future, a girl who reminded me so much of the only family I ever really cared about.

Bell was easy. At least, the choice of metal was. Silver and Hair, though I also used a pair of ruby chips we had laying about for no real reason other than they were shiny. Obviously, as I thought of his determination, hard working nature and shyness, his token was a rabbit. Polished white with a trick Welf showed me, I set the ruby chips into its eyes.

Asfi had said my metal was simply an enchantment waiting to happen, so I let Welf work on the little black fox. I just told him to think about me as he gently tapped the jeweller's chisel against it to bring up the detail my fingernails had put in while it was still cooling the day before.

As I did the same to the golden fox chasing its tail, I thought of everything I loved about her. It wasn't a particularly difficult thing to do, though Welf had to call out to me once or twice because I'd stopped to think a little too hard about her.

Only Welf had a clue about what I was doing. The others however... They didn't even raise an eyebrow after I'd asked for either some blood or hair, or both. Once I said I was making something special for Hestia and Takemikazuchi, they took up the scissors or asked where to bleed.

* * *

"So, before we leave." I said to the two Gods after we had finished packing up. "We all have something to give you." Welf handed a little wooden box to Hestia, then to Takemikazuchi. "Open it after we leave. And tell us what you think when we get back, okay?"

Nodding, they both accepted the boxes and handled them like they were made of glass. Welf and I knew that you could toss them both down a flight of stairs, but only because we packed them in cotton over wood cutouts made for each individual token.

"Take care." Takemikazuchi said, "Return safe, and that would be the greatest gift."

Hestia, tearful at our mass exodus, nodded, though stayed silent. Chime was perched on her shoulder and She pet the little critter for comfort.

"Don't worry Lady Hestia!" Bell said, stepping forward, "We are all strong, and stronger together. We will come back. Take care of Chime for us."

She nodded again, reaching out her hand and patting Bell's head. "Be safe."

"Oh, looks like they are getting set for a big trip!" Some one commented as the eleven of us strode down the main street towards the tower.

"Hey, the Demon Fox is wearing her coat again!" Another commented.

"Think they are going to try for the lower floors?"

"Looks like it. Wow, they've put a lot of work into their gear."

"That Crozzo's been busy. Wonder if he'll do a commission for a magic sword?"

"I'd rather some armour like that!"

Welf and I shared a fist bump as we heard some of the comments. I didn't care that anyone but my friends knew I could make things like a slightly less skilled Welf. But it was nice to know people liked the work none the less.

* * *

"I still hate orcs." Marius said as we cleaned up an encounter on the tenth floor. It wasn't a complaint, just a statement. "Also, I have a single complaint about this shield."

"Oh?" Both Welf and I answered at the same time.

"It lacks a front ridge. It is a minor thing, and honestly something that is situational. But had it been there, I could have broken those stone clubs over it as I blocked." He explained, using the tip of his sword to drawn a simple diagram into the dirt of the floor.

"If we hadn't used drake scale for the front..." Welf mumbled, looking at the diagram. "Well, if there is ever a second version of that, we'll put it there."

"My thanks." The soldier said formally, "Everything else however, is perfect, the armour as well."

"Good to hear... Oh, speaking of." my ears twitched towards another nose, and I put my hood up. "Lilly, switch with Chigusa. Bats."

Wordlessly, we got ready for another encounter.

* * *

It was on the fourteenth floor that I saw Bell jump like some one had poked him. Looking over, puzzled, I felt something like a fingertip trace it's way down my back. A moment later, Mikoto smiled suddenly, and Lilly shivered once like someone had stepped in her shadow. Takemikazuchi Familia also experienced a little twitch of odd reactions.

"What..." Bell had noticed it too. "It felt like some one had touched my ear."

"I didn't think it worked both ways." I said. "But that's what was in the boxes. Something for our Gods to remind them of us while we are gone. Not sure what I'll call them, but... I wonder if it's because they are Divine that we can sense them as well?"

"So that's what you made..." Mikoto said, "I had wondered, but since you said it was for Them, I didn't question."

"Well, I'd say it worked..." Welf said with a bit of a blush, "Feels like some one has been holding my hand for hours now."

"Better than thinking of paperwork." I said with a grin, "Maybe I'll call them Memento Stones."

"Lilly wonders... Why stones? They are metal, right?"

I shrugged, "Memory Metals?"

"That's a bit better. But aren't they... I dunno, could you even sell them?" Welf asked. "They area bit personal."

"It's an idea. But I'd have to get to know the person before I could make one. I don't think I have the stomach to go drinking with everyone who wants one of these things made for their God." I said scratching my head. "Hey Bell. Think I should make one for Eina? I'd bet she'd like one for you."

And so I deflected the serious topic by turning Bell into a stuttering idiot.

* * *

"Oh hey!" We were greeted by a familiar face at the entrance to the eighteenth floor. It was... Moldo. The man I'd nearly beat to death... He was wearing new equipment, nothing fancy, but he was looking less... Scruffy. Like he'd put a little more effort into himself. "Fancy meeting you here... All of you? And you're the Rakia man?"

Marius raised an eyebrow at his title, but nodded and offered his hand. "Marius."

"Yeah that's right." They shook, "Heard about you from a couple of my Familia. You can drink like a fish, so they say."

"Speaking of." I said, looking around, spotting adventurers as they peered out from behind corners and over rocks. "I see a few familiar faces too."

"Oh yeah." Moldo grinned, "Since... well, you and I had that chat." At this, he coughed into his hand, "My Familia and I have been... More serious about things. You know, inspired."

This got a few smiles from my group. Even if he looked like a ruffian, his attitude had changed for the better.

"So why are you all hiding here?" Welf asked, nodding his head at the collection of people.

"Not hiding! Planning." He replied, "The Goliath is napping by the entrance. And we're going to take him out." He said this proudly, a few of the men and women behind him quietly agreeing. "I don't suppose... You guys could maybe." He looked nervous suddenly, like he was about to ask a teacher to go to the bathroom in the middle of an exam.

I looked around to my friends, got a nod from them all, "We'll support. It's about lunch time for us anyhow."

"Thanks." He turned back to his group, letting out a little sigh, "You heard her. Let's show them what we can do."

* * *

We didn't actually eat while they fought, but waited until after we'd all made it to the tavern on the eighteenth floor. They'd done a passable job of killing the Goliath too, and they wanted to celebrate a little. No one died, no one was seriously hurt, and out of the twenty of them, only one person needed our help. "Well, how did we do?" Moldo asked, holding a mug in one hand, and hooking the other arm around the shoulders of one of his Familia, "Not the neatest fight you've seen I'm sure, but we did it!"

"Well, your mages stayed in formation." I started, looking to Welf.

"Your equipment held up really well." He raised a mug of his own in salute to whatever smith made their equipment.

"You'd be better off with a third group though." Marius said thoughtfully, "Three units of three, instead of two of a four and five."

"Think so?" Moldo asked.

I left them to it, while Bell got my attention. "Miss Kodori, he's done well for himself, hasn't he?"

"Looks like it." I replied with a grin, "I'm glad what happened here didn't... Leave a more negative impression."

"Lilly still thinks he's a jerk." Our supporter mumbled, though she smiled as she said it, "But Lilly is glad too."

Having dealt with 'bad' adventurers enough while growing up, I didn't blame her for thinking like that. Though, I was also pleased she could smile at one of those 'bad' adventurers turning a new leaf.

"What is our plan from here?" Ouka asked, putting down his mug and pushing it away a little, "We've done well on the way down, I feel confident we can continue."

"Yes, we have prepared well." Chigusa said with a smile, "Aside from those minotaur on level sixteen..."

"I also hate minotaur." Marius said, before turning back to Moldo to continue his lesson.

"I would like to rest a little longer." Haruhime said, "Out of this robe."

She had held up well so far. As the weakest of us physically, it was to be expected, and not one of us gave her any sort of look for it. "Sure." I said, "We can clean up a bit after lunch. Rest our feet a little."

"I wouldn't mind a bath." Asuka said quietly. As the victim of 'those minotaurs' or rather, the hell hounds that had joined in with them part way through, she looked like she'd spent a day next to a coal stove.

"Two hours then." I said, "Stay safe. This is still the dungeon."

* * *

Contrary to what I'd told everyone else, I wandered the forest alone. Not really wandered, I knew where I was going more or less. My feet retraced my steps back towards where I'd woken up, near one of the outer walls of the floor, just in sight of the town.

I didn't know what I'd hoped to find, but I wanted to look.

I found the small clearing, mostly shaded by trees. The grass swished under my boots as I walked towards the now smooth spot I'd woken up from, the dungeon healing itself of the pit that had been dug just for me.

Nothing.

Not that I expected anything, but something had made me want to come back here, now that the opportunity was there. The wall, a crystal studded brown stone, was the same as I remembered. The trees, without any wind, were silent. No birds, no insects. Not even a tiny rabbit. A vibrant forest that just... was.

"Stupid dungeon and it's weird unnatural forests and impossible physics and..." I muttered in English until I realized I was doing it, feeling an odd sensation ripple through me. Like something in the air had changed. Like I was being watched. Ears turning about on my head, I listened.

A quiet sound, almost like I was imagining something. Slightly out of time with my own breathing. Slowly, I turned my ears, trying to catch the noise again, while turning my head to look.

All I saw however, was a branch that was suddenly shaking from what ever was on it leaving in a hurry.

"Ah, Miss Kodori." I heard Bell say from the edge of the clearing closest to the town. "I saw you from the hill. What are you doing?"

"This is where I woke up." I said turning, seeing Bell as he was pointing towards the hill I'd fought Moldo on, almost obscured by the trees. "It's still something that bothers me, not remembering everything."

He joined me and looked around, head turning about to capture all the details. "It's... Very relaxing." He said finally, "For the dungeon, at least." He added, scratching the back of his head, "I don't think I'd want to nap here, but maybe next time we camp here on another trip, we can put our tents here."

"Not a bad idea." I said, turning away from where I'd slept that one week. "But, we should get back, it's almost time to go."

"Oh yes, that reminds me!" Bell said, following, "A raiding party came down just now. They are on a quest from the guild to subjugate, err, hunt down," He explained the word I didn't know as soon as he saw the look on my face, earning himself a pat on the head, "Heh, some fire birds on floor nineteen!"

"Really?" I said, my feet remembering the way to town, "Hm, that's..."

"Do you think we are ready?" He asked, showing more cation than I'd known him for.

"Yes. I think we are." I said with a grin, "Know anyone in the battle party? How many are in it?"

* * *

As we joined up with the hunting party, some of which included the 'residents' of the town, I learned a few things. Mingling with the crowd and asking questions, I learned that this was only slightly unusual. Fire birds usually stuck around the mid twenties, but occasionally started upwards. To prevent them from gaining the eighteenth floor, with its 'open skies', and generally wrecking the place, adventurers went on hunts like this one at the first hint they were coming up. It was understandable. I could only imagine the sort of havoc a flock of two meter long birds with breath hotter than a hell hound could do to the forests around here.

The pay for such a thing was rather high too. Anyone who joined, and offered proof of participation, a monster drop or witness from some one else, meant they got a share of the reward. The reward was high for that reason, as it was divided among the participants, instead of given to a single party.

About the monsters themselves, it was just as advertised. Big flame feathered bird with fire breath and attitude. Monster drops, such as claws, beaks, and feathers sold for a good amount. Provided they survived the death of the monster, as usual.

We also had the other monsters to deal with. Even as the forty or so adventurers started splitting up into groups, we could all feel something had riled the monsters up. Hardly twenty paces away from the others, our group was attacked.

This time however, we were ready. More training. Better armour. A second defensive forward to cover our pure offensive forwards. Our supporters protected by ranged attacks and fireproof clothing. Even when the flying swords, the sharp edged dragonflies, started swarming through, we kept our formations, and left not a single drop of blood behind.

Sweat, on the other hand... Even with my insane resistance to fire, I had more than a few blisters after pulling the wings off a fire bird, and I'd probably need to apply more hair grow cream when we got back to the surface. It wasn't just direct contact either. The air itself was getting stuffy. Constant magical blasts, from adventurer and monster both had warmed the air. The usual chill of the dungeon only went so far, and after a few hours worth of fighting some of us, myself included, were starting to feel the effects of what might have been heat stroke.

"Bell." I called him over while Lilly and Chigusa cleaned up our latest in a long string of encounters. "How are you holding up?"

His ability to brush off the effects of environmental hazards made me envious. He was just as energetic as ever when he replied, "I'm fine. My clothes... My boots!" He looked down at himself, realizing how much of his ordinary equipment, like his shirt, pants and boots, were crispy in places. "Otherwise... I guess?"

"Good." I was doing better in that department. My coat offered better coverage, though it wasn't as solid as metal, so I knew I was going to be colourful when I looked at myself in the mirror later. "The heat is starting to get to some of us down here. We've done good work, and it looks like it's starting to thin out, so I'm thinking we should head back up." I took my water flask from under my coat for show, and rattled the last mouthful of water in it for show. "Chigusa, Ouka and Haruhime are getting unsteady, and Marius is going to need my hair cream when we get back home."

Bell winced, then nodded. The Rakian Prince had used his new shield like a pro, and his armour kept most of the heat from burning his skin, but Welf and I had both passed on making him another helmet, and that would have included a salamander wool lining.

"And the rest? Mikoto? Lilly? Asuka?" Bell asked, turning away from me and keeping a closer watch on one of the room's entrances.

"Mikoto and Lilly are fine, but we can't recover any of the arrows Asuka fires. Or Lilly's crossbow bolts." I replied, "We can only recover the metal, everything else just burns up."

He nodded, rolling his shoulders, something I myself did often. It was odd, now that I looked at him, his back seemed broader than when I'd first met him. "I think I'll help out a little more." He said, "Make sure our friends from the town are safe too."

I didn't want him to go alone. I knew that's what his words meant too. But, "Just be sure you come back." I heard myself say, "I'll make sure we all get back up, and we'll camp at that clearing. If you aren't back up in an hour, I'm going to come looking for you."

The tone in my voice, my best Hestia impression, sent a shiver down his back. However, his voice was confident as he looked back, "I'll be fine, big sister."

I took up his position as he darted off down the tunnel he was watching. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw the eyes of the party on me. "It's Bell. It's what he does." I said to them, earning a few tired chuckles.

* * *

We set up a camp site in the clearing I'd visited earlier that day. It wasn't far from one of the streams that flowed through the floor, and it was private enough that the more modest of the two Familia could relax a little as we did a check for injuries inside the tent. Mikoto got started on food right after I'd given her a once over and treated a few minor burns. Nothing worth using a potion for, I used some burn cream I'd made with my little alchemy set in my spare time. Lilly and Haruhime were only a little bruised, thanks to the Goliath skin robes. Asuka and Chigusa were scratched up a little, a little red skinned in a few places, but again, nothing worth using an expensive potion for. With our adventurer's endurance we could heal such minor scrapes after a good night's rest.

Then there was Marius Welf and Ouka. The three of them, being forwards, were the worst off. Though only Marius needed a potion. He had torn off his own helmet at one point, the top of his scalp a mess of burned hair and blistered skin. He was a little embarrassed, admitting he should have ducked his head down a little more, but made no fuss as I told him to sit still and bite down on something so I could clean the wound.

Welf grumbled the entire time I dabbed burn cream down his back, where an unlucky ember had actually gotten under the collar of his shirt and slid down his back. I teased him about his dislike of armour, saying he might have gotten that ember down the back of his pants instead if he hadn't been wearing it.

And Ouka, our shield and spear wielding forward, was a mass of bruises. More than once, he'd held a tunnel entrance to slow the monsters down so the rest of us could kill what we were already dealing with inside a room. Thankfully the armour stopped things like giant beetle mandibles from ripping him open, but he was going to be feeling that for the rest of the day.

"How long until dinner?" I asked Mikoto, wiping burn salve off my hands and putting my gauntlets back on.

"Not long." She replied, her armour laid out beside her, though her sword was still at her hip. "Lilly and Lady Haruhime found some cloud fruit." She tilted her head to the side, not looking away from the bubbling pot in front of her, to indicate a small pile of white fruit.

"Cloud fruit?" I asked, kneeling and picking up one of them. About as big as both my fists, firm like an apple, and sweet smelling, its shape was round, like an orange, but smooth. "I don't think I've ever had one of these."

"Monsters eat them as well. They are quite good, but seem to grow on the trees randomly." She explained, stirring the pot and adding something from a little pouch, probably salt. "It will add to our simple meal quite nicely."

"You'll make a good wife one day." I teased, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Good work today." I pretended to ignore her blush at my comment.

"We have all worked hard to do this well." She said, raising a hand to pat mine, before focusing on the pot again, "You have seen to that, as much as any of us."

"You are all my friends. And we work at a job that may get us killed." I said sitting down next to her, watching the pot as well. The smell was starting to make my stomach grumble impatiently. "Why wouldn't I do my best when it comes to keeping you all safe?"

"I was unsure of you, at first." Mikoto said, moving the pot a little away from the centre of the fire, and putting down a second pot on the wire frame. "Your methods, are unlike anything I had known until then."

I watched as she deftly peeled the fruit, the light sweet scent increasing, "Where I come from, the methods I use are common. Though, normally meant for less dangerous jobs." 'Team building exercise' was almost a curse at some of the jobs I'd worked at before. But here, in this world, it was a valuable tool.

"You have still never told us, where it is you are from." She said, putting the fruit into the pot as she cut it up, mashing it into paste, then cutting up another one. "Stir this please?" She asked.

"No. I guess I haven't. Aside from 'far away' and 'brought here by magic'." A half truth and a full one, they were still rather empty explanations. "What I will tell you, is that I hope I never go back." I felt myself smile, the dirt from the day's adventuring making my face feel tight, "I have everything I was missing there, here."

She didn't ask further, and I was thankful for it. One day, I might have to explain a little better, but I still had no real idea on how to go about it. "Bell-dono is late, is he not?" She said finally, lifting both the pot of rice and fruit sauce off the wire 'grill' we had put over the camp fire.

"I'm sure the smell of your cooking will bring him." I grinned, this time not pretending to ignore her blush, "I'll get the others rounded up for dinner."

"Lady Haruhime said she was going with Lilly-chan, Asuka-kun and Chigusa-chan to stream."

"Right. I'll go there first."

* * *

I could hear them chatting quietly not too far off, when I heard Bell's voice hiss at me from just off the path to the stream.

"Kodori!" Uh oh... He'd left off the Miss. "Kodori!" He called again as I turned and spotted him huddled among some bushes. He was covered in soot, something to be expected, but his salamander wool cloak was off his shoulders and around a bundle in his arms.

"What are you doing, hiding here... Who's that?" I asked, getting closer and kneeling. The bundle in his arms twitched at the sound of my voice, and it seemed to try and cling tighter to the boy.

"I heard them bathing, and hoped you were with them so I could talk..." He held the person closer, as if to comfort them, "Please don't be mad..." He said as I reached for the hood of the cloak. Who ever it was, he had wrapped them in such a way that I could only make out that it was a person.

"Why would I be..." I moved the hood away, my eyes widening at what I saw there. "Oh..."

* * *

I think this has become a habit. I know, I'm a terrible person.

But this is now the start of book nine, in the 'grand time line' of the series. This means two things.

First, its book nine! Holy crackers! This is a lot of words!

And second. I'm running out of books. I know there are at least eleven books. I'm not sure past that, and honestly, after reading the tenth book, I'm wondering how close it is to the end.

So this means two more things.

I'm unsure what to do after book 10. Until I read book 11, when it gets translated here in North America, I will be at a loss as to where to take the story.

And, when I do run out of story, be it the actual author Fujino Omori ending the series, or having to wait months for the next book... I'm not sure what to do!

Problems for another day. I'm going to save this and play a game or something. Until next time. :)


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 39

"Um..." I started, looking down at the young woman's face trying to hide against Bell's chest, even though she was wrapped in a cloak. Woman... Well... 'Female' would have been more accurate. Aside from all the dried blood, and there was a lot of dried blood caked to her hair, forehead, neck and what I could see of her shoulders, there was the otherworldly colour of her hair.

Silver blue hair. I'd never seen anything like it. Even in a city as widely varied as Orario. But that wasn't all. What I could see of her shoulders, past the dried blood, was covered in scales. Not unlike what made up my coat, these were solid looking and sharp edged. Her eyes too, were different. Like mine, they were a liquid gold, slit in the middle like a cat's. But as she blinked at me fearfully, I could see a secondary eyelid, much like an amphibian's. And lastly was a garnet coloured gem on her forehead. Hard to see under all the dried blood, it was unmistakeably part of her, and not a decoration.

She was a monster. A wounded, terrified monster. I kept my contact down to a simple brush against her hair, but even my presence was making her shiver in fear. No matter what you were, animal or human, 'fear' was an easy emotion to spot.

"I found her while I was doing my last sweep." Bell explained, his arms giving the girl a gentle squeeze that seemed to calm her a little. "She was hiding in a little alcove, wounded very badly. Even though she's... A monster..." He had a hard time calling her that, I could tell, "She was so scared." The girl had stopped shivering as he spoke, his voice seeming to calm her a little as well. Curious. "Her leg was broken, she had been cut, and clawed, by monsters and adventurers both. So I used a potion on the worst of it, and splinted her leg for now."

I nodded, holding off on judging him for helping a monster. He'd probably sprinkled or rubbed some potion on her wounds, instead of making her drink it. Broken bones would heal badly if force healed when they weren't set properly. I clenched my fist in memory of when I shattered my arm.

"But... As I started to leave, a fire bird attacked her!" He continued, the girl twitching again at the mention of 'fire bird'. "Even when I attacked the fire bird, it ignored me and tried to kill her."

"Ignored you?" I asked, Bell nodding quickly. He was pretty much incapable of telling a lie, so I took his words at face value. "Why would..."

"What should we do?" Bell asked, raising the hood of the cloak again to cover the girl's face. There was a little squeak of alarm, but Bell gave her another little squeeze again. "She's not just a monster... She can speak just like us!"

"Well... Umm... Stay here. I have to tell the girls dinner is ready. Take her a little way's that way, stay out of sight for a few minutes, then come back. We can explain everything with everyone together. Being clean, and not hungry, will improve everyone's mood."

* * *

Mikoto was just starting to ladle out bowls of rice and cloud fruit sauce when Bell entered the clearing, still carrying his bundle. Of course, all attention went to him, but I started the conversation. "Took you long enough Bell, come sit." I nodded to the spot next to me, moving my pack out of the way deliberately to make space for him.

"Bell... Who's that?" Welf asked, "We were wondering where you went, I mean, we know you can handle yourself, but its still pretty nuts down there."

"Did Mister Bell rescue some one else again?" Lilly asked, "Another girl? Really?"

Just as planned, everyone had a bowl and spoon in hand, and wasn't getting up to investigate. The more curious minds of our group would certainly have tried to peek under the hood of the cloak otherwise.

"Well... Umm..." Bell sat down slowly next to me, but...

"ah... ow..." Unable to help it, the mystery girl's legs moved a little, probably wiggling the broken leg.

"It is a girl." Haruhime said from beside me. "Bell-dono... Why did you carry off another girl when you have so many others?" My opposite giggled as my tails took turns swishing against her, "Sorry Ko-san... He is so adorable when he blushes." She whispered to me.

I held up a hand to stop Chigusa and Lilly, our two supporters and first aid experts, from getting up, earning myself a puzzled look from both of them. "Bell?" I nodded to him.

The reaction around the circle made me stand up to put myself between the rest of them, before I even knew was I was doing. Bowls were dropped, weapons were half drawn or picked up, others backed off. I cursed inwardly at the timing, and the hopes that food would stop the knee jerk reaction.

Most surprising of all to them, was the sudden reaction made the bundle in Bell's arms try and curl away from them. The sound she made too, was distinctly one of fear.

"Bell! That's a monster!"

"It's not just a pretty face!"

"Get away from it Bell!"

"They are the en..em...y..."

I hated doing this, especially to my friends, but I let out the breath I'd been holding in a long slow growl, the air around me darkening as my aura bled purple. And this time, the bundle made a different noise.

Crying. Helpless grief. The sound of someone who had lost hope and was in a corner.

"This one... Is different." I said, relaxing, "Sit down, and let him explain first."

Warily, everyone sat back down. Bowls were recovered, spoons were held, and as Bell told his story, the one hand on the girl's back patting her through the cloak to calm her down again, the rest of us managed to eat a few mouthfuls. He finished with the same line, "She's not just a monster. She can speak."

I could see it in the eyes of my friends. A look I'd gotten much of my life for being the 'odd one out' the 'nerd' the 'geek' the 'little kid'. I could understand why. In this world, there were 'people' 'gods' and 'monsters'. Ever since the dungeon was created, and the gods descended to keep them contained, it had always been thus. Generations of the fact that 'monsters are the enemy'.

Distrust.

But as Bell explained, and the monster girl's reaction to my few seconds of letting my anger show, they could all see something WAS different about her. Not once had she been aggressive. Her face had been uncovered for all to see, and her eyes, now that everyone had sat back down and settled, were looking at each of us with easily readable expressions. Fear mostly, but also curiosity. Had she been just another violent unthinking monster, she'd never have sat still while we talked. Had she been aggressive... well, Bell's exposed throat was within easy reach of her teeth.

"She can speak?" Welf asked.

"I'm no expert, but, isn't that impossible?" Marius added.

"She can." Bell said, looking like he wanted to scratch the back of his head, "She reminds me of Miss Kodori, like that."

I gave him a raised eyebrow, but smiled a bit too.

"Lilly thinks Bell is crazy."

"bell?" The girl asked, our circle sprouting a forest of raised eyebrows.

"Yes?" Bell answered automatically, looking down, "That's my name."

"Name?" She asked, her voice sounding... less scared of itself. "Bell is name... Name is Bell!"

She sort of dissolved from there. Saying Bell's name over and over while clinging to him happily. The rest of them alternated between wide eyed looks and disbelieving mutters. I kept watch over all of them, but it seemed they had started to accept this new hitch in their reality. Much like I had to when I arrived, they were fully grasping this new truth. Monsters might be the enemy, but THIS monster was capable of speaking. THIS monster could show human emotion. THIS monster was not, at the moment, their enemy.

It was a start.

* * *

"So, now what?" Welf asked, still keeping his distance from our new... Acquisition?

"It's obvious Master Bell wants to help her." Lilly grumbled. Of us all, she was the least fond of the idea a monster was among us.

"Isn't that..." Marius started, stopping himself from rubbing a hand through his now missing hair, "Frowned upon?"

"Aside from tamed monsters, mostly owned by Ganesha Familia, monsters above ground are..." Ouka started, shrugging after he trailed off. "I'm not opposed... Sh... It seems not harmless but..."

Ouka rubbed his side as Chigusa elbowed him.

"She is very attached to Bell-kun." Asuka said with a quiet laugh, "I mean..."

Poor Bell couldn't even eat, what with his new friend clinging to him. Even now, she was still holding on to him like he was the only thing in the world. He was also acting like he usually would when a girl cling to him. Even I could see, under all the dried blood, she was adorable looking. Monster or not.

"If we are bringing her up, it will have to be at night." I said, getting a few sharp looks.

"Miss Kodori is right..." Lilly said grudgingly, "Lilly still thinks it is a stupid idea, but...

She turned away from me as my tails went over to thank her for being understanding. Turn away, but didn't move away. "Best supporter." I mumbled to her thankfully.

"This is a terrible idea." Welf agreed, "But, even if she's a monster, she needs help right?"

"Up?" She asked.

"Yes, to our home." Bell replied, trying not to sound as nervous as he looked while he smiled at her. "Above, to the surface."

"Surface... Up..." She sounded unsure, but not opposed.

"But first." I said, sniffing the air, "We are not bringing her home smelling like dried blood and ash." My eyes went to Haruhime, "Love? I'll need a hand. Lilly, could I get a bandage?"

* * *

Lilly had probably gone a little overboard with the blindfold, and Mikoto had insisted on following us as well, but we led Bell, his head mummified from the nose upwards, and his cargo back to the stream.

"White?" The girl asked, starting to lift a hand towards Bell's blindfold. When I saw the fine blood coloured claws sprouting from each of her fingertips, I reached out a hand to stop her from touching the bandage. As my hand closed carefully over hers, she turned her head suddenly to me, eyes wide and full of fear, but I smiled back at her.

"Yes. White." I answered, trying to keep my voice gentle. As if I was speaking to a shy animal.

Which I more or less was.

Being a big sister is hard.

"Um... Even if I can't see..." Bell started, the sound of moving water filtering through the air.

"Don't worry little brother." I said.

He sat down carefully as we got there. Uncaring, I started stripping down to my underwear, Bell's surprise having stopped me from taking a quick scrub myself. After setting my equipment aside, I reached for the girl again, "Relax. Let him go please?"

Slowly, I managed to get her to reposition herself so I could mostly take the cloak off her. Bell gulped, unable to see, but feel the girl move around in his arms. Aware of her leg, I tried to be as careful as possible, and found that Bell had done a good job with the materials he had to make a splint out of his knife sheath.

The next question, as I stood in the river, supporting a slim robin egg blue skinned leg, was how I was going to set this, and not make her even more scared of me as she already was.

"Bell?"

"Y-yes?" he stammered, turning his head so he could hear me better.

"Give her a hug." I told him, making eye contact with Mikoto, and tapping my arms then pointing to the girl. "And hold her tight."

"B..." My tone of voice made it an order, and being a smart young man, I'm sure he could guess why.

The girl on the other hand, while seemingly happy to have her new favourite thing in the whole world cross his arms over her slender stomach, had one eye half closed in pain as I held her broken leg just above the break itself. Haruhime and Mikoto both got behind Bell, then as I nodded, they held onto the girls upper arms, and with a bit of pressure and a little tug, I set the bone with the ugly sound of a wet branch snapping.

She cried, she tried to struggle, but with Haruhime Mikoto Bell and myself holding her in place, she could only endure. As soon as she opened her eyes again, Haruhime put a potion in Bell's hand, and the boy pressed it to the girl's pale blue lips.

"potion..." She mumbled, the sound of her voice still startling to the two Easterners. "Pain... Gone?"

"Yes. For now." I said, gently handling the freshly healed leg. Like the rest of her, is was slender and lean. Deceptively weak looking. In the ten or so seconds I held her leg while she settled, I had to use a lot of effort to keep her from kicking me, or hurting herself more. "Can you let go of Bell?"

Conflicted, she looked like she wasn't going to, but after a moment, with Haruhime, myself, and even Mikoto giving her a smile, she relaxed a little and took my hand so I could lead her into the water.

"Brr..." She said as her legs slipped into the stream, "cold."

After being brought up from a fire bird uprising, anything would seem cold I suppose. "Haruhime, love? Try and get her back cleaned up a little, careful of the scales."

"Haru...hime? Name?" the girl asked as the golden fox tied up her robe to just under her hips and sat with just her calves in the stream.

"Yes." She smiled, her tail swishing happily.

I had to lightly take her hand again, my thumb against the palm of her hand to avoid her sharp needle pointed claws, "Tail? ..." She looked at me, and my collection, then twisted a little to look behind herself, "No tail..."

* * *

Poor Bell... Knowing the power of the male imagination first hand, especially at that age, I felt sorry for him. We scrubbed an amazing amount of dried blood, dirt, soot and dungeon bits off of her, even though she was a little shorter than Haruhime. She seemed to warm up to us, at least, she stopped shying away every time my hands brushed a little of the sand from the river bed over her skin. Haruhime, she seemed to adore, as the fox girl ran her hands through a huge amount of silky white and blue hair.

It was probably for the best he wasn't looking. He may have seen her dirty and naked, when he rescued her. But clean and naked... Everything about her was just shy of 'natural' beauty. Perfect skin that was just a little too blue to be normal. Eyes like mine, yet with the extra eyelid. Ears like an elf, only a little more pointed. Slender, perfectly formed limbs, with sharp scales at the shoulders, hips and down some of her back. Pale blue lips that could smile bright enough to light a room, with slightly extended canines, made for eating meat. A body that was just growing into womanhood, with small perky breasts and a perfectly toned belly... With no navel.

But even Mikoto, who had her hand on her sword the entire time, seemed to soften a little at the sheer innocence of the monster girl. Though, every time I used my unbreakable grip to guide those sharp claws away from either myself or Haruhime, she would tighten the grip on her sword just a little.

Eventually, we got both her, and the salamander wool cloak rinsed off, and wrapped her back up in it.

"Not cold... Bell? Bell!" She exclaimed happily as I put her in Bell's arms and got myself dressed again.

"Now, you have to stay quiet until later, okay?" I said to her, "Sleep for a while. Bell will protect you."

* * *

Never before had a victorious trip home been so... quiet. The girl had actually just... Fallen asleep, just like I'd suggested. Though a brief peek at her face showed it was out of exhaustion more than anything else. Both sets of Familia members were thinking deeply about what had been revealed today. Monsters were the enemy. But all monsters? Were there others?

We were also physically exhausted too. Some more than others. I was carrying Haruhime on my back, though mostly because she accepted my offer, not because she couldn't walk. Lilly did tease her about that, but even that was a rather subdued event. Welf was quietly inspecting gear as we walked went upwards, not speaking. Takemikazuchi Familia as a whole were encircling Bell and the girl, to keep as many potential prying eyes away from him, as well as be the first to act if the brittle truce they had given the monster girl be broken.

We had timed our exit of the tower with the last change in shifts with the guild employees who worked the exchange counters. Much to Lilly's grumbling, but also due to her suggestion, we didn't even turn in our magic stones for the day. We simply wanted to use the cover of darkness to get home, with as few eyes on us as possible.

And thankfully, we managed to do so. With our last task, being to explain ourselves to Hestia and Takemikazuchi.

* * *

I sighed as Hestia gave Bell 'the look'. It was a look between 'sleep on front lawn' and 'grounded for life'. Oddly however, Takemikazuchi was... Not 'okay' with it, but 'accepting'. I suppose being clueless about relationships had its perks in some cases, as the God of war had a hand on Hestia's shoulder so she wouldn't explode.

"So you decided to pick up a stray monster... Really Bell?" Hestia said, keeping a good three paces from Bell and the monster girl. "Even if it looks like a girl, it's not!"

"Actually." I 'ahem'ed my way into the conversation. "Very much a girl."

"You're not helping!" Hestia pointed at me, the members of both Familia doing a nervous laugh.

"Angry?" The monster's voice asked from under Bell's chin, her eyes blink-blinking at Hestia.

"Oh..." This seemed to stop Her short. "It... Really can talk."

"She can." I said, "Talk, laugh, cry, she had shown... A lot more than any base monster I've seen." I said. "And even understand simple phrases. So much better at the local language than I was."

"Miss Kodori is jealous..." Lilly mumbled next to me, making my tails poof up and swish at her, "Eep!"

"We have all accepted Bell's need to save someone." Mikoto said, hand still on the hilt of her sword, "But, what should we do from here?"

There was a moment of contemplation, until Marius raised a hand, "Again, I am no expert. Monsters are all but eradicated around Rakia. But in a city like this? Surely some one else in the city had heard of this?"

About half of us nodded at the though, "But, aside from Ganesha Familia, with the highest amount of tamers, most adventurers simply kill monsters without a second thought." Ouka said, scratching his chin, "Even us... Until now I suppose." He looked over to Bell, who still held the snoozing monster girl in her salamander wool bundle.

"Lilly might know a place to look as well..." the Hestia Familia supporter said reluctantly. "But she would have to hide her appearance. We can't let it be seen."

"Just how bad would it be?" I asked, figuring it wouldn't be THAT terrible.

Until I saw the looks on everyone's face.

"Bringing a monster out of the dungeon without proper procedure is... Very bad." Welf said, pointing to Chime, who had hopped into the room at some point and was snoozing against Hestia's foot. "You got away with it because well..."

"So obviously not a threat." I said, kneeling and collecting the micro monster. It opened its eyes at me, and rubbed its face against my palm. "Yes I'm happy to see you too." I mumbled to it.

Again, Marius raised a hand. "I must admit, I am also ignorant of what sort of monster she is."

I smiled slightly, not just at Marius's honesty, but at him calling the monster 'she' and not 'it'.

"She's a Vouivre." Bell answered quietly, "You were... Missing when Miss Eina gave that lesson." He looked up at me with a hint of sadness. "She was trying to get my mind off you, I know, but since we were trying to go past the eighteenth, she called it a lesson."

"Vouivre... Aren't they dragons? Like... Real, fully grown dragons? With wings?" Asuka asked, eyes wide. "And that the gem... on... oh..."

We'd all seen it, hidden just behind her bangs. The gem like growth on her forehead. "Called the 'Vouivre tear', or 'Prosperity Stone', the gem... It would let us all retire if we sold it." Lilly had dropped her childish manner, her tone almost one of worship at the thought of so much money. She then looked sideways over at Hestia, "Except Lady Hestia. It's not worth that much."

Our Goddess flinched as if stabbed, "Erk... So mean..."

The grim mood lightened somewhat as we all shared a quiet laugh. "So, the problem now, is, what do we do?" Ouka asked, "I mean... We can't really just... Go to the guild. They might well..."

"Hang us out to dry?" Welf said, "Considering all the trouble we've caused for them. I'm sure a pair of little Familia like us would be given quite the slap for this."

I thought for a moment, feeling eyes slowly turning my way. Being the big sister was hard, but being the leader... Welf was right. But maybe not as right as he thought? We had a rocky start but the Guild Master and I saw more eye to eye now. We could also ask, or at least reach a hand out to Ganesha Familia. Lilly's idea had merit as well, but had the greatest risk of exposure, even with her magic.

Hestia was holding, or being held by my tails as I paced back and forth, my fingertips gently brushing Chime's fur. I stopped pacing once I realized I was, and sighed. "Lilly, I'd rather you didn't risk yourself... I'm sure the questions we have will bring the wrong kinds of attention..."

"Lilly is good at hiding." She said confidently.

I nodded, knowing she really was good at hiding. Most of our dungeon evade tactics were founded on her ideas, and she was an old hand at evading people too. "Be extra careful." Hestia let one of my tails go so it could give Lilly a visit. "Lady Hestia? One of your jobs is with Ma'am Hephaestus? Ask her if anyone has mentioned a talking monster before. Cover it by saying one of us heard about it from a raiding party. Since we were part of the raiding party, it's at least a half truth."

Hestia nodded seriously, though a little nervous as well.

"We also have to keep up appearances..." I said, planting my feet so I wouldn't start pacing again. "Takemikazuchi Familia? Odd jobs for tomorrow." They nodded, "If some of us take a day off, its normal. If we all do, it's odd. We are no longer just an 'unknown' pair of Familia. Our walk to the dungeon this morning proved it. People know us, and if we all just stop showing up for work, then people will wonder." An idea struck me, "If anyone asks, say one of us were injured yesterday. If anyone did see us on our way back tonight, Bell carrying someone back wouldn't be unusual."

Mikoto frowned, as did Ouka, but I held up a hand, "It's not a lie, I mean, we all had a rough day, and anyone out that late at night was either tired or drunk, so they'd be hard pressed to remember we were all on our feet."

This got a reluctant nod from them, and I sighed inwardly. I didn't want to force anyone to break their code of ethics, but I was glad they were at least flexible.

"I... Could go to either the guild or Ganesha. I'd have to bring Chime along for either." I started, "Leaving, Bell, Haruhime, and anyone who wants the day off to stay here and keep our guest occupied."

More nods. A few head scratches, chin rubs and cheek taps. We all had the idea now, and a way to hopefully keep our two Familia from being caught.

"So that leaves..." I looked to Bell and the snoozing dragon girl. "A late dinner and sleep."

"Bell, I hope you weren't planning on taking her to your room with you." Hestia said in that passive aggressive voice that made even my spine shiver. "She might look like a girl..."

"Eh... I'll just... Sleep on the couch out here..." He said nervously, "Though... I missed lunch..."

"Mikoto? Help me a moment in the kitchen would you?" I said, heading towards the kitchen after trading Hestia Chime for my tails.

* * *

While we put together something to nibble on as a substitute for dinner, Mikoto and I shared a bit of tense silence.

Until, "That wasn't the first time I tasted cloud fruit." I said suddenly, almost making her fumble her knife. "Sorry... You okay?"

"I missed my finger." She admitted, "Kodori-dono... You are... Difficult to keep up with some times."

I let my topic sit a moment, and replied, "Being a big sister is hard. And I am trying to not look like I'm only one step ahead, while being as blind as everyone else in this situation."

"The burden of leadership." She nodded, her pony tail swishing quietly. "I do not like this situation. Or what we must do to keep us all safe." She admitted. "But... It is hard to see ...her... as just another monster."

"Me either. And it is, isn't it?" I nodded, looking sideways at her as one of my tails went to hang between her hip and sword hilt, "But, I'm glad you all trust me so much. I'm sorry I had to get in the way earlier. I hate being a bully like that. But it was the only thing I could think of to make you all stop and think, and not just react."

Mikoto, in her usual way of punishing me, gave my tail a pet with a cold hand, still wet with water from washing a vegetable. "I was surprised, as were we all... But I understand why. Had I been in the same position, I might have drawn my sword." She realized what she just admitted, and started to stammer out a cover up.

I stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder, "If she wasn't a monster but a person that was hated by crowd. I understand."

She settled down and nodded. "So you were saying, Kodori-dono? You've had cloud fruit before?"

"I am almost certain. It was during my time away." I put down the knife I was using to slice some meat, and rubbed my temples, "I only have hints of memory of what was probably a week spent in someone's care. I don't remember faces, but someone fed me at least once, and it was that. That taste exactly. The smell too. I remember it." I sighed as the little flash of an image faded from my mind, my hands putting together some sandwiches, "But... It's still not all there."

"As strong as you are, you would not have been unhurt from that encounter." Mikoto said, picking up a platter, "But, you were in someone's care. You should thank them, if you ever meet again."

"I intend to. It let me come back, after all." I picked up the second platter, and followed her to the living room.

* * *

I was alone, in the massive bath. Most of the women, and some of the men, had all decided to camp out in the living room. Arranged on the couches and chairs, bringing blankets from their rooms. I myself trusted Bell, his 'innocent boy magnetism' completely ineffective on me. Sure, I looked up to him as a paragon of heroic ideals, but as a partner? Nope.

Everyone else on the other hand... Hestia wanted to protect him, and was maybe coming around to the idea of possibly claiming him for herself. Lilly most certainly wanted Bell for herself. Haruhime had hinted at it a few times, very shyly all things considered, and mentioned she wouldn't mind sharing if it came to that. And Mikoto... I wasn't sure, but I knew she saw Bell as 'special', even though I knew Mikoto practically burned for Takemikazuchi.

And that was just in this household.

That didn't count Syr. Who still made Bell a lunch every morning, even if he didn't always claim it. Ryuu, while not romantically interested... I think, had expressed concern a few times over him, and all the problems we got involved with. Eina was at least 'big sister' but might have other thoughts she was simply too busy to admit to. Both the cat girls at the Hostess of Fertility thought he was adorable. The amazon twins Tiona and Tione had once called him 'delicious', and then...

Ais. I wondered if Ais herself had any idea of just how much Bell wanted to be like her. It had been a while since I'd heard Bell mention her, and I wondered if he still held that Olympian sized torch for her. And I wondered if she even had a clue.

I took my time in the bath. The hot water soaking through all my bruises and washing away most of the little aches that had settled in from a long day of fighting. Knowing I'd be sleeping alone tonight kind of made me sad, but I'd manage.

Of course, I held that thought until I actually got my head to the pillow.

And camped out with the rest of them, sneaking under the blankets next to Haruhime as we all kept watch on Bell and the dragon girl.

* * *

Notes.

I realized, after writing this, I forgot to put in a scene. I'll do that next time. It's not amazingly important, or well.. It IS important. But the placement isn't so much.

Until next time. :)


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 40

When I had only one tail, Hestia was usually the one to be clinging to it in the morning. Now that I had five of them, as the fog of sleep cleared from my mind, I had to try and figure out who was clinging to me. One of my tails was being glomped by Hestia. There was no doubt about that. I briefly entertained the idea of snaking my tail down and away from her, but I'd probably overstimulate the poor Goddess and wake everyone up. At least she wasn't drooling on me.

Oddly, a second familiar pair of breasts was wrapped around another tail. That meant Haruhime had gotten behind me, or I'd rolled over at some point. Knowing she'd wake up the room if I did anything, I kept my tail still.

So who the hell was I cuddling? And who WAS drooling on another one of my tails?

Opening an eye, I found myself looking at the sleeping face of Lilly, a pair of my tails curled around her back and my arms holding her like a teddy bear. Okay... So who had number five?

Closing my eyes and taking a breath, I let it out slowly and manifested a little fox near the end of my last tail.

And dispelled it instantly in surprise when I saw the dragon girl's sleeping face, as she lay near my legs, the tip of my tail held gently in her mouth.

The sudden spike of alertness in the room must have disturbed the more combat sensitive of us, and quickly, people started to wake up. It wasn't a rapid or urgent thing, but more a ripple that stirred others to wake.

Deep breaths, groans as people stretched, joints popping quietly, a few quiet puzzled noises.

"Ko-san... Hestia-sama?" Haruhime mumbled, "Wha... huh?"

"Lilly doesn't wanna..."

"Shoulda' brought another blanket..."

"Better than the barracks back home."

"Where is... oh..."

There was a sleepy mumble, unintelligible, but certainly a new voice in the house.

"Cover up before someone sees."

"but... too warm..."

"Where did she... oh..."

There was a click of a blade sliding the last inch back into its sheath.

"Kodori-dono... She's..."

"Drooling on my tail." I said sleepily, untangling myself from Lilly, who pouted, but let go, letting me sit up, but instantly wiggling to where I had just been laying to claim the warm spot. Looking about the room, everyone was slowly shrugging off an uncomfortable night's sleep. Welf and Marius had slept, backs to the wall, swords by their hands, one knee drawn up to their chest. Ouka had done the same, Chigusa near by, but on the other side of the room. Asuka had curled up like a cat in our 'reading chair'. Bell had eventually managed to sort of lay down, still in his armour, on the couch. Probably after our new guest had joined me and the people clinging to my tails on the floor.

Said guest was peeking out from under the salamander wool cloak at me as I surveyed the room. Chime was actually on top of the cloak, around where her hip was, snoozing, oblivious to the usually apex predator under the blanket. Though, being what would be the bottom of the food chain, and being that comfortable near the dragon girl...

If my dog likes you, I'd probably like you too.

"Tail is warm. Soft... Oh... wet? Sorry... eep?" The dragon girl blinked at me as my tail slipped away from her.

"You know. You need a name." I said to her, looking down at Haruhime and substituting our usual morning kiss by running a hand over her cheek and through her hair. "And we should all introduce ourselves. If she's going to be our guest, we should at least be polite hosts."

All eyes in the room, no matter what they were doing, mid stretch or still laying down, went from me, to the girl, then to Bell.

"It seems that since you brought her home, you should be the one to name her." Mikoto said, "Bell-san."

"Sounds good to me." Welf chimed in, finishing his stretch, his lower back popping.

"Lilly..." she yawned massively, the fur on my tail feeling the breeze, then, "agrees."

"So what will it be Bell?" Hestia joined in, my arm going around her back to help her sit up, the motion bringing Haruhime up as well, though she wasn't giving up the blankets.

We all watched Bell as he sat there, emotions playing over his face even as he scrubbed the sleep from his eyes. Even our guest had sat up, though I had to reach over and keep her covered with the cloak, her bare back towards me. I tried to keep my face passive, though I wanted to smile at just how thoughtful he was trying to be. He looked to her, to the ceiling, back to her, scrubbed his hands through his hair, grumbled, then finally stopped.

Finally, he said hesitantly, "Wilusine?"

Almost everyone made a puzzled noise. Haruhime was the only one who commented, "Bell-sama? Why would you name her based on a fairy from a hero's story?"

I obviously didn't have a clue about that, but I knew both Haruhime and Bell were avid readers of heroic stories. "What's that about?" I asked very quietly into Haruhime's ear.

"Later, Ko-san." She leaned into me and mumbled back, still looking at Bell.

"Well, it isn't a bad name." Welf said causally, earning a few nods from around the room, "Bit..."

"Grand. ee. Ous." Haruhime mumbled to me, teaching me my new word for the day.

"Best girl." I mumbled back.

"How about, Wiene." Hestia said, saying the name like 'We-en-eh'. Not a bad shortening.

Bell looked stricken as the others in the room nodded, "Not too bad, yeah." Welf said.

"Easier to say." Marius agreed.

"More down to earth, and much cuter." Lilly agreed.

"Wilusine is a wonderful name though..." Haruhime pouted, though Bell looked even more crestfallen at her words.

"Even I can say it without an accent." I admitted.

"Wiene? Name?" She asked the room, her slender ears twitching a little as she looked around at the rest of us.

By now, most of us were standing up, or in the process of it. Bell included. "Yes. That is your name, Wiene." Bell told her.

And just like that, the dragon girl, Wiene, was on her feet and clinging to Bell happily. Her smile was bright enough to light the room, innocent and pure. Even Hestia was stunned by just how... human it was.

"Bell! Bell! My name! It's Wiene!" She said happily.

Unable to do much else, he put one arm around her, more to keep them both steady than to actually hug her, but the smile on his face was one of shared joy, of seeing another friend happy.

"Ahem!" Hestia said firmly, snapping them both out of the moment. "Now that is done. My name is Hestia. Bell's Goddess." She extended a hand for Wiene to shake.

"Goddess?" She made no motion for the hand, not surprising but it saved me from having to play 'keep away' with those sharp fingernails.

"Yes." Hestia put her hand back down. "So lets all get along! Bell, how long are you going to hold on to her?"

The cloak had fallen off the instant she had clung to him again. But so brilliant was that smile, Bell had only noticed now that she was naked again.

"Bell-sama... How naughty." Haruhime teased.

"Oh... Bell broke again." Lilly said.

* * *

While Bell recovered the rest of us introduced ourselves. With almost as much joy, she gave each of us that same smile as she spoke our names back to us. At some point, Bell had 'woken up' again, but thankfully, Mikoto had covered Wiene back up again. We all skipped our usual morning exercises and went right to a light breakfast.

Mikoto seemed to lose all reservations about the monster girl at this point, when Wiene complimented her simple salad and fish breakfast. Glowing praise had melted the last bit of ice on her heart.

* * *

"Bell, Ha-chan? Keep an eye out for anything odd." I told the two of them, "Welf, try and make something that fits her a bit better... and maybe smells less."

They nodded to me, "I will remain behind as well." Mikoto said, "To keep watch."

I nodded back to her. "The rest of us... Well, we all know what we are doing. I'll be heading to see Ganesha... I am still a bit... Hesitant to try the guild. But I might visit them anyhow, maybe talk to Eina."

More nods. Though Hestia and Takemikazuchi were looking a bit worried. To them, I said, "We should be fine, though... Have either of you two actually talked to Ganesha before? I'm not sure how to deal with him... At all..."

Takemikazuchi smiled as Hestia sighed, "We all wear masks, his is just... More obvious." He said cryptically.

I puzzled at that a moment, before feeling a tiny little weight on my foot. "Oh, Chime, I was just about to look for you." I scooped up the critter, getting a happy headbutting into my palm. "Excited for your walk today I see."

"Heehee..." Lilly giggled, "Miss Kodori is funny."

"So good with animals." Haruhime agreed.

"Would be a good mother some day." Asuka chimed in.

"Oh... That's a new colour." Welf said.

* * *

Both Chime and I looked up, way up, at giant, and I mean giant, ten stories tall at least, statue of an elephant headed man. One hand raised in greeting, the statue was sitting cross legged with a double door at its crotch. A wide ramp led down to street level, with a pair of friendly, but bored looking guards standing at the base.

"That is..." I started, close enough to one of the guards to be overheard, "You know, I don't have the words for this."

A moment of strained laughter from the guard, and the reply of, "Welcome to the Ganesha Familia home, I AM GANESHA." Yes, he said it in bold letters, "Do you have business here Miss Kodori?"

I offered the hand that wasn't holding Chime. We shook, his grip respectful, "I have some questions about taming monsters, and thought I might ask to see how its done, and what sort of monsters are brought up." I held up Chime, "And I was wondering about this one here as well. To learn more about it."

"Well, our zoo is... Open to invitation." He said looking to his partner, who had shuffled a little closer, but hadn't taken his eyes away from his duty of watching the street. "It shouldn't be a problem. You have a number of fans, actually."

"Fans?" This wasn't exactly news, Hestia Familia was growing in reputation, but me? "I have fans?"

"Not just the war game, but yours, and Takemikazuchi Familia have been a big help with city maintenance jobs." The man smiled, touching the centre of his chest, his lip, then forehead, "We are thankful for your help, truly."

I smiled, his formal tone made me feel a little better about the world, "Well, we're happy to be of service."

"This way, I'll bring you to the zoo."

* * *

Outside decor aside, the inside was done in a tasteful mix of Arabic and Roman styles, with highly polished tan stone. The inside wasn't incredibly busy, but it made me think a little of the Guild. They had a front desk, with three people sitting behind it. Each of them, two men and a woman, had their heads down, quill in hand, scribbling furiously.

I was told that while the guild handled Familia matters, Ganesha Familia handled a great many civilian matters. Orario, lacking a proper 'police force' relied heavily on the Familia to police themselves, but Ganesha Familia was all about the people. Despite their God's apparent idiocy, the members of his Familia were rather diligent, even when it came to paperwork.

Further in, there were other small 'departments'. The first floor was mostly business space actually. With their own smithy, which could be rented out. A small hospital, which was almost free, and open to the public. A library, that was also almost free. And even a public daycare.

Past all that, exiting out a pair of double doors at the seat of I AM GANESHA's pants, was a truly titanic back yard. Ishtar's entire holding could have been put in here. Most of what I could see was dominated by two things. Pathway, and giant bird cages. Inside almost all of those 'bird cages' were monsters. Some had adventurers inside of them, others were empty, but most of them, had monsters.

"Wow." I said, standing at the top of the steps leading to the main path through the zoo.

"A great many of the monsters we keep for the yearly Monster Festival are here." My escort said, noting that my little rabbit was trying to hide against my belly. "But aside from trying to tame them, or train the ones who are at least a little less... aggressive." He paused as one of the cages had a fountain of flame burst from the top, "they are all wild, and dangerous."

"I'll keep my hands away from the bars." I said petting Chime, who was actually shivering a little.

"Good idea. Now... Oh!" He pointed down the steps, "Lord Ganesha is there, with our master trainer. See? By the wyvern cage there."

My eyes followed down his arm to where he was pointing. I could make out the tall form of Ganesha, his dark hair and red mask standing out just over a hedge. Next to him was a splash of dark blue hair, the top of someone's head.

"Follow the path. You can ask your questions, and observe the monsters if you wish."

"Thank you." I started down the steps, my eyes following the simple path before the hedges obscured them so I wouldn't get lost.

"You are very unfriendly today!" I heard the unmistakeable voice of Ganesha say, just before something growled at him. "Are you not happy that I am feeding you?"

"Sir... I still need more time with it." A quieter, some what resigned voice said, "You should not be trying to hand feed a monster with more teeth than you have spare masks."

"Nonsense!" This time the growl was deep enough that I could feel it vibrate the scales of my coat. Chime liked it even less, and abandoned my hand, crawling into my coat and into a pocket. "Now now! The meat is tastier than my hand! I Ganesha promise you!"

A quiet, yet distinct sound of a facepalm.

"OH! We have a guest!" Ganesha announced as I rounded the corner, the cage behind him containing what looked like a greenish dragon about the size of a small car.

Only having hind legs and wings, and not four legs and wings, made it a 'drake' or 'lesser dragon'. Its tail, almost as long as its body, was capped by a nasty looking scorpion stinger. The end of the tail also had a heavy cuff and chain attached to it. Probably so it couldn't try and spear anyone through the bars.

"Yes." I said, bowing to the both of them, "Lord Ganesha, I am Kodori. I had some questions about the monsters here."

"I Ganesha would be happy to grant you audience and answer your questions!"

Being nearly two meters tall, athletically muscled, and wearing an elephant mask, his 'happy to do so' pose made him look rather silly. But, the woman beside him actually looked thankful I was here.

"Miss Shakti! Please continue your work! I look forward to the next Monster Festival!"

The woman, with her dark blue hair, and wearing a rather fetching orange outfit that showed off her shoulders, but was rather modest otherwise, bowed to him quickly, then before I could even react myself, snapped a whip off her belt, and CRACKED it against the snout of the wyvern as it tried to bite the back of Ganesha's head.

"Yes sir." She said simply, as the beast jumped back from the bars and snarled at her.

* * *

For all his flamboyant and honestly rather childish mannerisms, Ganesha was a good teacher. If you ignored all of the silly posing, muscle flexing, and occasional 'I am Ganesha!'s he taught me a great deal in a very short amount of time.

First, he really was good with animals. Normal ones, at least. I didn't even have to tell Chime 'friend'. The instant I handed the micro rabbit over to Him, Chime did the 'happy to see you' headbutting thing, and had a nap. She (yes, Ganesha told me so) felt perfectly safe with Him.

Aside from the odd one, all monsters hated the Gods. It was almost like it was programmed into them from the instant they cracked themselves out of the walls. Old info, but confirmed.

They had already tried to breed hell hounds. Limited success, and most of the time the results were mules. Getting my hands on one who wasn't deformed, able to breed, and still trainable, would cost more than one of Welf's swords, if he ever wanted to sell one.

But he managed to teach me all kinds of information that never seemed to come up with Eina. Breeding habits, feeding, life span, predators, his theory on why irregulars spawned.

"Ah! So we are at the end of the zoo!" He said, handing me Chime again, who opened an eye and curled back up in my palm. "Can I Ganesha answer any more of your questions good miss Kodori?"

We were basically at the farthest end of the massive field Ganesha Familia used for the zoo. There were only two cages, both with grumbling, sleeping monsters in them and no one else around. If I was going to ask a question, this would be the best place.

"I've wondered." I held up Chime, petting her fur and very lightly booping her nose. "For a monster, this little one is very smart. Almost like she can understand what I'm saying, or even thinking some times." I watched Ganesha's expression change, his posture relaxing from the silly double flex he had adopted. "I mean, I've only ever taught her one thing, and that's 'friend' and 'food'."

I paused, the little rabbit ears perking up at the word 'food'. Ganesha's smile had faded a little, only a little, but He reached into a pouch and put a dark green leaf into my hand. Chime gave it a sniff and started nibbling it.

"If she had a mouth that could do it, I'd almost think she'd be able to speak." I switched over to English, just in case, "I mean, it wouldn't be impossible. Right?" I raised an eyebrow at him while trying to see past the glass covering his eyes.

Those eyes, behind the mask, changed slightly. It reminded me of Lilly when she dropped her usual childish mannerisms.

"You would think that Chime knew how to express happiness. Not like a cat or dog, but something more."

It was about then that I knew the 'elephant' in the room wasn't nearly as dim as he let on. Not by far. I'd cracked his cool for an instant, he knew I'd seen it, but instead of trying to cover that up, he said, "Miss Kodori! I have never heard that language before! It is almost like you are trying to keep a secret about something!"

His voice was still enthusiastic, but not 'loud'. I doubted his voice carried past the nearby hedge. He was about to say something else, but we both heard someone running towards us. "Lord Ganesha! There is a problem with the wyvern cage!"

"Miss Kodori!" He said to me, as he looked towards the man running towards us, "Take good care of her. Little Chime as well." Louder, he called back to the man, once more adopting the silly poses and showman's voice, "I AM GANESHA! What is wrong?"

* * *

By the time I felt the ice inside my chest thaw a little, I had been escorted back to the street. To keep up appearances, and distract my self from the implications of that last sentence, I asked where I could find more of these odd leaves Chime seemed to like. On my way to the market, I tried to figure out just how big a pit Bell had opened in front of us.

I didn't blame him. Not for a second. Especially after seeing Wiene interact with people. But Ganesha knew something. He didn't admit it, but he knew about intelligent monsters. He also knew Chime wasn't the only monster at the Hestia/Takemikazuchi home. How THAT got out... I had no idea. But the fact we didn't have trouble at our door already...

Chime got my attention with a headbutt, her soft fur tickling my neck as she perched on my shoulder.

"You're a good critter you know that." I said, bringing her to eye level with my hand, and petting the soft fur. I was hardly surprised when she sat up on her hind legs and booped my nose with a paw. "And you are smart, aren't you."

Another nose boop. And her paw slid off the tip of my nose and rested over my upper lip.

"Your secret is safe with me." I said seriously. "Let's go find you more of those leaves. And go home. I think I need a drink after all this."

* * *

I came home to Welf, Bell, Mikoto and Weine gathered around at a small table in the living room. Bell was dressed casually, unarmoured, and looking much more relaxed than how we had left him this morning. His shirt however, had his left sleeve shredded off, and his upper arm had a slightly bloody bandage around it.

Mikoto was looking sternly at both Wiene and Bell, though her hand was not on her sword.

Welf had a small array of metal files, the ones used for not just putting a rough edge on a sword, but also for finer work like jewellery.

And he was using them to trim the long slender needle like claws at the end of each of Wiene's fingers.

The girl herself, now dressed in a better fitting robe, was nervously flitting her gaze to what Welf was doing, and Bell. Her eyes were also puffy and red. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened.

"She..." Bell started when he noticed me, one hand holding Chime, the other a bag of vegetables.

"Went to touch you without your armour on." I said with a sigh, putting Chime on Bell's head. "And now Welf is making sure it never happens again."

"Sorry sister." Welf replied, his eyes never leaving his work. "I waited until the trouble happened."

"First time is free, second time is shame." I said, putting a hand lightly on his shoulder. So far he'd finished one hand, and they looked perfectly normal, healthy fingernails. "Though, if you insist on apologizing, where's that bottle you had last week..."

"Kodori-dono? It's hardly past lunch." Mikoto said giving me a surprised look.

"I'll tell you all later. I just need a little to remind myself why I don't drink." I said to her, "I'll be on the balcony. Welf?"

"Second cupboard on the left, above the sink, behind the pots we never use." He still had his head down, but I heard him mumble, "I'll have to hide it again..."

"Thank you."

* * *

"Ko-san?" True to my word, I was sitting on the balcony, sun to my back, a single small glass, empty, in front of me. "Ko-san? Is something wrong?"

I didn't open my eyes. I was trying to focus, and the white and gold trim of our home, lit up by the sun, was distracting. That, and I was feeling the slow alcoholic burn of what tasted like brandy as it sat in my stomach and spread through me. Behind me, my tails were spread out, each wrapped around one of the many pots we never used anymore, holding it off the ground. Silently, I reached forward, moved the cup, and patted the ground in front of me.

I listened as Haruhime sat down, the ruffles of fabric sounding more like her french maid outfit than her casual kimono.

It was a monumental effort of will, but I stopped all of my tails from dropping what they were holding and going to visit my golden opposite. Or worse, NOT dropping what they were doing and going to visit. I couldn't hurt her, but the pots would probably get her dusty when they dissolved against her. Slowly, I put each pot down with a faint metallic 'clink' of metal on stone, then opened my eyes slightly, squinting at Haruhime's golden hair and ears as the sun made her almost glow.

"I'll tell you later. All of you." I said, my mouth feeling a little dry. "But yes. It's been... an interesting day. Your day too I guess? How did it happen exactly?"

"Mikoto-san says you guessed it right away." She replied, shifting so she was kneeling a little closer, just within arms reach. "I was with them when it happened. Bell-san was reading Wiene-chan a story. When it was over, she reached out to him, just to touch his arm, but her claws... She didn't mean to. It was a happy story, she was excited at the ending."

I touched her bare knee with my fingertips. Haruhime sounded very upset about what had happened. "She pulled her hand back when she realized, and started crying. It was... like she had lost her favourite thing in the world, she was so sad. That her show of affection only hurt Bell-san."

I felt bad about not thinking about it sooner. I'd even stopped Wiene from accidentally poking someone more than once. This was as much my fault as Welf's. "I'll have to apologize later as well." I admitted. "Say... Ha-chan... Want to help me with something?"

"I was done cleaning for today, what do you need, Ko-san?" She replied, her gloomy face brightening slightly with a smile.

"Well... First." I finally relaxed my 'no hugging' edict on my tails, and they curled around and visited my lover, nearly burying her in poofy black fur. "Lets get you changed into your work clothes. I want to make something in the smithy."

Unconcerned that she was now being lifted up by my tails as I stood, she asked in that shy voice, "Will Ko-san help me change?"

* * *

Once again, Bell explained to someone why his arm was bandaged. Hestia was not impressed, but understanding. She actually complimented Wiene and Welf on how nice her fingernails looked now. Smooth, pink, and perfectly harmless. They didn't even catch on the cotton of my shirt when I examined them, giving the dragon girl a pat on the head for being brave enough to let someone trim her nails for the very first time.

She had showed everyone her new nails. Both Takemikazuchi and Hestia Familia members alike. Her new robe too. Still made of salamander wool, but tailored more for her figured, so she didn't swim in it, like she had with the taller Bell's cloak. She still didn't really 'get' modesty, but we could work on that, before she gave everyone a nosebleed.

"So, what did we learn today?" I asked as we sat at the table, Takemikazuchi Himself peeling potatoes behind us in the kitchen, listening in.

"Lilly asked, but thinks she might have found the wrong people." Many concerned looks went her way, and she continued, "I was followed, but escaped cleanly. Lilly thinks some one does know. But they wouldn't be helpful."

"Lady Hestia?" I looked over to Hestia as she pet Chime.

"Hephaestus didn't know anything." She said, "None of the Hephaestus Familia were in the raid either, or mentioned anything about it before."

"Long shot, but did anyone hear anything while doing odd jobs today?" I asked the Takemikazuchi Familia as a whole, getting a bunch of no's. "Didn't think so, but, Ganesha Familia is thankful for all your hard work. They told me so today." This got a few smiles. "Our two Familia actually have fans in Ganesha Familia. And they hope to work with us more."

"That's actually good to hear." Ouka said with a grin. "I mean, we are mostly a dungeon Familia, but a good reputation can mean a lot."

"Truly." Mikoto added, "Honourable acts pay for themselves in time."

"I do believe in Karma." I said, "Speaking of the elephant in the room." Both Hestia and Takemikazuchi laughed, while most of the mortals sighed, "He knows something. I don't know what. But he knows. He also knows about our guest." I looked to Weine, who was sitting next to Bell, but had her attention on one of my tails as it lazily kept itself away from her hand. "I don't know how. But, since we are all still here, and no one had come with torches and pitch forks... This might need a more... Official touch than that of a mere mortal." I looked to Hestia, and she nodded, "But not yet. Let that cool for a day or two. See if anything else comes by. Keep activity normal."

Nods around the room, then from Takemikazuchi, "Dinner will be ready soon then. May I ask for some extra hands?"

The translation for that was "Can some one rescue dinner from me, I'm a terrible cook." Ouka and Chigusa both got up and headed to the kitchen, shoo'ing out the God of War a moment later.

"So what to do in the mean time?" Bell asked, "I mean..."

"If I may?" Marius asked, raising his hand, all attention focusing on him, "If you wish things to remain normal, then simply keep doing what you are doing. Maybe change who goes out, rotate the guard, so to speak."

"That's a good plan." I agreed, "We would hardly be a dungeon Familia without going to the dungeon, right?"

"Are there any other places we can look for information?" Welf asked with a grumble, "Something like this... You can't just go to a library."

"Welf would just eat the books." Lilly said, the mood lifting slightly as we laughed.

"Need help with the second shelf again?" He shot back, making Lilly stick out her tongue at him.

"I've one more place I can ask, and I'll do it on my way to the dungeon." I said, "That means however, we need people to look out for Wiene."

"Yes? Me?" The dragon girl perked up at her name, her sudden question stopping my tail from getting away. "Yay!" She captured the appendage with both hands, "Soft... I want a tail too..." She pouted, rubbing her cheek with my tail.

"Yes." Bell said to her, "I have to go out tomorrow." He started, holding up his hands to keep her from panicking. "It won't be long. But someone will be here for you while I'm out."

* * *

It took a while, but she eventually (still pouting) accepted the explanation of Bell needing to leave her here. Afterwards, the girls, minus myself, carted her off for a bath. Not feeling particularly dirty, nor wanting that much excitement in a bath, I worked on finishing up what Haruhime and I worked on.

If all enchanting needed was an item that accepted magic, then all I needed was to think of what I wanted while I worked on my own magically charged 'ko-steel'. Haruhime's delicate hands were perfect for jewellery craft as well, and together, we made a replica of Chime's collar. More ornate, we had made two small black and gold yin-yang pendants. One of the pair actually came apart, while the other was solid. The solid one was set into a bit of soft leather, made into a tasteful collar. The other, the two halves, could each track the collar. I could feel the same weak but insistent pull from each half of the yin-yang, as I could from the little compass that lead to the token on Chime's little vest.

My only concern was how long Weine would keep it on. I could hardly imagine her not liking it, but at the first sign of it being itchy, she'd probably tug it off or something. Just like any clothes we might put on her, until she understood 'modesty' in some way.

Like now, as she ran through the living room, calling excitedly for Bell, the rest of the girls chasing after her, towels in hand and around their bodies calling after her to stop and put something on.

...

Too much excitement for my bath. Yup.

* * *

NOTES!

And so we stop here for the day. Plot happening! Events cooking! And Genesha with his JoJo poses! (Yes, he actually does this in the books. He's a silly God.)

As of writing this, let it be known I might be starting to work again. This might (maybe) slow down my writing slightly, so I might actually break my 'every five days' updating timetable. Something I haven't missed once since I started. :)

Also, at some point, I might end this story. Or, because I'm waiting for the next book, have to stop for a little while. But that being said, I don't plan on vanishing. I am editing some older works, original content stuff, and might post that here as well. It is not fanfiction, but I don' think I'll ever bother trying to publish it. So, yeah. That's a possible thing.

 **For all my Canadian readers, and some of you people in the USA. Anyone going to Anime North? I'm going, and if you see someone in Red and Gold scales, come and say hello.**

Until next time.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 41

"For me?" Wiene asked, as Haruhime, the next shortest person aside from Lilly, held up the little choker we had made for her. The little black and gold Yin-Yang glittered in the light on its red leather backing. "So pretty..." Her yellow eyes focused on the little bit of metal, her face lit up with joy.

"Here. Hold still." Haruhime said, flipping the choker around and holding it by both ends, "Ko-san? Her hair?"

Wiene didn't shy away from my hands as they gathered up her silky blue-silver hair and gave Haruhime's hands room to work. She giggled and tried to keep still, and after a couple of tries, the golden fox got the clasp to work and got it secured around Wiene's slender throat.

"Lilly has a mirror." Lilly offered Haruhime a small hand mirror. Unable to resist, I gave our supporter a raised eyebrow, though she refused to make eye contact with me.

"Ohh! It's shiny!" The dragon girl exclaimed, touching the black and gold symbol with a finger tip. "Hmmmmm... Tingles? Ma...magic?"

Haruhime, Lilly and eye all shared a wide eyed look with each other. I recovered quickly, amazed at how fast she picked up on it, "Yes. Here, I'll show you. Close your eyes, and face this way."

Puzzled, but obedient, she closed her eyes and I carefully, to avoid the sharp scales on her shoulders, turned her to face the wall of the spare bedroom we were in. I looked over to Haruhime, and then Lilly, motioning with my chin for them to back up.

"Keep your eyes closed." I said, my fingertips tapping her shoulders lightly, making her giggle, "Okay, touch the metal, on the left side." I squeezed her left shoulder lightly.

Again, she followed my instructions. "I feel..." She sounded confused. Understandable, considering that the pendant worked both ways. "Something... Over there?"

She pointed directly to Lilly, who held one half of the charm. "Good, now touch the other side." I gave her right shoulder a little squeeze.

This time she had to turn a little, but without a hitch, she pointed to Haruhime, or more precisely, her hand, which was held out from her body. The two of use shared a smile, and I stepped away from the dragon girl. "Can I open my eyes?"

"Yes. And look to where you were pointing." I replied, amazed at just how pure her smile was when she realized she had been pointing at the two other women. "See? If you ever get lost, you can find us, or we can find you."

We spent a little more time playing like that. Entertainment for Wiene, and making sure it worked for the rest of us. I asked Welf to save her nail clippings too. Intent on making a memory stone for her as well at some point. I was thinking about making one of Bell for her, just to keep her a little less lonely for the boy, but since we'd given the box of them to our two Gods, he wouldn't let me get near his hair.

Not that I blame him... We had all teased him about giving out little rabbits to all of his admirers. Poor boy.

"That should do for today." I said with a smile, "I'm going to enjoy MY bath now. You two can maybe try and teach her about clothes..."

* * *

As I soaked in the bath, after turning the temperature up as high as it would go, I thought about just how we could deal with this. On the one hand, we had a tightly knit group of people. Two different Familia, sure. But, our two Gods saw eye to eye, got along, and were loved by their 'children'. Aside from Marius, but even then, we knew each other and got along without a single problem.

Then there was the 'Plus One' of the situation. Each of us had a different view of the monster girl. Lilly, I knew, was the most opposed to her presence. I completely understood WHY too. Not only was is incredibly illegal to have a monster out of the dungeon without proper procedure, the price for getting caught was steep.

That, and Wiene, while a monster, wasn't JUST a monster. She could talk, reason, laugh, cry, and could probably kill someone without meaning it. She was an Unknown. And people feared the Unknown. People would default to what they 'knew', and not even bother trying to see if they are wrong.

And that was the problem. Our two Familia 'knew'. The rest of the city, 'knew not'. And as strong as we were, the weight of ignorance could be heavier than any mountain.

Then there was Bell. The other end of the spectrum. He was determined to save the girl. Except, none of us knew what 'save' meant. We could keep her here. And she'd be safe until discovered. Short term solution. No good.

We could put her back in the dungeon. Or not. Since adventurers and monsters both would be after her. So that wasn't even worth considering.

Getting her out of the city would work. But then what? She'd be alone, and considering how attached she was to Bell, she'd either refuse, or agree reluctantly, and get caught on the way back to Bell. None of us would do well away from the dungeon, or rather, none of us wanted to leave the city. So that idea was out.

So now what? From what information we had managed to gather, there was something to be found in the city. But I hardly considered that as an option right now. Ganesha might know, but was too unfamiliar to us to be more direct. Who ever had tried to tail Lilly... Was probably 'bad people' and would have to be avoided.

Another option popped into my head, but I almost discarded it out of hand. Would that even work? Was anyone's heart big enough to accept THAT much of a difference? I'd have to ask, but if I was wrong, I'd likely lose a friend, or worse.

Suddenly feeling in dire need of a hug, I pulled myself out of the bath.

* * *

I woke up with my head tucked against Haruhime's middle. When I had asked her to just hold my head and pet my ears, she didn't ask why. She just pet my ears until the sound of her heartbeat put me to sleep. Now it was her heartbeat that was reminding me of why I was so attached to her.

Slowly, I sat up, my tails shifting about to keep her now uncovered middle warm so she wouldn't wake up. She hardly stirred as I sat there blinking at the gloom outside through my balcony door. It would be rainy today, and even in this world, waking up to rain made me a little gloomy.

"ko-san..." Eyes still closed, she mumbled her pet name for me, her arms wrapping around my tails and curling around them a little more. Turning my gaze back to the sliding window of my balcony, I spotted a little stripe of black, sitting on a tree branch.

An... Owl? At this time of day? Letting my vision relax, I could feel my adventurer status sharpen my senses, slowly pushing the sleepiness aside and replacing it with combat readiness. It was an owl. Looking intently... At... Two rooms over? Three? Bell's room? It was an unnatural sight. Not only had I seen maybe three owls in the time I'd been here, they were all naturally coloured. Brown with black spots, almost like a horned owl. This one... Was black. Not just black, but 'spilled ink' black. With no 'horns' and eyes that I was only able to make out because they were glossy.

A black that reminded me of something...

Slowly, trying not to draw its attention, I slipped out of bed, replacing my tails with a pillow. Keeping my motions slow, I made my way across the room to my dresser. Keeping up with its unnatural appearance, the owl was absolutely still. No head motions, feathers not moving with the wind I could hear picking up outside. Like a statue.

Opening the top drawer and moving a couple pairs of socks over, I spotted what I was looking for.

A ball of ink black fabric. Exactly the same colour as the owl outside. Holding the ball of silky fabric, my unbreakable grip the only thing keeping it from spilling out of my hands and into what ever shape it wanted, I turned to look back at where the owl was perched.

But it was gone.

"ko-san... don't swear..." Haruhime mumbled before I could swear. "its cold... pass the spaghetti... chime don't eat my feather duster..." She stopped talking as she nibbled on the corner of the pillow making cute little 'nom' noises.

Replacing the ball of inky black cloth, and shutting my sock drawer, I shook my head and quietly got ready for the day.

* * *

"Good morning Mr. Bell, Mr. Welf, Kodori." Syr greeted us at the Hostess of Fertility. "Going to the dungeon today?"

The weather had kept the place rather calm. The morning crowd was probably sleeping in. Yet, the Hostess was already set up as if it would be their busiest morning ever. I rather liked that about my time working there. Disciplined without losing that easygoing environment. "Yup. A few of us decided to stay indoors today." I replied, sniffing the air and thinking about the stew I knew I'd miss today.

"Yeah! It's a good chance to get out with a smaller team. I don't want to fall behind and this is a good chance to gain exillia." Welf grinned at the only human worker. "But, before that, we figured we'd pick up something for lunch, right Bell?"

Put on the spot in front of a cute girl had its usual effect on the poor boy, but before he could totally dissolve into a stuttering idiot, my ears, and nose, caught a hint of a familiar presence. "Aisha?"

That exotic scent of wood and graceful, yet authoritative stride could belong to no other. As I turned, I spotted the tall woman as she stepped under the awning of the store front and out of the rain. "Fox! Welf, and the Little Rookie..." She announced as she entered, her usual wooden sword replaced with a metal one, much like Welf's.

"Legs." I greeted her with a smile and a raised eyebrow. As usual, she was dressed in 'almost' nothing. Just enough to make people imagine what was underneath the layered veils and not quite see through underwear. "Looking just as impressive as usual."

Welf and Bell didn't comment, the smith trying not to stare, and the rabbit caught under the Amazon's hungry gaze. "I actually dropped by your place, but Hime was still sleeping, and you lot went to the dungeon." She was starting to loom over Bell now, her imaginable nakedness making Bell twitch a little. "Imagine my luck to find you here. Where are you guys off to? I mean, all the fun would be at home wouldn't it?" She waggled an eyebrow at me, the instant of inattention towards Bell breaking him out of his nervousness.

"Well, we are going on a little bit of a quest. Just past the eighteenth floor." Bell answered. "We don't plan on a long trip either, just a fast run there and back."

"Oh?" Aisha considered, looking back to Bell, but her look was more a thoughtful one. "I've got time. I'll join you, in case you get into trouble."

"Oh?" The quiet voice of Ryuu spoke from behind us. Turning, we saw her, dressed in her uniform. "That does sound interesting."

Looking back from Ryuu, to Aisha, and back, I could feel the tension. With poor Bell in the middle, I looked over to Welf. He simply shrugged back at me, and I returned my gaze to my first sparring partner. "Feel like stretching your legs, teacher?" I asked.

"Yes. I think I will join you." Her stare had the closest thing to 'daggers' in it as she looked at Aisha. "One must protect others from certain... Influences. Syr? I am taking half a day. Please tell Mia?"

"But! You ca... Okay." With a sigh, Syr agreed, giving Bell one last look and heading towards the kitchen.

* * *

"He doesn't cut loose often does he?" Aisha commented as we followed behind Bell and Welf. Welf was exceptionally energetic today. With two Familia to make equipment for, even with my help, he was the least active in both Familia, with the exception of our three supporters. Bell on the other hand...

"He doesn't get out as much as he should. But now that we all have proper equipment, he's got a little more free time." I replied, "I'm sure he'll slow down a little soon, or at least, leave room for the rest of us to fight."

"Bell though..." Ryuu started, "Is something troubling him?"

I tried not to give any signs, but I'm sure Ryuu read something in how my tails were acting. I tried to cover it by giving Aisha a sideways look, "I can think of a few things."

"Hey, no ganging up on me." The Amazon said, "Don't give me that look..."

"Aisha." I said quietly, "I understand how Amazons go about things."

"Do you really?" She asked, her tone getting a little heated, "You think you understand us just because you've met a few?"

"Sure. It's fairly simple. You find someone who is strong, that you think would give you strong children." It wasn't like I hadn't done at least a little research. "Some find a mate who can beat them. Others find a mate and carry them off."

"More or less. You're missing a few details, but yeah. So what's the problem? Not like he wouldn't enjoy it." She grinned, then stopped walking as I froze in place.

"I remain neutral in the 'who gets Bell' thing that's going on. But even I have a limits to my vow of non-participation." I looked up at her, frowning, "Are we clear on this? He chooses."

The look on her face was a clear 'sizing up'. Bell and Welf were already out of sight, and wouldn't catch on that we had stopped for a moment or two, and that suited me just fine. "You're serious aren't you."

"Ask Phryne." I replied, Ryuu's hand resting on my shoulder suddenly, "If you want him, fine. But if he does not choose you, you do not get him."

"Right... Jeeze... You're no fun, you know that?" The taller woman backed down half turning, "Why are you so protective? It's not like you want him."

We resumed walking, my body relaxing somewhat as I caught up with Aisha again. Deliberately, I rubbed one of my wrists, the action something Haruhime had caught me doing sometimes. "I'm sure you can guess. Not everyone can just... Shrug off something like that. Neither I, or Haruhime would forgive you if you did that to him."

She frowned, her usual exuberance dimmed somewhat, "Yeah... I suppose..."

"Thank you." I looked back to Ryuu, "Sorry, I was never good with being silently menacing. Lets catch up a bit, we're getting close to hell hound territory."

* * *

Bell really was off his game today. I could easily guess why, but this was the wrong place to get distracted. Even against some of the monsters we were able to take on months ago. Something had upset his mentality. I knew what it was, but both Ryuu and Aisha were starting to wonder.

"Bell... Is something wrong?" Ryuu asked him quietly, my ears only just able to pick up the words. The elf had jumped between the boy and a killer rabbit, killing it before it could smash Bell across the face with one of those wicked stone clubs.

Aisha on the other hand, made no secret of how she felt. "That was pathetic, Bell Cranell."

Bell looked ashamed. Genuinely, totally, ashamed. He might not have won, but he had held his ground against Aisha. He was strong, capable. But today? I could sympathize with the Amazon. She was ashamed too, at having such a hard time with Bell. I also understood why Bell could only look down, Neither he nor I could tell them what was really going on. To Ryuu, maybe I could.. To Aisha though?

"We are almost to the eighteenth." I made an attempt to rescue my little brother. "You can clear your head there." Bell's return smile at my words made my heart hurt,but I nodded to him.

* * *

"Seriously?" Aisha said after Welf and Bell had said they were going to sell some drop items, and simply not come back. "Did they really just ditch us?"

I shrugged, hoping Bell would at least snap out of his gloom and not get himself killed while he took Welf down to where he found Wiene. "They're big boys. Not like there isn't anything we can do around here. Its actually pretty busy today."

The last few times I'd been down here, not counting 'the incident' on the first trip, the town around the base of the great tree was 'sleepy'. Today though, it reminded me of the centre market during a sale. All kinds of adventurers were here, stocking up, selling drop items, asking questions, telling stories. I did know a few of the faces, but for the most part, I hadn't seen many of these people before. Maybe it was a new batch of lower level adventurers hitting level two?

"I was never one to window shop. And its not like I can hide much of a coin purse." Aisha said with a grin, "Not like Hime."

I rolled my eyes at her, "I'm sure you have at least one hiding place she doesn't."

"Nah, that gets uncomfortable pretty quick."

Ryuu was shaking her head at the crude humour, and declined to comment.

"Don't worry, I've got enough for a a drink at the tavern. Owner owes me a little favour too." I looked back to Ryuu, "He might have cloud fruit beer. My treat if he does."

* * *

The dwarf did in fact have some cloud fruit beer. Even gave the three of us a mug, telling us in a hushed tone that he told the last person who asked that he was out. Not being a fan of beer, even less so than wine, and even less than what ever it was Welf liked to drink, this stuff was so sweet I almost couldn't tell it was beer at all.

"Oh! Hey is that the Demon Fox?" Some one asked, an Eastern man wearing a collection of not quite matching samurai armour. "Many of my Familia told me about you."

He got up from the table he was at, a couple others near him giving him a 'go get her' or a 'careful' and even one 'think he'll clear the cliff side?'

He was a little drunk by the look of it, like most Japanese his face was starting to flush red, but he was still steady on his feet. "I am new to my Familia, so I am sad I missed seeing you during the war game." He looked at Aisha, his alcohol blush turning into a different one in an instant. "Oh... Um..."

"I'm Aisha." She said, giving me a raised eyebrow, and me returning it with a shrug. "I get that a lot. Don't see many Amazon out East?"

"N...no. Actually, you are the first I've seen... up close."

I caught a chuckle from the man's table, and someone saying 'ten valis she boots him.'

"Well, looking is free." She grinned down at him, "I don't mind. Though, she's the one with five tails."

Like a pro, she turned the conversation back to me. "I'm actually wondering if that's because of the book, or because of my status. I kind of hope I don't grow more." I looked behind me, seeing four tails. Ryuu pet the fifth tail as it hung from her arm.

"If you were a kitsune, a true demon fox, they would represent your magical ability." The Easterner said, his eyes following my tails as they gently swayed behind me, "But that would be impossible. Monsters can't speak.

I couldn't stop my tails from reacting, all of them stopping cold for a moment, though I am sure I kept my face passive. "Who knows? I mean, some of the legends back East..." I tried to cover my loss of cool by citing history. Though my 'East' was different from this world's East.

"Well, do you go about giving bad advice to men about women, then steal their souls when their woman rejects them?" He asked.

Ryuu laughed quietly, Aisha did too, though much louder, and I just shook my head. "More advice to women, about men, hoping they get noticed. But who knows? I only have five tails. Maybe I just need more practise?"

"Oh come on Cho!" One of the others from his table called out to him, "You're drunk, get back here before she tosses you across town."

"If you want to be thrown out that bad, make a pass at one of the girls at the Hostess!"

I shook my head and turned back to the bar, sipping my beer. "I think Chloe still has better form than I do..." I turned towards Ryuu, the tail on her wrist slipping off and being replaced by another one, "I want to visit after we get back. Maybe do some sparring. I miss our morning practise."

"You sparred with them?" Aisha asked, leaning over a little the three of us probably looking like we were gossiping. "Oh... Am I forgiven then?"

"Maybe." I said, one of my tails curled around the Amazon's far hip. "Every one has to start somewhere. Me? I tried punching Ryuu one morning."

"She was very determined... But all effort, no skill." Ryuu said seriously, though her eyes were smiling.

"Harsh... How'd that work out?"

"Well I fell a lot. And missed even more. And one day I think we went through ... What? Six? Seven?"

"Nine." Ryuu said.

"Nine buckets of cold water. Had to train, couldn't afford to pass out." I grumbled, "One day, I will dunk Chloe in an ice bath... I will."

"Ouch. I'd heard rumour of how hard you train..." Aisha sipped her beer, "Before the war game?"

"Yeah. Bell had it worse I think. Ais Wallenstein and Tione. Or was it Tiona? Whatever. They sparred all week. Stopping only to nap, and give potions time to heal."

"Whoa... Okay, yeah, you two are crazy..." She elbowed me lightly, "I still want him you know."

"Dress in something less distracting, and ask him. He'll never agree if he can't actually talk to you cause you're over exposed." I replied, seeing Ryuu smile out of the corner of my eye as she sipped her beer.

"What? If you have it, show it off." She grumbled, "I mean, I've seen you naked, you're really good looking under that." She waved her free hand at me.

"Since I can't use a weapon, the only reach I have is with my limbs. It it weren't for potions, I'd probably have more lines than a field stone wall." I grumbled back, "And I've already had more than enough naked time in public."

"Just saying." Aisha shrugged, "Its a shame is all."

She made to take the last bit of her beer down in one gulp, and I timed my reply just as her throat moved to swallow, "If Haruhime says its okay, I wouldn't mind."

The dwarf, being an adventurer, managed to dodge the spray of beer like a pro, even managing to block some of it from soaking some of the stuff behind the bar with a washcloth. Coughing, Aisha gave me 'the glare' while I smiled serenely back at her.

"Dunno if she'd want to join though." I said seriously, hearing the most reserved facepalm from Ryuu.

* * *

The boys returned, looking serious, and staying silent about what ever it was they discovered. Understandable, but it only deepened the suspicious look from Aisha. Ryuu simply showed concern, her only part of this trip was to keep Aisha from carrying the boy off, so she seemed less concerned with what Bell was doing, only that he was safe in doing it. Thankfully, our two guests refrained from asking.

After doing a quick exchange for magic stones, we left the tower and onto the main street.

"Well! It was an interesting day." Aisha said, giving me a light punch to the shoulder and looking over at Bell one last time, then down at herself. "I might take your advice Fox."

"My tailor is just off the main street, near the men's clothier." I replied, tapping my fist against her rock solid abs.

"That advice too." She winked at me. "See ya around." And with that, pausing only to give Welf a fistbump and a quiet 'good work today Red.' She was gone.

"It was an enjoyable time." Ryuu said after Aisha vanished around a corner. "It does feel nice to get out."

"Y-you are welcome any time, Miss Ryuu." Bell said with a bow, "I'm sorry you had to step in like that."

"It was no trouble." standing beside her, I could see she was going to ask a question, but before she could, I brushed her back with a tail, unseen by Bell and Welf. "W... Please, be more careful, keep a clear head in the dungeon."

"I'm going to walk Ryuu home." I said with a grin, "Just to keep me safe."

Welf and Bell both laughed, "Man, I'm beat. I've got to get to morning training more often. I think I'll ask Lady Hestia to update my status and hit the bath."

"I think... I'll go for a walk." Bell said after a moment. He really was thinking heavy thoughts. "I won't be long, but I think I might make a trip to the wall."

"Alright, I'll let everyone know." Welf said, turning and waving a hand over his shoulder.

"Take care Bell." I said, holding out my fist.

"Yes, Miss Kodori, I will." He said, tapping my knuckles, "Don't be too long either."

I nodded and watched him head off for a moment, before turning to Ryuu, "Sister." I said to her, using the only elvish word I knew. "I'll explain soon." I mumbled to her quietly, hoping her sensitive ears were the only one's who could hear me. And with a nod, we started towards the Hostess of Fertility.

* * *

"Welcome ba-ack!" Interrupting Chloe as she greeted us, I gave her a hug, and pretty much made her vanish under all the fur of my five tails. "No! That tickles! Stop! Help!"

Ryuu raised an amused eyebrow, and the dinner patrons all laughed, "I thought you were going to put her in a cold bath?" She said.

Lunoire, my first real bare handed instructor stepped over, "If I don't get a hug too, I'm throwing you out."

With a final 'floof' of fur, I let the stunned cat girl go, pausing only to poke her nose before she could recover and pout at me. "It's good to see you too." We shared a fist bump, then a hug, "Where's Arnya? And Mia?"

"Aryna was slow at the tables so she's doing dishes. Mia's helping with the cooking, though the rush is almost over, she'll be out soon." Lunoire replied, shaking her head to clear a little bit of her brown hair from her eyes. "Gotta say, your new coat looks good."

"Thanks, I'll tell you all a story about it later." I looked to Ryuu, who nodded, "Gotta chat with Ryuu first."

"Oh? Thought you outgrew your magical lessons with her by now?" Lunoire asked.

"Not yet." I grinned, following Ryuu to the back. "Make sure I didn't break Chloe."

"I'll get you!" the black haired cat girl declared, pointing at me and earning another laugh from the patrons.

* * *

I'd only ever been in Ryuu's room a couple of times. All the decor was wood, obviously, but instead of planks and nails, it was like the simple furniture had been grown into the shapes she needed. Like her bed, a thin cot that had four 'roots' each with their own little pot of soil.

"So." Ryuu started after I closed the door to her room behind me. "What troubles you? Or did you actually want a lesson?"

Taking a deep breath, and letting it out slowly, I tried to think of a way to word this so I could cover it up or pass it off as a joke if she reacted badly. The problem there was... I couldn't. Ryuu knew me, even better than Bell. I also knew that a lie would harm the friendship she and I had.

So, I asked her the question. "What if I told you, I met a talking monster the other day?"

She froze in mid motion, her green cloak almost slipping out of her hands before she could get it onto the hook of a tree that had grown into a coat rack. "I..." She paused, her words failing her for the first time since I'd known her. "Are you sure?" She tried instead.

"Yes. This monster can talk. Learn. Laugh, cry, feel fear, and feel lonely. Just like us." I shifted a little in the chair growing out of a wide but thin clay pot.

"Are you sure it's a monster then?" She observed me from her bed, that calm and perfect posture of hers making her look like a model for a portrait.

"No... Umm..." I opened my coat and moved my shirt, poking myself in the belly button.

"Navel." She said. "Oh... Hm."

"There's more... She." I nodded to her as her eyes widened, "Yes, she. Is what a Vouivre would look like if it were 'like us'." I made a motion with my hand at myself, "Two arms, legs, eyes, hair, nose, mouth, breasts... The gem on her head is proof."

Ryuu closed her eyes, thinking, her hands gripping the edge of her bed tightly. "Why are you telling me this?" The question had no hostility thankfully, but my teacher was genuinely puzzled.

"Well... Umm... When I arrived, Mia took me in. No questions, no strings. I was in trouble, and she helped. You helped teach me to defend myself, learn magic, language, and much of how to cook. All of the girls here, I think of as family." I sighed, "But I asked you first, because you've shown you are able to set aside old grudges. Like at the war game."

She nodded, opening her eyes, "So... Bell is worried other monsters might be like this one?"

"I think so, yes. Even though you haven't spent as much time around him, you know how he is. He wants to be a hero. To save people. This monster... She needs saving. When he found her..."

* * *

After I told her everything that had gone on since finding, and bringing Weine home, Ryuu returned to her closed eye thinking. I waited patiently, hoping she would respond favourably, or at least keep the information to herself.

"I can't think of a way through this." I admitted, "Thinking about it, every choice we make will lead to some one losing. A lot. I need another option, or either our Familia or Weine is doomed." I'd already told her about my current options, and why I discarded them.

"How long do you think you can keep her hidden?" She asked, opening her eyes again and looking at me calmly.

"That depends. I know Ganesha knows. But that seems to be okay. I know some one is spying on us, but I -suspect- that's okay too. Maybe." I said with a sigh, "But, I also know there are rumours going about town, and there is a person or group looking for these monsters. Considering how pretty she is, I doubt these are good people."

She nodded, and stood slowly, "I... Will help if I can. I too am an outsider, my Goddess long gone from the city. But, like you, I am not sure how."

I stood as well, offering my hands to her, "The fact you aren't angry... The relief I feel almost hurts."

"My sister is in trouble." She replaced the word 'sister' with the elven word, "And Bell. The hero's path is only clear to the one walking it. But even then..." She took my hands and held them a moment, "Go home, stay safe. I'll come visit soon."

"Thank you." And I left.

* * *

Notes!

Well then. Time to stir the plot and see what happens. I mean... I know more or less what I'm going to do here. But well, that's my job right?

So, I've been kicking this idea around in my head. When I eventually run out of story, or maybe even finish this story, I'll have nothing to write. So, Would anyone be interested in reading about Kodori in some other anime world?

I was thinking of asking you (the readers, yes you know who you are) about it. Anyone interested in the idea of throwing Kodori into another universe, comment or PM me THREE(3) (four is too many, five is right out) options you might want to see. I'll let the voting go a little while, and at the end, make a choice. I'll do the research (read or watch the anime) and run a bit of a fanfic on it. After I feel that's run its course, I might pick another anime from the list you guys give me.

If I get no response, then I'll choose. Or just put the character down a while and start another story all together. I want to experiment here, so it would be awesome if I got a few votes. :)

See you next time.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 42

It was a little later than I'd have liked, but I felt I owed the girls a story. I tried not to embellish it too much, but by then, the few patrons who were left after the dinner rush were listening in, and I couldn't help myself. By the end of it, the bar was cheering at how I'd managed to chew a drake's head off, almost literally.

After saying goodbye, I walked towards home through the familiar streets, my path lit by flickering magic stone lamp posts.

"Oh? Fancy meeting you here." A familiar voice said from the mouth of an alleyway.

"Hermes." I greeted, saying his name casually, but turning to greet him to show at least a little respect. I sniffed the air, tilting my head to the side. "Asfi isn't with you?"

"And probably worrying about me, no doubt." He said, stepping into the light. Dressed as he usually was in his well worn travelling clothes and hat, he gave me a once over look, and 'hmm'ed.

Speaking English, I said, "Not to put too fine a point on it. I'm still a little angry with you."

He held up his hands in surrender, thought he kept that tiny little smile of his, "Please, I want only peace between us." He motioned with his hand, "You really do cut a striking figure. A dark heroine if I've ever seen one."

The smile he gave me was probably supposed to be 'disarming' but to me it was only 'irritating'. I wasn't sure why exactly Hermes bothered me so much, but something about him set my nerves on edge some times. "Welf and I make a good team. He's an able teacher as well."

"And you are a proficient monster killer." He replied. "But something seems to be missing from you there. I mean, everyone knows monsters are the enemy."

It struck me then why I didn't like him. He knew far more than he let on. Not only that, he liked to manipulate people with that information. Glaring at him and letting a little anger filter through my voice, I replied, "People can be even worse monsters than what you find under the tower. In there," I hooked a thumb over my shoulder towards the tower, "Things are simple. -If- attacks you, you kill it. People against monster." I met his eyes, my senses sharpening, a little more of my anger rising to the surface, "Out here, the monsters aren't so well defined, and hide themselves behind clever talk or secrets." I had to fight the urge to get even more angry, but Hermes held up his hands again in surrender.

"I understand. Asfi did deliver your message after all. Such a temperamental child you are..." He mumbled, "I want to clear a little of the air here." He said, his eyes staying locked onto mine, "Some of what I've done is to keep a promise, to Bell's grandfather." His smile returned as I relaxed a little more, "I can't say more," He made a point of looking around, "But, now that things are rolling, I no longer need to step in."

"An object in motion stays in motion, until acted on by another object." I said, earning a puzzled look as I finished the sentence, "I will tell you now, that I will make you very very unhappy if this mess gets one of my friends killed."

"Now now, its not like you could harm me." His voice took on a little edge, and I felt I might have overstepped my bounds. "But, let us leave that aside for now."

"I'm late for dinner." I replied.

"Then I ask Hestia Familia for the small favour of walking with me a ways. It's not safe at night." His smile returned as I shrugged and turned, waiting for him to fall in beside me. "You are such a puzzle you know."

"So I've been told." I replied, my tails twitching, but not visiting the God. Me and the committee agreed at least.

"Don't think I didn't notice how you worded that reply, either." He said.

"I speak this language so I am understood." I was still speaking English for that exact reason.

"But I wonder why that is? Does your homeland not have monsters?" He asked.

"Only ones who walk on two legs and pretend to be doing the right thing." I looked sideways at him, "Most people are past the old grudges, letting the past stay in the books." Most, but not all, I thought to myself.

He winced at my little dig at his methods, but nodded, "I see. An interesting place you used to live. Where was it again?"

"In relation to here?" I shrugged, unable to say anything more, as it would be a lie.

"Interesting... How are you with local politics? Recent events?" His topic switch made me blink in surprise.

"In broad strokes, the city works. There is a little friction here and there, but that's expected. As for local events, aside from ones directly involving me, or my house," I said 'house' with a little emphasis, to indicate Takemikazuchi Familia as well as my own Familia, "I've been too busy for some reason."

"You're not going to let that go, are you?"

"Being an adventurer gives me a great memory."

"Fair." Hermes chuckled, "Being as large a city as we are, and having the world's only source for magic stones, means that we have some what of a monopoly on certain things." I nodded, and he continued, "For example, do you know why monsters are forbidden outside of the dungeon, aside from the occasional special case?"

"I can guess." I replied, "Some can be bred, and while the magic stone shrinks with each generation, its still a magic stone." Hermes's eyes widened, but he nodded, "Or, they can be released as a weapon. Rakia would probably be the only place other than here that could withstand say, a Silver Back, or a half dozen Hard Armoured, or even a Drake."

"I honestly hadn't thought of the first one, but yes, the second one has happened before." Hermes admitted.

"I'm sure a suitably broken monster, like say, a Lamia, or a Harpy, could be sold to someone with more... exotic tastes." I growled, thinking of the half woman, half monster hybrids I'd heard about from Eina. "Sex sells." I stated simply.

"You really don't like humans, do you? I'd never have thought you were a racist." Hermes chided, his voice almost teasing.

An old anger ignited inside my chest, and I turned on him, my hands aching to grab his shirt, but I managed to stop myself, "It's not racism. It's the fact that a Monster is following an instinct. Eat, defend its territory, rut, sleep. But a Person must think about it, they must be deliberate. There is no 'instinct' for evil. It's a choice." I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again, turning away from Hermes and starting to walk again, the God catching up a moment later. "So no, its not 'racism', it's 'realism'."

"The Fox is wise."

"From you, that's kind of irritating."

"Sorry." He really did sound sorry, for once, "So where was I?"

"Politics, and black market deals."

"Ah, just so." He hm'ed again, "Do you remember the monster festival?"

"Yes." I clenched my fist, the knuckles popping quietly.

"Oh, right. You and Mr. Cranell... Never mind. Well, Loki Familia was asked to investigate some of the others things that happened. You were on the far side of the district from that, but they fought a few monsters that day, that were not in any of the cages." I looked at him, and he nodded, "Yes, not brought through the tower, either. That meant..."

"Another exit..."

"Yes. And they found what might have been that exit, too. But it had been collapsed, and they abandoned their efforts." He replied.

"And it hasn't been used since?"

"No."

"Hm. But if there is one, there might be, no, must be more. The city is massive, the dungeon equally so..."

"We suspect some one is taking things out of the dungeon through one of these secret exits." Hermes continued, "Magic stones, monster loot... Exotic monsters..."

I wanted to shake him, this wasn't the first time he'd dropped such a heavy hint, but I simply couldn't trust him. Seeing that we were close to the Hearthstone Manor, I knew we were running out of 'conversation time.' So, I tried to see what side he was on... "Say Hermes." I started.

"hm?"

"If you know anyone who's lost a black owl, tell them I'd like to give them a stern talking to about keeping it away from my home. In person. I do have a bite sized needle rabbit, and I really like her." I looked across at him, catching a familiar scent on the wind, "Think you could do that for me? And I think I smell Asfi... Her shampoo is rather unique."

He looked around a moment worriedly at the mention of Asfi, and when he saw her, he looked over his shoulder at me, "I'll do that."

* * *

Dinner was a somewhat awkward affair. Some of the energy that was usually present wasn't so much 'missing' as 'drained'. I could tell that the tension was getting to some of us, and it was sapping moral in a huge way.

"Not like you to be late on pasta night." Welf said as I entered the dining room, still wearing my armour. "Need a hand with that?"

"Sure." I replied, sighing as I swept my gaze over the two Familia. Welf helped me out of the coat, undoing a couple of the harder to reach buckles and hanging it on the back of my usual chair at the table, leaving me to undo my shin guards and bracers. "Thanks, Red." I said to him before seating myself and eyeing the spread. "Oh? Who did the bread tonight?"

'The bread' was a little lumpy, but still looked quite edible. "Ko-san, Wiene and I baked those." Haruhime said, the dragon girl smiling at me, mouth closed but with a little strand of spaghetti hanging from the corner of her mouth.

"We also taught her about table manners." Mikoto said firmly, but not unkindly.

Nodding and snatching a bun from the basket, making sure to take one of the oddly shaped ones, I bit into it and made a pleased noise. Mostly for effect, but it wasn't half bad. Maybe a little under done, but I'd rather that than burnt.

"Kodori likes it?" Wiene asked, mouth no longer occupied with food, though she had a little smear of tomato sauce still on her cheek.

"Yes. It's good." I replied, smiling at her, but also noticing many of the others at the table smiling slightly as well. "Though, how many tries did it take?"

Ouka chuckled, and Asuka mumbled 'busted...'

"Well... Umm..." Haruhime started, but Wiene interrupted her.

"Four!"

There was a ripple of laughter, bringing back a little of the energy we were all missing.

"Even I took more tries than that. I'm quite proud of her." Hestia admitted. "Maybe we can teach her how to make cookies?"

And just like that, with Wiene asking, "What's a cookies?" We collectively shrugged off the depression looming over us. A temporary thing, but after my chat with Hermes, I didn't think I could handle much more gloom in my day.

* * *

Of course, that lasted until we all gathered in the living room, with its warm fireplace and array of comfortable couches and chairs.

"So, yeah..." Welf started as we got comfortable. As usual, he was in his first attempt at making a reading chair. It looked more like a throne, but it was at least comfortable and he could easily hook his leg over one of the arm rests while leaning back. "Bell and I did a little investigating, and we met a rather interesting... Person? Sure, at this point, yeah, person."

Bell, who had Wiene sitting in his lap like an overlarge cat, while Hestia sat next to him trying not to look jealous, reached into a pouch at his belt. This was a little odd, as he usually took all of that off while inside the estate. From inside, he fished out a shockingly green feather.

"She was a harpy." He said, handing me the feather, all eyes in the room on it, with Wiene making a quiet 'ooo green'. "At first, she said asked if it was us who captured her friends. But then, she got closer, and sniffed us. Saying that we didn't smell of blood." He motioned to the feather, but Welf spoke up then.

"I noticed she was wearing your old pants, sister." The smith said, shivering, "She looked like she was going to get angry when I mentioned it, but she sniffed me, and said I smelled like someone she knew."

Unable to resist, I said, "Sure, we get hot and sweaty together all the time." Haruhime blushed, giving me a light swat on the shoulder, and a few of the others chuckled quietly, "Go on." I twirled the feather between my thumb and forefinger, admiring the colour of it.

"Ahem, well yeah. She said something... Bell, you remember the name?" Welf looked at Bell, who nodded.

"She asked if we were the ones Fels mentioned." Bell said, sounding a little lost.

"Hm." I handed Wiene the feather, "be gentle with it." I mumbled to her, then, "More questions... No answers..."

"That's not all." Bell tapped my arm with his hand to interrupt, "She asked... She asked if we could coexist. If we could understand each other, to hold hands as friends."

This shocked us all. Not only were there more of these 'aware' monsters, at least one of them, probably more, understood at least some of the situation. "Don't swear, Ko-san." Haruhime mumbled quietly, leaning on my shoulder and hugging my arm lightly.

Closing my mouth with a 'click' of teeth, I sighed, took a deep breath, and felt everyone's eyes on me. Even with my eyes closed in thought, I could feel the expectation in the room, and it felt... Unpleasant.

"Is there anything else?" I looked at Welf, who shook his head, swept my eyes over the Takemikazuchi Familia, who also gave me a negative. Marius held up a hand, index finger extended, and I nodded to him, holding up a hand of my own to hold that thought. Takemikazuchi and Hestia shook their heads as well.

"Actually there is one more thing." I looked at Bell, who looked like he was remembering something unpleasant. "After we split up, I had to think. Clear my head." I nodded, though some of the others looked surprised. Bell wasn't usually 'shaken' by anything. Of us all, myself included, he was the most steadfast. "I... Met another God. Some one named Lord Ikelos."

Ikelos... Ikelos... I remembered reading the name before... Greek god... brother of... who was it again...

"He asked if I'd seen a Vouivre... He even mentioned the nineteenth floor, and h...how pretty she is..." He fumbled for words a moment, "Mentioned his Familia was bothering him to look into it too... But before he could ask anymore, Lord Hermes walked by. He told me he needed to speak with Lord Ikelos, and to go home."

"Bell, next time you see Hermes, buy him, and Asfi a drink." I said. Not explaining yet, I looked across to Marius, "You had something to add?"

"A minor thing. I was assisting with the shopping today, with Ma'am Asuka."

"He can carry so much stuff!" Asuka said with a grin.

"Ahem, well, while ma'am Asuka was bartering with that elderly vegetable lady," We all nodded, knowing that exact lady, who, despite her age, knew us all by name and offered us the best deals, "I overheard one of the wholesale vendors you mentioned a while ago ma'am."

I thought a moment, thinking of the placement of the stalls in that area, "That would be... The lumber seller?"

"Indeed. He was talking to another of the dealers you mentioned, who was complaining about someone demanding a deal on all his metals. All of it. I did not hear all of the conversation, as ma'am Asuka finished trading with the elderly lady, but he was rather upset at the treatment, even though he sold pretty much his entire stock." Marius nodded to me, indicating he was finished.

"I must have just missed you Bell, or missed Ikelos." I said, "Hermes and I had a little chat. He knows too. But... I think he's on our side."

The room got quiet a moment, everyone except Wiene looking gloomy. I sighed quietly, and took it upon myself to address the dragon in the room.

"For now, I vote we keep things as we have been. Keep safe, keep alert for new news, and be ready to take any advantage we can get." I held up a hand before anyone could speak, "Politics in the city are making the people we can work with kind of shy. Ganesha knows, but he is too much of a public figure to just step in. Hermes knows, but his Familia is probably too busy to help directly. I'm almost positive there is a third person, or group, who know, and can't help yet either. But we DO have allies in this."

"How does that help us now though?" Ouka asked, as captain of the Takemikazuchi Familia, "Meaning no disrespect, but..."

"We are all smart people." Welf said with half his usual enthusiasm, "We just have less room for a mistake this time."

A few nods, though the stillness from some was louder to me than a rejection of the plan itself. Wiene was also looking up from her feather, picking up on the mood in the room. She started to make a noise, a half formed word, but she stopped, tried again, stopped, then a third time, she said, "i'm sorry."

If the sound of a heart snapping in half could get any louder, it would be when a half dozen of them do it at the same time.

Hestia was first to respond, virginal Goddess or not, her motherly instinct would win awards. "It's okay Wiene. It's not your fault. But the situation is delicate."

"Situation?" The girl asked, looking at Bell, her slender ears twitching.

Bell nodded, as his face bunched up a little, thinking hard, "It's like... Oh! Bread. When you made the bread. You have to make the dough, then knead it, then put it in the oven. If you do anything wrong, it might not turn out, right?"

It was a silly example, but our expert cook Mikoto jumped on the analogy adding, "In this case, we are the bread. We must add you to the mix, Wiene-chan, and make sure the people out there," She made an 'over there' gesture towards the nearest window, "Do not burn us."

I could see the dragon girl think on this. Her innocent face twisting in thought, "But... why would they?"

This time, it was Takemikazuchi who came to the rescue. Leave it to the 'father' of an orphanage to answer the endless 'why's of a child. "They do not understand yet. Do you remember, when you touched the stove? And it hurt you?"

Wiene held her left hand with her right, "Yes..."

"To most people, you are the stove. But do you remember what I told you after, about the stove?" Takemikazuchi asked, approaching and kneeling in front of Wiene holding out his hand.

Without any hesitation, she nodded and put her left hand on top of Takemikazuchi's. "You said I have to be careful, and to be sure to learn what is dangerous when in the kitchen, before I touch it."

"And so, we much teach them about you. But it isn't time yet." He said with a smile. From the corner of my eye I could see Mikoto trying to cover her jealousy at seeing the two hold hands, "So for now, we need to be careful. And when the time comes, we can teach them about you."

"Now who's wise?" I mumbled in English, making the two Gods in the room smile, but not take their eyes from Wiene, who was still looking sad, but nodding slowly.

I felt Haruhime give me a hug, then a second one when I didn't return it with my usual speed. Looking over to her, and away from what might be either a great event in the making, or a total disaster for everyone I cared about, I returned her hug, trying to soak up some of her brilliance to brighten my mood.

* * *

"Miss Kodori is worried." Lilly said simply as I sat next to her. She was washing herself before getting into the massive bathtub for a soak.

"What's a word for 'very very very'." I asked, moving the stool under me so I was behind her, one of my tails curling around my little bucket with my scrubbing brushes and such and bringing it with me, while another tail swept up one of Lilly's washcloths and brought it to my waiting hand.

"Um... How about 'incredibly'." She sounded out the word, raising her arms so I could scrub under them. "Heehee... tickles."

I tried not to tickle her as I added a little more soap to the cloth and scrubbed her back, though the temptation to do so was rather high. "Yes, incredibly worried." I looked over to a shampoo bottle, and one of my tails fetched it for me, "You're worried too, I can tell."

"Lilly..." She paused, shook her head once from side to side, "I am worried. I don't want her here." She spoke as an adult now, her voice losing the usual sing-song tone she usually adopted, "But, you and Bell gave me a chance. Even after all the trouble I caused, even after trying to rescue me almost got you both killed..." Her back and shoulders slumped a little, "Even though I was a criminal. And wanted to steal from you both. And was only planning to use you both to get money."

"And now?" I lightly used my fingernails to scratch her back, making her straighten up a little before I started washing her hair, "I made this shampoo... keep your eyes closed."

"I don't want her here." She mumbled, the steamed up mirror in front of her showing me her 'scrunched up' face of keeping her eyes shut tight. "But I want to help. If I didn't try... I'd be more of a monster than Wiene."

It might have been condensation on the mirror, or that she was crying. It was hard to tell. "Best supporter." I said to her, another one of my tails looping itself over a shower head and bringing it to me. I sprinkled water over her head, putting a hand over her forehead to keep the suds from her eyes, "Hear that?" I said a little louder towards the door the changing room.

It was hard to imagine a door opening 'excitedly' but the sliding door to the changing room did in fact manage to do so. Wiene, with the slightly taller Haruhime behind her, both with tears in their eyes, were standing there.

"No running." I warned before Wiene could enter, even as I hugged Lilly so she couldn't escape.

Foot raised as if to start running, the dragon girl put her foot down, carefully entered the slick tiled bathroom, walked over to us, and joined me in hugging a very surprised Lilly. But, before Wiene could dissolve into emotional happy/sad hugging, Lilly looked sideways at me and said, "Miss Kodori plays dirty."

Not answering, I slipped away from the two, and smiled at Haruhime. "Thanks love." I said to her quietly, "Wash your back?"

* * *

A short while later we got into the tub to soak, Haruhime and I getting in last, as my tails all but demanded to be washed by her, the rest of the women filtered into the bathroom. Sinking in between Haruhime and Hestia, I sighed a long winded sigh as the hot water enveloped me.

"Miss Kodori sounds like an old man." Lilly teased as my rear touched the bottom of the tub, my tails slinking into the water like furry black serpents.

I rested one arm on the lip of the bath behind Haruhime's head, and cracked an eye towards the supporter. "Being a big sister is hard." I said, earning a giggle from almost everyone.

To say nothing of Apollo being a titanic jerk, who ever he asked to design his baths deserved every valis they were payed. The edge, all the way around, let most races sit and lean back against the stone wall of the bath and have the water up to their shoulders. Being a little taller, my rear was a little further from the wall, and being really short, Lilly was kneeling. As one got closer to the centre, the tub slanted slowly, making for easy draining, and cleaning, as there were no corners or nooks for dirt to cling to.

It was also deep enough in the middle for those not content to soak, to swim a little. Like Wiene was. It was kind of adorable to watch her 'dragon paddle' around, visiting people, getting splashed, then swimming away to hide behind someone.

Like me. After Asuka made a 'rawr!' noise at her and started to stand up, Wiene 'eep'ed and paddled over to me, taking advantage of my slightly further from the wall position to duck under the water and get behind me. Popping up again with a 'fuwah', her slim body clinging to my back, her head peeking over my shoulder.

"Are you bothering Asuka?" I asked her, turning my head and poking her in the nose lightly, "baths are meant for relaxing." I told her.

"But... its the water is so nice! The warmth makes me want to swim!" the dragon girl pouted at me, hiding her nose from a second attempt to boop it.

"Let me explain then, 'can' and 'should'." I said, my tails swishing out from behind Hestia and Haruhime, making them both 'eep' as the slick fur brushed their backsides. "Oh! I have a good topic for this one." I made sure to give a few of the ladies in the room a 'pay attention' look.

Confused, Wiene sat there a moment as my tails gathered her up. With a little push, I slide over and crouched in the deepest part of the bath, not wanting to leave more than my head out of the wonderful heat. My tails deposited the dragon girl where I'd just been, "So, you might have noticed, Bell..." I gave Wiene a halfhearted glare before she could get excited about her favourite person/topic/squeeze toy. "Is very huggable."

There were a few snickers from around me, a couple of blushes, and an enthusiastically nodding dragon girl.

"But! Not everyone likes hugs. Affection is good, but you should know how much, or how little to give. Can you hug someone? Yes. Should you? Maybe."

"But... i like hugs..." Wiene pouted.

"Me too. Lady Hestia?" I gave the Goddess a 'move over' shake of my head towards the downcast dragonling, "Lady Hestia isn't one for many hugs. However, she likes to give them."

I think it clicked for my Goddess what I was trying to do, and she moved over, her divine body kind of defying most laws of physics, as she wrapped one arm comfortingly around Wiene's lower back and drew her into a hug. "There there." Hestia said, patting Wiene's head with her free hand.

"Haruhime, likes hugs. But she likes gentle ones. She's very soft, but not like most of us, and isn't very tough." I explained as Hestia let Wiene go, her 'assets' returning to their perfect shape again as she sunk back to her shoulders under the water.

"Like this?" Wiene asked as she wrapped her arms around Haruhime, my opposite's bosom compressing amusingly as Wiene seemed to be hugging her like she was picking up a fragile vase or something.

"A little tighter is okay." Haruhime said with a smile, carefully patting Wiene's back before letting go. "Good girl." She said, earning a brilliant smile from the dragon girl.

"See? Just because you can hug really tight, doesn't mean you should." I looked over to Chigusa, who guessed it was her turn, "Chigusa is very shy." I said, "You can't sneak up on her for a hug." I did that once, and only once, she was worse than Bell, and I felt really bad after.

Wiene waded over to the Takemikazuchi supporter, not reaching out yet, but standing just close enough to make the shy girl shrink a little. "No hugs?"

"Actually, she's more of a pat on the shoulder, or on the back kind of person." I said with a smile, wading over as well and brushing my fingers over top of Chigusa's shoulder, "You did great with that salad tonight, by the way." I told her.

"it was nothing really... you're welcome..." Chigusa mumbled, smiling but trying to hide her face.

"See? You can even show someone you care, without a hug." I gave Wiene's head a pat, nudging her to turn towards Asuka, "Now, Asuka is also not much for hugs." I wiggled myself between Asuka and Chigusa, getting shoulder to shoulder with the quiet fighter. "But, she does like being close. See?"

Taking my example, the dragon girl wiggled over to Asuka's other side and just kinda, almost, sorta, leaned on her. "Like this?"

"Almost." I reached behind Asuka, grabbing Wiene's hand, and putting it between Asuka's shoulder blades. "just give her a light rub here. Show her you care, but don't cling."

For effect, Asuka leaned against Wiene and gave her back a pat as well. "Ohhhh. I get it." She said, starting to get excited again, most of us laughing.

"Wait wait, not done yet." I said, "Mikoto?"

Giving me a raised eyebrow and a look that was close, but not quite 'long suffering' for disturbing the tranquillity that was supposed to be the bath, "I don't really like hugs." She said plainly, "But," She offered her hand to Wiene, who took it, and was puzzled when all Mikoto did was give her forearm a light squeeze.

"See? Just a little. Enough to show you care." I said, one of my tails slinking under the water and lightly brushing Mikoto's leg as I went by. "Then, there is Lilly."

"i don't wanna." Lilly pouted.

"Lilly sometimes likes hugs. Other times not. But, if she wants a hug, she'll say so." I explained, "She also likes head pats."

"i do not." Lilly said, ducking her head under the water with a grumpy 'blublublub'.

"Oh no!" Wiene said, ducking under as well and standing, lifting Lilly out of the water, both her arms wrapped around the shorter girl, "Don't drown!"

Surprised, most of us sort of froze, unsure what to do. Wiene's curiosity and happiness switched instantly to concern at the perceived risk of Lilly drowning. It took a moment to calm her down, but once Lilly was proven to not be in danger, put back into the water, and given a head pat, Wiene relaxed.

Bringing us full circle, I sat back between Hestia and Haruhime, "Phew. So, do you understand? Just because you can hug someone, because you like them, doesn't mean you should."

Like a proper student, Wiene sat in front of me and nodded, but then stopped, looked deeply puzzled, and asked, "What about you? Do you like hugs?"

"Ko-san likes many things." Haruhime said in one of her rare mischievous tones, "But she especially likes getting her back scratched."

"The secret is out." I said in mock defeat. "Though... My tails seem to do all the affection giving before I get a chance to most of the time."

"Like this?" Wiene, suddenly behind me again, started to scratch my back.

"Miss Kodori is broken again."

"A little higher, right there. Lightly, oh, you here that?"

"Foxes can purr?"

"I'll get you Ha-chan... ... later... maybe..." I mumbled.

* * *

"I'm not sorry." Haruhime said quietly as she closed our door, her smile still in place as she got ready for bed. "You... Are really worried, aren't you?"

Setting out my clothes for tomorrow, then hanging up my bath robe, I replied, "Yes. I hate to admit it, but I've almost lost my temper a few times recently, once yesterday, twice today. I nearly punched Hermes..."

As I stepped out from behind the dressing panels, the night air feeling just right over my skin, I saw that Haruhime was 'shocked'. Not just surprised, but dumbstruck. "But... He's a God."

"He's a jerk." I said grumpily, standing in front of her and putting my hands on her bare shoulders, "Never mind that it would have been a stupid thing to do. Some of the things he does are the exact things that annoy me."

I drew her into a hug and she mumbled into my chest, "You have to keep strong. You are our captain. You see the path in front of us before we even know there is a path at all."

"It's just... Something I've learned how to do." I replied, leaning down and resting my chin between her ears, "Thank you for bringing Wiene to the bath. Perfect timing."

"How did you know?" She asked, giggling quietly as I scooped her up in my arms effortlessly, and carried her to our bed.

"Of us all, Lilly has had the hardest life. Of us all, she wants to keep her place in the world. She has a good home now, friends, family, things that make her happy. But our situation could easily take it all away, from all of us." I sat down in the middle of the bed, my golden fox in my lap. "Usually, she speaks her mind, but when she didn't, I knew she was thinking something. Not sure what exactly, but I had to get her to talk about it."

"It was hard to keep Wiene from running." Haruhime replied, "I had to hug her tight and tell her to trust you."

"And you did a wonderful job." I leaned down and kissed her forehead with a quiet growl, "Except then, you told her about scratching my back... You know there's more than one thing I like about that..."

"Are you going to punish me for it?" She replied with a smile, her arms reaching up to encircle my neck.

* * *

Notes!

-ahem-

So, in light of this being an anime story, I thought, why not! Bath scene!

... I'm terrible at writing 'adult' things. At least I think I am.

I think, I will do a little stretching out of the events that are about to unfold. Do a little 'slice of life'ing or some such. Maybe get a few side stories worked in before 'the other shoe' happens.

Also, the three anime of choice for a potential 'Kodori drops in' vote is still on. I've had some great suggestions, and since there is still a fair bit of story left to tell, I'm keeping the poll open.

Until next time. :)


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 43

Despite everything going on, I was determined to do something creative today. Actually, provided nothing went wrong, (it was here I paused my work, and lightly tapped the wooden armrest I was carving), I was planning on visiting a bunch of people I felt needed a reminder I existed.

Since I hadn't figured out magical long distance communication, and cell phones didn't exist, I felt almost obligated to visit some of them.

Of course, I had to create a reason to visit some of them, but at least it was an excuse.

"Kodori?" Wiene was standing at the door to the workshop, Chime in her hand, the little micro rabbit soaking up the gentle pets the dragon girl was giving, "Is is safe to come into the workshop?" Her bright golden eyes were like little mirrors as she looked around without actually entering yet.

Welf was hammering away in the back, where all the 'highly dangerous' stuff was. The forge and simple machinery mostly. Like grinding wheels and the like. I was in the 'bigger items' area, where I was working on the replacement chair for the guild master.

"Just don't pick up any tools." Welf and I were practically religious in our care of the chisels and other sharp tools. "And careful not to step in that pile there." She hadn't figured out shoes yet, and I'd just swept a bunch of sawdust and the like into a pile.

"Okay!" She said, entering and all but tip-toeing over to me, standing just out of arms reach. "What are you making? It's a chair, right?"

"That's right. A fancy one." I replied, shifting a little so I could carve and keep half an eye on the girl. "I did something bad, so I have to fix it." I explained.

"What did you do?" She looked down suddenly, and tip-toed over to the door, setting Chime down, then returning.

"Well, I got angry, and broke the Guild Master's chair." I said, smiling slightly at what happened after, "Remember how I said 'just because you can, doesn't mean you should'?"

"Yes. I asked Bell for a hug! And he gave me one! He liked that more I think?" She said.

"Good girl." I replied, wishing I'd seen that, "Everything you do, everything!" I stopped working to look at her, "Has a consequence. If you ask for a hug, you might get a hug. But if you just hug someone, they might not like it. See?"

I watched her face kind of bunch up, like Lilly's when she was thinking something unpleasant. "So... You broke the chair, and have to fix it?"

"Exactly." I said, "It isn't always so simple. But always think before you act. If you surprise some one, will they drop what they are holding? Will they be okay with the surprise?"

"Like Chigusa? She doesn't like surprises, right?" She knelt down, still keeping a respectful distance from me, and I resumed my work, tap-tapping the hammer against the chisel to carve out a long sweeping curve in the wood. "It looks pretty." She said after a moment.

"Thank you." I replied, smiling. Monster or not, she was so... Alive. Her energy was infectious and I couldn't help but feel better with her around. Even her questions, though childish, were thoughtful. Never simple 'why' or 'what', but 'why should' or 'what if'.

"Am I a monster?" She asked suddenly, the question nearly making me miss the end of the chisel.

I looked at her, the poor girl's face was serious, and a little sad. "Honestly, I don't think so. Not how you are thinking of it, at least."

"What do you mean? Bell called me a 'vouivre'. That's a dragon right? Aren't dragons monsters?" I was surprised at how quickly she was developing such straight forward logic. "I have scales... And..." She touched the tear shaped garnet stone on her forehead.

"I think the word 'monster' is too... Big. Like calling everything on the table 'food'. I think, you are a Vouivre. Just like Bell is a Human, Lilly is a Pallum, and I am a Renard." I tried not to laugh at the irony of never having had children of my own, yet at some point taking care of all my little cousins at one point or another, trying to answer all the 'hard questions' while the parents were at work.

"So even though I was born in the dungeon?" She was still unconvinced, so I thought up a different tactic.

"Think of it like this. Say you were... That bird over there." I pointed to a bird just outside the still open workshop door. "It's entire life amounts to five things." I held up my hand and counted points, "It's born, it eats, finds a mate, has children, and some day, dies." She nodded, though she was still looking at the bird, as it hopped about the yard poking at the lawn with its beak.

"That's it?" She asked.

"Unless something bad happens, and it skips to the end. Yes." I replied, returning to my work, picking up some fine sandpaper.

"That seems kind of... Sad? No... Simple?"

"Yes. That, is the life of 'instinct'." The wood, a hard wood that looked a little like walnut, an almost dark chocolate colour, just needed sanding now. "In the dungeon, what Bell and I fight, what we kill down there." She flinched a little at the word 'kill', but her attention focused on me again, "That is all they do. They are born, live, breed, and die." I shifted over again, mostly to get into the details I'd carved in with my sandpaper, but also to let my tails swish over to the girl and visit. "But you, while born in the dungeon, are not a simple beast. Not a 'monster'."

"Because..." She was so deep in thought, that her hands only touched the fur of my tails, not petting them, "I can do other things?"

"Exactly." I smiled, "You can choose what to eat. Find a mate, or not. Have children, or not. Sleep all day, or play all day. Read a book, draw a picture, make more bread. We can 'choose'. We are not slaves to 'instinct'."

She thought about this some more, this time picking one of my tails and hugging it close, "And die?"

"We all do someday." I said gently, "Part of being alive, is to one day die." I put the sandpaper down and shook my hands off, picking up a clean rag and getting the dust off the wood for its final varnish, "But, our choices, what we leave behind, the friends we make, the family we have, the stories told about us. That's how we keep living."

I was pretty sure these were thoughts far too heavy for her, but she surprised me again and nodded, gathering up another tail to hug, her golden reptile eyes sparkling at me, "I can choose. So I'm not a 'monster', but a 'person'?"

I couldn't help myself, but I remembered to follow my own advice at least. "Wiene? Can I give you a hug?"

"Yes please."

* * *

"You sure we have to send this back?" Welf asked as we walked towards the Guild building. "I mean... You won it, fair and square."

"You took me home, Ma'am." Marius chimed in seriously, though I was beginning to suspect his 'joking voice' was the same as his 'talking to an idiot superior officer' voice.

"Very true." I said, looking back at the two men, "But, I made a promise. And who knows, I might visit Rakia one day. Just to say I did. And maybe keep you safe on the way home." I said to Marius, "It wouldn't do to have you live an entire year, braving the dungeon, only to have you get killed by a some random hazard on the road."

"See? She does care."

"It's only because I can carry all of the things when we go shopping." He emphasized this by gently settling the chair on his back.

"Don't give her ideas, or you'll have to do it again."

Rolling my eyes as the two bantered behind me, I rolled my shoulders and patted my armoured coat's pockets, "Speaking of things, think we can convince them to give us that permit?"

"It's on our property. And unless we screw up a water pipe or something, yeah, we should be good." Welf replied, "I'll be sure to ask Lady Hephaestus for advice on that, maybe get some help."

"Excellent. That leaves me to get the permit, then head over with Marius to get materials sorted out." I replied, looking at the tall Rakian. "I'll bring you along to meet some of our friends, outside the Familia."

"Say 'lo to them for me." Welf said as we got to the Guild building, the smith simply walking on towards the tower.

"Enjoy your visit with Lady Hephaestus." I called back.

"Is he truly courting a Goddess?" Marius asked, falling into step beside me as we approached the double doors of the guild hall.

"You've probably noticed, but Welf doesn't do things in halves." As usual, the front area before the desks was spotted with random adventurers. New faces, a few I had seen before, and of course, Eina and her two partners at the front desk.

"Welcome..." Eina paused, seeing the taller man behind me with the fancy chair carefully strapped to his back. "Ah, I suppose that answers that question. You must be Marius?"

"Yes Ma'am. And you must be Eina. Everyone at home talks quite glowingly of you, though words can only go so far when I finally meet the person herself." He gave her one of his rare smiles, "A pleasure."

I raised an eyebrow at just how smooth he said that. Even giving her a formal, if somewhat limited bow with the bundle on his back. Eina's two assistants smiled and tried to hide it behind a hand, while the half-elven woman blushed slightly.

"Is the boss in?" I asked, trying to rescue Eina from her blush, "Oh, and I'd like to ship something out of town... How does that even work anyhow?" I rolled my shoulder to indicate the rectangle box on my back, containing Hyakinthos's sword and my little 'look but never have' sculpture.

"Oh. Ahem." Eina switched back into her official reflex of answering questions, "Simple letters and the like get sent out by cart, though that parcel might require a third party. I can give you directions to the usual place that deals with that, if you wish."

"Best teacher." I said with a grin, "Oh, Marius? You written a letter home yet?"

"Hm, no ma'am. Hadn't thought about it, being the new guy keeps me busy." He mumbled. "I really should though. My mother is probably worried about me."

Eina and I watched his handsome square jawed face blush just a tiny bit, "Well, I would be happy to give you some paper and a place to write. Miss Kodori has business upstairs, and might be a moment." Eina said, her usual smile back in place as she put a couple of sheets of paper on the desk and a small quill and ink jar.

"Much appreciated Ma'am." Marius said to her, kneeling and undoing the knot holding the chair on his back, "Ma'am?" He said to me.

"Right then." I said, taking hold of the chair and lifting it as it came free. "As usual, you're amazing Eina, I know the way, so I leave him to you."

* * *

No one really gave me a second look as I walked towards the Guild Master's office. The employees gave me a smile and a wave, and gave me space to pass as I followed the hallways towards the nice wooden double door of the Master's office. My ears picked up a quiet conversation inside, though it sounded as if he was talking to himself. Almost like a phone call.

Being the polite person I (usually) was, I tried not to eavesdrop, but my ears made it very difficult. With my arms full of giant chair, I couldn't even cover them up.

"I do have a little more free time now."

...

"We can only keep so close an eye on things. We can only cover so much ground before it gets too dangerous..."

...

"You know we can't trust the adventurers with this."

...

"The situation is too delicate. What if you're wrong?"

...

"You're... You're serious aren't you?"

...

"Two of them? How...

...

"Very well. So long as they don't make a mistake, we can keep attention away from them."

...

"They do seem capable." Royman sighed then, "Yes Fels, I understand. A little more time is all we can hope for."

It was then I heard what sounded like a drawer being closed, and one of the Guild Master's deflating sighs. I shook my head, counted to ten, made it twenty, then thirty, the half conversation playing though my head again.

I shook my head, tucking my thoughts on the matter away for now, and tapped on the door.

"Hm?" Some paper shuffling, the distinct sound of a metal latch clicking into place, then, "Come in."

Balancing the chair with one hand, I turned the doorknob and nudged it open with my shoulder. "Good morning Royman." I said casually, making sure not to ding the chair on anything as I brought it in. "I brought you a new chair."

He was looking a lot better than last I saw him. In the short while since I'd seen him, he looked to have lost ten kilograms at least. He was still overweight, but his shirt fit, and he wasn't looking as... waxy. Even his hair was starting to fill out again. Understandably, he was looking a little nervous, as he was just talking about me and my Familia, but I ignored that. "That... That was rather quick. I'm surprised you actually made it at all really." He said honestly, motioning to the replacement he had me sit on as we had our second talk. "Let me move this, set it down here..."

We got to unpacking the bundle, to reveal the chair. Not to brag, but I thought it was even better than the one I had broken, though partially because I could sit in this one and not have to have my tails bundled behind me uncomfortably. I matched the colour of the fabric to the last one as best I could, and made sure not to make it move fancy than his chair, he was an important person after all.

"This is good work." He said appreciatively, "If I didn't know better, I'd almost want to put the feet in some soil."

"I've an elven friend." I replied, sitting myself down in the chair, "I took some inspiration from her furniture." Most of the lines I'd carved into it mimicked a smooth barked tree. "But, I've a little business, if you'd like to sit down. You're looking better, by the way."

"I've you to thank for it." He said bluntly, "Aside from a few grumbles, and a bit more paperwork than I'd like, your ideas on," He sounded out this word for me, "Reorganization," I nodded in thanks and he continued, "have sped up, and smoothed out much of the choking points we had. Some of my employees are trying harder, now that I've put in places to get promotions, and we've expanded slightly to cover some blind spots we had."

"Good. I'm happy that's working out then." I replied, spotting the little wooden fox I'd made last time I was here, though this time the rest of it had been inked black.

"So, new business?" He asked, "You -are- sitting in the chair."

"I suppose I am." I grinned, "I'd have asked Eina, but since I'm here. I'd like a permit to do some digging on my Familia's property."

"Oh? How deep?"

"Not too far. I was planning on putting in a pool. And since we have a large yard that we basically use just for training..." I trailed off as he pulled out a key from a chain around his neck.

"In that case you'll need..."

* * *

"Ma'am?" Marius said as I retuned, "You look... frazzled."

"I hate paperwork." I said. Now, included with the box on my back, I had a couple of rolls of parchment under one arm. "I had to fill out some forms, and go over some of the plans from the city archives."

"Ah. But mission accomplished?" He asked, offering a hand, into which I placed the rolls of parchment.

"Yes. We've got maps for the pipes, where not to dig, and permission to 'alter the landscape of the Hearthstone Manor in a minor, up to a major, capacity'. So long as it does not exceed the boundaries of the property lines or damage surrounding or on property infrastructure." I quoted from the permit itself, that was tucked into my coat's pocket. "I need to practise my writing. I am so slow at it still." I waved to Eina as we left, and looked over to Marius as he fell into step beside me, "Speaking of?"

"Yes Ma'am." He held up a sturdy looking envelope with a neatly printed address on it. "I also have directions to the mail office." He handed me a bit of paper.

"Oh, I know this place." I chuckled, "It's a little walk, but since I want to get this sent off before I have second thoughts..." I shrugged my shoulder to indicate the box. "In the mean time, I'll tell you about my first trip there."

"I do like story time." Marius said with his usual seriousness, "Ma'am."

I caught him smiling ever so slightly as I rolled my eyes at him.

* * *

"You are a brave woman." Marius said as we got closer to the gate, "I've seen Ma'am Arnya throw some one my size and just miss the shop wall on the other side of the street."

It was the same gate I'd made my very first outing to, to pick up the waggon and Lunoire that one day. I could even see that same bored looking draft horse, waiting for something to do, off in the distance.

"Well, I couldn't resist. Speaking of though..." I made a little detour, "I'm going to order some meats, have them sent over."

"Hm, taco night isn't until..." Marius thought, "Two days?"

"Oh, suppose I'll cover that too."

The old man and I shared a few pleasantries, Marius was introduced, and orders were placed. I payed a little extra for the delivery, and gave him a proper Hostess bow for his service.

"Having worked with Takemikazuchi Familia, never mind being part of it... Everyone seems so..." Marius was still suffering from a little culture shock it seemed.

"Friendly?" He nodded, "It's what happens when its less a military state and a... oh damn... word... umm... money... state? No..."

"Capitalistic." Marius supplied, "Where people can earn their way through merit with fewer rules and restrictions."

"And mix in a healthy dose of socialism." I added, "The guild taxes the Familia, and the Familia keep the city from falling to bits. Pay is good, people are fairly happy, and unless you stick your head out too far by say... almost burning down half a block..." I shivered, "Still have dreams about that."

I stopped in front of the horse as we neared the gate. Now that I could read, I noticed the 'Mail services' sign on a building attached to the wall of the city itself. "Hanging in there?" I asked the horse, earning myself a snort and a friendly, if a little smelly, lick on the cheek. "Good." I said, giving the beast a friendly pat over the nose and side of its head, before backing up and heading towards the building.

"What language was that?" Marius asked.

"Funny enough, there is no translation for the name of the language in this one." I chuckled, "It's pretty much the basic language where I'm from though."

"Hm. I've heard you speak it before, but only to Lord Takemikazuchi and Lady Hestia." He replied, scratching his chin.

"Since it's my native language, I speak it to them so I am understood. I still occasionally get my words turned around, or simply don't know a word yet in this language." I shrugged. "Lets hope they don't charge too much." I said, pushing open the door to the building.

* * *

They did charge a fair amount. Not quite a shocking amount, but really damn close. Then again, unless you went yourself, they were the only mail service sanctioned by the Guild, and could charge what ever they wanted really.

"Mission accomplished." Marius said with a frown, "I may have to cut my spending to cover the cost of that..."

"At least its almost sure to get there." I said, "And we can go to the dungeon some time soon, once things settle. It's not like we don't have a pool of money, for 'rainy days'."

"Fair, but I'd rather not resort to that. Takemikazuchi Familia use their half of that to send back home, and... I feel like I'd be intruding on that."

"Good on you for thinking that. But you're also part of the Familia, and they'd be glad to cover a few minor expenses." I replied with a grin, "They are good people."

"They are." He nodded, "So, what's next on your list?"

"Ah, this way. I want to mix the glue for the stone myself, but, I don't know how." I chuckled, "And since I haven't visited Nazza, our more or less exclusive potion seller, in a good while, I figured I'd ask if she knew."

"Nazza... This high, droopy ears, chienthrope, shy about her metal arm?" He asked, making a 'this high' motion with his hand.

"Ah, you've met her."

"In passing. Only heard her name and glanced at her." He admitted, "Was with a tall blue haired God."

"Lord Miach." I said with a smile, "Tall, handsome, and totally oblivious to the poor girl. Or any girl really."

"I've noticed that's a bit of a trend." Marius said with a frown. "I've also noticed, you're rather plain with how much you respect the Gods."

"Lord Miach is a good person. Hermes is a jerk. Ishtar was a bitch." I laughed at Marius's reaction to my language. "What? They come down here for amusement. Fine. I understand that paperwork, no matter where you are, is boring." I pointed a finger at him, "But if they expect me to respect them just because they are a divinity of some kind? No. Our world, our rules."

The big soldier chuckled, "Fair enough. Lord Hermes does seem a little..." He searched for a word, "Smug."

"He knows an awful lot, and only lets things out if it's interesting. But he's nearly gotten us killed, and helped us save people." I explained, turning another corner, the brickwork of the surrounding buildings getting older, more faded.

"Miss Haruhime mentioned some of that story." Marius said, "Including some of what Lady Ishtar tried to do."

"Yeah..." I sighed, "Glad some one else told that one." I didn't say, but I did still have the occasional dream about that one too. More of a nightmare, but... "Ah, there it is."

The Blue Pharmacy. The faded sign and worn storefront spoke not of neglect, but gave more of the impression of 'well travelled'. Odd to think that of a building, but that's what I thought of when I looked at it. I knew they were still a bit poor, the crippling debt brought on by Nazza's silver arm was nearly as bad as Hestia's debt for the black knife She had commissioned for Bell.

Entering, a small bell above the door ringing, I was nearly knocked over as a someone hugged me. At least, it felt like a hug. Nothing tried to stab me, there was no pain, but... Who the heck?

Looking down, I saw the top of a head of long dark hair. My nose detected a faint herbal soap, and the body pressed to me was slender and a little cool.

"Cassandra?" I asked, my arms returning the hug out of reflex before I put my hands on her shoulders and lightly pushed her away, "What?"

Of the two former Apollo members, Cassandra was a bit of a seer, and almost cripplingly shy. Looking across the shop, over the shelves, I spotted Nazza and Daphne looking at me from behind the counter. Looking back down, Cassandra was starting to go all shy again, backing up a half step and bowing.

"Thank you for the hug?" I tried, before the girl almost tripped over something in her retreat back to Daphne.

"She's been expecting you all day." Daphne said, giving her 'could be, but not' sister a hug.

"Oh... Well, she should eat more. She's cold." I smiled at them, "Oh, right." I finished actually walking in, getting out of the way of the door. "This is Marius."

All three sets of eyes turned to the man as he stepped in behind me. Nazza gave him a once over, her tail swishing exactly twice behind her, while her droopy ears tilted forward a little. Daphne gave him something that wasn't quite a glare, and Cassandra said, very quietly, "Returns to blood and glory."

I raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment, my sharp ears picking up the whisper, while Marius seemed to not have heard it. "Marius, this is Nazza," She waved, "The one who doesn't quite hate everyone is Daphne," She did glare at me, "And the quite one is Cassandra." She did manage a very small wave.

"A pleasure, ladies. I am Marius Victrix Rakia. Crown prince of Rakia. But, you can call me 'the new guy'." His voice, as always, was serious.

This got a smile from the three of them, though only Nazza commented, "I remember you... Only other person taller than Ears in that mansion of yours, aside from Lord Takemikazuchi." She waved to indicate me as 'Ears'.

"He can also carry all the things." I commented with a chuckle, "So, as my mentor in the alchemical arts," I leaned on the counter top, "Would you know how to mix something that can glue stone together, and last underwater?"

* * *

"That was cheaper than expected." I said as The Blue Pharmacy vanished from sight behind us. "Though, Haruhime might be a little mad at me later."

"I'll tell her you got a good price because of it." Marius offered, "Your tails do look quite glossy now."

Glancing behind me and scooping up one of my tails, I gave it a once over and a pet, floofing it out once before letting it go. "Once I told them I could mix my fur into iron for enchanting, Nazza got very energetic all of a sudden."

"She doesn't seem like one who is... Energetic. Or even enthusiastic." He replied, sniffing, "Where are we going? Smells like... Beer?"

"Soma Familia." I said, "Remember that 'burn down a city block' comment? That was around here." I waved towards a couple of red brick chimney peeking up above the three floor houses we were walking past, "Bell and I got in an... argument on how Lilly should be treated. Zanis, their former captain used a magic sword against Bell and I. I protected him, he beat the crap out of Zanis. It was quite satisfying to wake up to that."

"You survived... Well, I suppose it lends to how you basically lived through taking a bath in drake innards." He shivered, "So, if your two Familia got into an argument, why are you visiting now?"

"Well, after... Oh, Chandra must be trying something new..." I sniffed the air, then explained, "Chandra's the new captain. Nice guy, handy with burn treatments. Anyhow, Soma and I got into a debate for Lilly's freedom. And He gave her a test to earn it. Thankfully, she passed."

"She drank His wine, didn't she... Brave girl that." Marius said, "Also explains why she isn't much for drinking wine."

"I was offered some, but passed. I suspect after drinking the literal master craft of the God of Wine, everything else would be rather bland." I nodded, "So yeah... She drank some, and refused any more of it. And Soma let her go. After that though, I gave Soma a little strawberry bush, and he made some wine for us, after the war game."

"Oh? That sounds pretty tasty, how was it?" The main building of the Soma property was in view now. A little run down, multi-floor house with a couple of watch towers and large warehouses on either side. The smell of spirits and grain was much stronger now, but it wasn't unpleasant, not like how I remembered them from my old world.

"Well, as a spirit, it was rather weak. A bit more than beer I'd guess." Unlike back home, the percent alcohol content wasn't on the label. "The taste was sweet, and quite mild. Even the children liked it."

"You gave some to the orphans?" Marius looked a little puzzled, "Isn't that, I dunno... Bad?"

"There was only a single bottle. And not enough to get anyone drunk. Besides, it was Soma's first try, and he wanted as many opinions on it as possible." There was a single, very bored looking man sitting at the front door. He eyed us both, perked up a little, stood, and stepped forward.

"The Demon Fox." He greeted. He was a bit scruffy looking, but not unclean. I didn't know him, but he at least showed no hostility. "And the Rakia Man."

"I have a nick name?" Marius sounded surprised.

"You walk around with her, and you went drinking with a few buddies of mine." He shrugged, "I drew the short straw for door duty. So I get to ask the hard questions." He chuckled, making a show of frowning and leering at us, "Wadda ya want?"

I couldn't help myself, and I had to laugh. I hadn't expected a friendly greeting, and certainly not a comical one. "Oh, just wondering about Lord Soma, and Chandra. Is the captain about?"

He looked a little pained for a moment, losing the leer and grumpy face, "Well... Chandra is around someplace, but Soma... Well, ever since you and him had that talk, he's been even more absorbed in his work."

"More? Is that even possible?" I asked, eyebrows raised, "I mean..."

"No no, not as bad as before. He at least takes regular showers and eats a little more. But he's expanded the indoor orchard upstairs, and the entire building smells like a fruit salad, like... All the time. It's weird, seeing so many different out of season fruits growing in one place, so... Perfectly."

"Huh. Well, that was unexpected." I admitted.

"Oh?" Another voice, one I recognized, deep and heavy, "Fox! Whatta you doing here?"

Looking over to one of the warehouse doors, I spotted the stocky figure of a dwarf. Stained apron, bushy beard and one missing eyebrow, it was Chandra. "Visiting. A small vacation, kind of. And introducing the new guy." I hooked a thumb at Marius, who gave the dwarf a small bow.

"I'm the new guy. Or Marius." He answered as he bowed, offering his hand, "Pleased to meet you."

"Tall, but polite, I'll give him that." The two of them shook, and he turned to me, "I'm not sure if I should be angry, or happy with you."

"Lord Soma getting you to help in the garden?"

"Not really, I have trouble growing grass in an open field. But that new orchard isn't cheap! Have to organize more dungeon time, and that takes away from brewing time!" Chandra grumbled, "But I'll admit, we can sell some of his experiments. Not for much, but his reputation for wine makes people willing to at least try his other stuff."

"Speaking of." I grinned, "I was looking to set up a small kit for brewing. But, aside from an alchemical setup, I'm pretty sure I don't have the right tools."

Marius looked surprised, and so did the two Soma Familia members. "Seriously? An alchemical kit for brewing? Oh... I think my heart just froze... Come with me, I'll give you the tour." Chandra all but pulled me along, "Brewing with beakers and test tubes... Bah!"

* * *

"I thought you didn't really like drinking?" Marius said as he adjusted the small crate that was now strapped to his back, "You're also, from what I've heard mind you, an, and I quote, 'a lightweight who can only hold her drink because her grip is unbreakable'."

"Ah, that would be Welf." I chuckled, "I just don't have much of a taste for the stuff honestly, so I have no tolerance." I shrugged, then laughed, "But do you have any idea what you can do with whats on your back?"

"Make beer. And maybe some mild spirits?" Marius sounded puzzled.

"That too. Do you know how brandy is made?" I asked, getting a shake of his head in reply. "You basically take wine, any wine, and heat it up. The alcohol, the stuff that gets you drunk, will boil first. You take the vapour from that, cool it in another container, and you have brandy."

"Distill it... I see. So you plan to make brandy?" He asked, scratching his head. "Without really knowing how, it would probably taste terrible."

"No doubt. But there are other things you can distill," I used the new word, smiling, "Potions? Make them into a paste for local treatment. Distil some of that terrible stuff Welf drinks to clean wounds."

"Just don't tell him."

"Just don't tell him." I agreed, "You can make candy, in a round about way. Or if you're careful, pills, instead of potions. It will take a few tries I'm sure, but could you imagine a jar of healing 'potions', instead of a single little bottle, you have ten in a bottle."

"They would probably taste terrible, but that would be handy, and less risk of them breaking and spilling." Marius 'hm'ed and chuckled, "It's a shame that healing potions are so hard to come by in Rakia. We have an entire branch of people for researching this sort of thing."

"But without something to research, they'll never know to look into it." I said, getting a nod, "When you return, I'm sure we can put together a bunch of things for them to look into."

"You're very kind to do so Ma'am." Marius replied, "Just have to survive the year."

I stuck out my fist, and he gave my knuckles a tap with his own. "Stick with us, and you'll go far." I chuckled. "Now, lets go find some stone..."

* * *

Notes.

I think I'll stop there. Yeah, getting some world building done, setting up plot.

I'll try not to drag on the 'filler' too long. :) It all has a purpose, don't worry.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 44

"Ma'am, I've been meaning to ask..." Marius started, making me slow down just a little so he could walk beside me instead of just behind and to the left like a tourist.

"I have an open door policy with questions. Even silly ones." I replied, feeling the mid day sun on my back and bringing a little cheer with its warmth.

"Why a pool?" He asked before continuing, "I mean... Why not a proper field, instead of the poor lawn... I dread the next time we train in the rain."

"That's a good question." I said with a chuckle, "A few reasons actually." We turned a corner, heading down a quiet alleyway that lead to one of the bulk material dealers I scouted after the war game and its 'moving in' supply shortage. "First, we have a nice spot to build it."

"The back corner, covered by Apollo Familia's attempt at an orchard?" Marius asked.

"One I intend on making grow, by the way. But yes. Covered by trees for privacy, in the back, out of the way, and space to put a changing room and water shed."

"Hm, the idea has merit, and will keep the women happy with the extra security." I gave him a sideways glance and he raised his eyebrow back at me, "What? I'm sure you've noticed the... greater emphasis on personal space our Eastern members have."

"Pleased you noticed that. Observing people will be part of your job, when you return."

"Don't remind me Ma'am... Urg, political dinners..."

"But yes. Next, it gives us another way to train, without risk of bruising, and actually have fun while we are at it." I grinned, "Ever try and run underwater?"

"Can't say the thought occurred to me." He said as we finally entered the 'public warehouse' district. Where merchants could set up wholesale shops that the public could use. Like a very early attempt at a Home Depot. "Though, I look forward to learning how to swim properly."

I lowered my voice a little, to not attract the attention of the stray passerby as I looked at the signs, "It also gives us a natural reason to be here at all."

He nodded, not answering but returning to his tourist position.

"Keep an eye out for the one you mentioned."

"Yes Ma'am."

* * *

I made a point to look like I was here for normal reasons. Our first stop was at a soil seller. Unlike back home, you couldn't just buy a bag of dirt with the Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium numbers printed on the front. So, I had to ask the man there what I should get. I mean, if it HAD the numbers, I could have just selected and payed for delivery, but well...

"Well Miss." For a dirt merchant, this man was pretty clean. The smell from the building was rather ripe, but that was to be expected. Fertilizer was also on his list of items for sale. "You say you want to grow fruit, but what kind?"

"Marius? Happen to know what they were?" I asked the soldier, who just barely stopped himself from clicking his heels together.

"I'm not sure. I did notice that they had... sad looking pink flowers." He answered, his eyes squinting in thought for a moment, "Long leaves too."

"Pink and long leaves... Sounds like peaches. Yup, if they aren't blooming, and making fruit for you, your soil isn't giving them what they need." The merchant replied, stroking his beard a moment, "How many trees are you looking to fix up?"

"Dozen." Marius replied for me.

"Right, I've got what you need... But umm, you're gonna need it delivered, adventurers or not, its not a small amount."

"Hearthstone manor." I said, "Now lets talk price."

It had been a while since I tried my hand at haggling. With no real call for it back home, my only experience before coming here was playing an old ASCII game, where you could haggle with the shop keepers. I'd gotten real experience while working with the girls at the Hostess of Fertility, and a little more after our move into the Manor.

I think I got a good price. Without being too insulting, or cut throat. By the end of it, money changed hands, and we were both smiling, leaving Marius looking impressed at the exchange.

"Ma'am, has anyone told you you'd make an exceptional merchant?" Marius commented as he fell into step behind me, as we looked for our next dealer.

"I'm a Fox, not a Wolf." I said before I could stop myself, "But thank you."

"Wh... ahem, I've spotted the man I mentioned." He said quietly, "Second on the left, bored, sandy hair."

I spotted him as well, and headed over, remembering him from the ones I'd dealt with, but only for a few smaller things. I got our forging materials from another dealer, but this one sold softer metals, things we craft into trinkets and the like.

Spotting me in my coat, and Marius in his armour, the look on his face became worried, but after an instant, he seemed to recognize me, and his worried face broke into a smile. "It's been a while, but its good to see you Lady Kodori."

Fame had added random honorifics to my name, depending on who I dealt with. "It has, that silver you sold me was good stuff. And those little ruby bits you added in went over well with my Goddess." I wondered how many times Hestia held Bell's little rabbit icon. The thought gave me a smile, and an idea for later. "I was wondering..."

The merchant's face fell again, his hand scrubbing through his hair in frustration, "I hope your not going to ask for any bulk materials. I was bought out recently."

I knew this, but acted surprised, "Oh? Everything?" I looked at Marius, who was flawless in looking a little dismayed as well. "Damn..."

"Yeah, I hate to disappoint a repeat customer, but yeah. A couple of people came buy. Rough looking adventurers. Bad attitudes, poor, and looking like they hadn't had a good night sleep in weeks. Demanded I cut them a deal." He sighed, looking at the warehouse door behind him, "Sent it to the address they gave me this morning, not too long ago."

"Well... Maybe I can catch them, pick up a little of what I need..." I mumbled, rubbing my chin, "I mean, they couldn't have bought everything? I've got a project going on, and I need a few things. Copper for pipes, bit of cheap iron for fixings and hinges..."

"Sorry, just about everything useful for building got snatched up. But, if you take a look at some of the more decorative metals they didn't buy, I'd be happy to give you the place I sent it to, and maybe you could talk to them." He smiled the merchant's smile, "I wouldn't suggest it, they looked mean as a tooth ache."

"Sure, I've suddenly been struck by the urge to make something shiny."

"Come in, I'll unlock the vault for you."

* * *

"Being the new guy." Marius started, "I've been holding off on asking this..." He watched me tuck a small bag into my coat. Inside were a collection of even smaller bags with very shiny things in it. A little gold, silver, small gems, a hunk of jade...

"And what's that?" I already had a bunch of thoughts on what I'd do with them all. While waiting for peaches to grow.

"Just how well off are we? I understand an amount goes to the 'war chest', but I never considered that 'my business'."

"Well... Takemikazuchi Familia and Hestia Familia both have their own private war chest." I used the term in a more generic way than the literal one, "And a 'house fund' for upkeep, our monthly tax from the Guild, and all that."

"And each of us has our own share as well." Marius said, "Though, I'm surprised all shares are equal."

"Don't be. I made it clear early, that we all put forth our best effort. And I also made a point to make sure that our best efforts were put to their best effects." I give him a light punch to the shoulder, "I mean, could you imagine Lilly with a sword?"

"Honestly... No. She is much better with that little bow, and she cleans up the monsters with amazing speed." Marius nodded to himself as he thought about it.

"We all support each other, we all get paid the same, and we all come back alive." I then added, "And we all have each others support if we need it, in and out of the dungeon. That's more of what the 'Familia' war chest is about. Emergency money in case one of us is sick, or hurt, or needs a new toothbrush, or window replaced in their room. Any number of things."

"And your little bag of goodies there? And this?" He shrugged his shoulder, the small crate with the small distillery equipment not making a noise. Chandra had packed it amazingly well.

"That's from my personal money. The soil, and soon the stone, will be from the 'Household' money. And tonight's food is from Takemikazuchi, because it's your turn to cook." I explained.

"It is, isn't it. I'll try not to make it so plain this time."

* * *

"That's... More expensive than I thought it'd be." I said to the man across the table. "What's with the sudden jump in price?"

It was another man I'd dealt with before. This one sold us a large chunk of our proper forging materials. Decent iron, copper, iron sand, and a few others Welf had funny names for that I didn't know the English translation for. This man looked like he had retired after mining all of this stuff up himself. Old, heavily muscled, and with skin like old leather, he let out a long sigh and rubbed a hand over his bald scalp and replied, "Every so often, I get a couple of rough sorts that come by. They snatch up just about everything useful, demanding my best prices, and give me the dirtiest looks while they do it."

Marius and I gave each other a look, then turned back to the man, "It's not regular?" I asked.

"Not... Really, no. Twice last month, once so far this month, four times two months ago. You were lucky actually, the last time you were here, they came by the day after and bought up everything." He replied, leaning on the counter and grumbling, "Different people every time, but I know its the same group. They have the same smell about them."

"Smell?" Marius asked.

"Blood. Blood and iron. Oh, and stone. Makes me think of some of you crazier Familia, diving into the dungeon for months on end, and coming up only when you need something. Pale skinned, squinted eyes, half crazy from lack of sunlight." He described, standing up straight again, "If I were still an adventurer, I'd tell them where to go, but I've been out a long time, and honestly..."

I waved a hand as if to clear the air, "Say no more." I thought for a moment, then asked, "I assume they asked you to deliver it someplace? Maybe after I buy what you have left, I can get the last bit from them." He still had more than what I needed, but by saying I might need more, but was willing to buy from him anyhow, I was hoping to get a little more information.

"I'll write it down for you, but I'd be careful. I've know people who looked like that to do crazy things." He said, pulling out a bit of paper and scribbling something down, "Still willing to buy though?"

"Sure." I grinned, "Lets talk price."

* * *

"You have far too much fun doing that." Marius commented as we walked away.

Tucking the second bit of paper he'd given me, as well as the proof of sale, I chuckled, "Blame Mia. Once she taught me how the money worked in the city, I made it a point to not waste her money."

"It that another story?"

"Maybe..." My ears turning a little on top of my head. "Don't suppose you've..."

"Two buildings back, and another on the rooftop to our right." He mumbled. "I do like story time." He said at his normal volume. "I've noticed something, about how you fight."

"Oh? What's that?" I ran some options thought my head, and decided to play it cool. We were both armed, and armoured, though Marius lacked his helmet and shield.

"Well, you're a capable fighter, no doubt. But you lack... Flare." He said, "Not that I am complaining. But your style is very simple."

"Well, it's not like I can't jump around like Bell. I just _don't_." Marius nodded, turning his eyes forward again. "All we need is the stone, and we can go home. Unless something _distracts_ us."

"I'm looking forward to tea. Lady Haruhime makes very good tea." He shifted the crate on his back, "And while I can carry _almost_ all the things, I'm also looking forward to putting this down."

* * *

"Kodori-dono... Why do we have all of this... Stuff." Mikoto asked me as we finally arrived home. "Pipes? Metal?" She sniffed and scrunched up her nose, "Fertilizer?"

Marius looked down at me, "You didn't tell anyone?"

"Hadn't thought of it. Welf knew, but I'm guessing he's still out?" I looked at Mikoto, who nodded once, then looked down at her feet and picked up Chime. The micro rabbit gave her palm a headbutt rub, then settled in as the samurai girl pet her fur.

"Tell anyone what, exactly?" She asked again.

"We are going to build a pool. And try and revive the orchard out back in the corner of the property." I said.

"Orchard?"

"Peaches, apparently." Marius said, "Where would you like this?"

"Just inside the workshop, I'll set it up later." I said, watching as Marius nodded, sketched out a quick bow saying 'ladies', and walked off. "So yes. A pool. So we can keep bath time properly relaxing."

"Hm." Mikoto fell into step beside me as we walked towards the main building. "Shall we keep this a surprise? Or are you planning on telling the rest of us?"

"Well I don't plan on digging out the pool myself, that's for sure." I said, "I figured, since we haven't done our usual morning spar, we needed a good group project with a reward at the end."

"Hm, and the far corner is shaded nicely by the trees." She commented, "Did you find..."

"After dinner." I said, nodding, one of my tails curling over to her and brushing her hip once, "And if you could help Marius make dinner less... bland... I would consider it a personal favour."

"I will instruct him." She said seriously.

* * *

I did my very best to make it to my room before I was spotted, but just as I had my hand on the door, Wiene opened my door and said "You're it!" And booped my nose. "Boop!

Blinking in confusion, I watched her turn, dart across my room, leave through the open balcony door, and hop off the edge without hesitation.

"B'wah?" I managed after a moment.

"Ko-sannnnnnn." Haruhime said from someplace just inside.

Entering, I saw my lover flat on her back, not quite laying on the bed, looking exhausted. I took my coat off, hung it on the iron coat rack made just for it, and went over to the fallen fox girl. Kneeling next to her, I started undoing my shin armour and asked, "Do I have to ask any awkward questions?" I teased.

Her tail was just a little too short to swat me, but it made the attempt anyhow. "So mean... She has so much energy..."

I switched legs and chuckled, "To be expected. She's a dragon, after all, and young." I put the two shin guards aside and leaned down, kissing her forehead. "Consider it practise, if you ever have a family of your own."

This time her tail did swat me, but one of my own curled around it, "So mean..." She wrapped her arms around me and held on as I stood back up, my arms going around her back and helping her straighten out her casual kimono. "But you should go after her. You're it."

"I'll do that. Make some tea, and be sure to give Marius the first cup." I said, "He carried all the things."

"Yes, Ko-san." She said with a smile, "Don't hurt yourself while you chase her."

* * *

"So you did manage to catch her." Takemikazuchi commented as I walked into the manor again.

Covered in mud, leaves, a few twigs, a pine cone, with my short hair looking like a serious case of bed head, and soaked to the skin, my usual under armour shirt and thin pants still dripping, I nodded once to the war god. Over my shoulder, rear facing Takemikazuchi, though she was covered in her robe still, Wiene was giggling as my tails tickled her face and shoulders. She was covered much the same as I was, except she was in a far better mood.

"How did you managed to get a pine cone stuck to you?" Hestia asked, plucking it off my shirt and sniffing it once, "Ohhhh, this is from the little grove out back."

"Yes Ma'am." I said, huffing a breath upwards to clear a leaf from my hair as it threatened to obstruct my vision. "She managed to find all the best hiding spots."

"Hide and seek, and tag! Kodori is fun to play with!" Wiene said as she dangled over my shoulder. "Oh... Want another pine cone?"

I felt a little tug on one of my tails, and one of Wiene's hands entered my vision for a moment, holding a pine cone. Hestia took it, trying not to giggle as I sighed. "Bath time for us." I said, getting an 'aww but I wanna play more' complaint from over my shoulder. Turning my head back a bit, I said to the dragon girl, "Remember, everything you do. We got dirty, now we must get clean. Especially before dinner."

That settled her down somewhat, and I put her down between myself and the two Gods. "I understand." She said to me, then turning, she asked, "Miss Hestia? Can I have a hug?"

"Once you get clean again." Hestia replied with a smile, petting the girls head, "Then I will give you a hug. And read you a story before bed."

"Yay!"

"Head to the bath." I said to her, giving her back a little push, "I'll be there to help with your hair in a moment, okay?"

"'Kay!" And she was off.

I sighed quietly, giving the two Gods a shrug as they both gave me a bemused look. "What?"

"For one who says she's never had children." Takemikazuchi started, "You're quite adept at handling them."

"I had two younger sisters once..." I replied, feeling a little pain someplace in my chest, "I was ten years older than my youngest sister." I smiled, though the memory of my youngest sister had become little more than a head of black hair without a face. "Not to mention the rest of my family taking advantage of the 'least busy' family member. Me."

"So you would make a good mother some day." Hestia teased, making my face get a little hot.

"So would you." I returned, "Well... You already are I suppose. I want to talk to you a little later, Lady Hestia." I said, stopping myself from putting a hand on her shoulder, "Yuck okay, after dinner. I swear... Every leaf pile on the property... I better catch up to her before she makes another mess."

* * *

Wiene was becoming more and more 'normal' around us now. We accepted her, and she was doing her best to fit in. Still very much a child, but her mind was developing rapidly. As we chatted over Marius's latest attempt to bore us to death with healthy, albeit plain food, she talked to us almost as an equal.

Haruhime had helped her start learning numbers, how to read, how to make bread, and cookies too as well as basic hygiene that every girl should know. Wiene was like a sponge for information, even if her childlike mind didn't really comprehend what some of the information was for. If I wasn't so fascinated at the rate she was learning, I'd probably have started pacing with worry.

Even now, she sat between Bell and Hestia at the table, the two of them helping her reach things if she asked for them, or show her how to cut her food properly. Like parents, the two of them.

"It's sweet, isn't it." Haruhime whispered to me, my ears picking up her voice over the chatter that would have drown it out otherwise. I didn't answer, but one of my tails swished over to hers, wrapping itself around her tail. She continued, "You have your serious face on again."

I realized I did in fact have my serious face on, "I'll tell you later, my love." I said to her, taking another mouthful of food and leaning back, giving Haruhime a sideways look and a smile. "You can tell me where her name came from too."

She giggled quietly, also taking a bite of food.

* * *

After dinner was cleared away, and Chigusa started teaching Wiene how to wash dishes, the rest of us gathered in the living room. Taking up our favourite spots in the soft chairs and couches, we got comfortable and started our meeting. "Who want's to start?" I asked, eyes scanning the room.

Welf raised his hand, "Lady Hephaestus mentioned something." He said, "I asked if there were any odd happenings, and she said a few of her smiths had been harassed by some shady people down near the eighteenth. Typical thugs, asking if they wanted to do some work on the side, no questions asked."

I nodded, as did a few others, but he wasn't done, "Also, some one has been trying to buy up more rare material than usual. Quest board and everything. Not just adamant but other stuff you'd only find deeper. Like... Loki Familia hunting grounds deep."

That meant past the twenty fifth floor. The risk was higher, but so were the rewards.

"That's unusual?" Ouka asked, "Figured you smith types would always have a quest out for that kind of thing."

"Sure, except a chunk of adamant is worth maybe a quarter what some of the other materials they are asking for." Welf replied, "Serious money here."

A pause, then, "Lilly was followed again." But she did her little 'heehee' laugh, "But Lilly saw her face."

"Want help next time?" I asked, feeling a little surge of excitement, that I suppressed, realizing it was because I wanted to catch and beat the crap out of who ever it was following Lilly.

"Lilly will ask next time." She agreed.

"Dungeon was as normal as it gets." Ouka said with a shrug, Asuka nod-nodding in agreement, "Seeing some new faces, old faces, and not one of them reporting anything odd when asked."

I nodded, thinking, Haruhime hugging my arm as I felt the urge to get up and pace a little. She really did know me well.

"None of the regulars I get, selling potato puffs, mentioned anything." Hestia said, "Though most of my customers are normal people. Not adventurers."

"It's good you're keeping an ear out." I said encouragingly, "Bell? You've been quiet."

Bell ran a hand through his shaggy white hair, "I'm sorry, Miss Kodori. I am thinking too much."

"No such thing." Mikoto said, "A thoughtful warrior is never careless."

I smiled, as did many others in the room, "It's just... What if we've already... You know... Killed some of them already?" He scrubbed his head with both hands, "I just can't stop thinking about it. Seeing Wiene, and thinking, what if there are others? And we just didn't know at the time?"

I closed my eyes and tried not to sigh. I knew this was coming. Bell was so kind, so pure, that the thought of 'monster hunting' becoming 'monster killing', was tearing him up. "I have thoughts on that." I said, opening my eyes and looking at Bell, waiting until he looked up and into my eyes before I continued, "You've seen how smart she is. In the... Two weeks? Three? She's been alive, she's learned to speak almost as well as me, is learning to read, can do simple chores... Well, when you can get her to focus long enough..."

This got a laugh from most of the room.

"The point is Bell." Welf said, "She's smart, and others like her? They're smart too. Think about what that Harpy did. How she came to us when no one else was around."

"But..." Bell sighed, "I still worry."

"Bell, remember, back when you and I had our first serious sparring match?" I asked him, his eyes focusing on me, then something far away, before he nodded. "Remember what I said?"

"Monsters don't really think. People are adaptable." He said, laughing awkwardly, "I had to teach you that word too..."

I smiled at the memory, "Now, all of you." I swept my eyes around the room, "Is there any doubt at all, that Wiene isn't a 'person'." Not a single one of us disagreed, "She can think, she can reason, she can choose. She, and others like her," I paused, thinking that I'd never have said this before, "Have been given the same gift from the Gods. That of free will."

More nods from everyone, a few smiles too, "Does that help, little brother?"

"Yes. I think so." Bell said, not smiling, but not looking so worried. "I think... No, I'm sure that the others like her know enough to keep safe from us."

"If they truly want peace, like you said Sir." Marius said, "Then they wouldn't try and provoke the adventurers by attacking."

We all nodded again. "Marius, who carries 'almost' all the things," we shared a laugh around the room, Marius rubbing the back of his head mumbling 'I do have limits,' "We found out a few things." People focused on me as I continued, "The same, or probably the same, group of people have been regularly buying up a lot of building materials. Metal, stone, rare metals too. Permanent stuff, no wood." That last bit puzzled me, as it was conspicuous in its absence from the list of things purchased, "And." I pulled out the bits of paper I'd collected from the various merchants, "We have some addresses." I looked at the first one, noting the name at the top, "Most of the metals were sent to a place near the south side. Remember where we had that little... Family get together Welf?"

"Urg, yeah." The smith said, rubbing his jaw, "Stupid old man..."

"Yeah near there. The second... No, that's a receipt... So is that..." I froze, seeing the forth bit of paper, but quickly folded it up and looked at the next one, "Ah, this one is actually closer to Soma's holdings."

"That's almost a quarter of the city away." Asuka mumbled, scratching her head, "I think? Opposite side of the Daedalus maze?"

I nodded, remembering the rough map Eina had once showed me. "Yes. Sounds about right. Who ever built that area of town was probably insane." I didn't mention that I knew some of the stories of Daedalus, at least from my world, and he really WAS insane. A genius, but rather nuts.

"We were also being watched. From two different people, possibly two different groups." Marius added, "Just like back home, cloaks, dark hoods. Standard everywhere it seems."

"You had one more thing to add, Kodori-dono?" Mikoto said pointedly.

"Ah yes." I grinned, "Welf and I, being the creative people we are, have drawn up the idea for a pool. Marius and I got the permit from the Guild, and the supplies delivered just before dinner." I said with a grin, "As well, Apollo's Familia tried to grow peaches, but apparently didn't think of planting them in good soil. So, we're going to fix that too."

There was a little ripple of excitement as Welf and I started to detail what we had, what was needed, and what the end result would be. Takemikazuchi was actually excited, in his limited way, about the peaches. I wondered if he knew the story of Momo. The girls liked the idea of a pool, especially since we were going revive the peach trees to shield them from potential peepers. I started thinking about setting aside a little money and seeing if we could find a place that sold bathing suits.

"Since we don't want to alarm our guest with our usual sparring, we can start on the ground work tomorrow." I said finally. "Get a good night's sleep."

* * *

"Ko-san..." Haruhime started, as we both sat at the small table in our room, a steaming pot of tea in the centre, a stone cup in each of our hands. "What was on that paper?"

I didn't even consider lying about it, so I took it out of my pocket, separated it from the other bits of paper, unfolded it, and slid it sideways towards her. It was a picture of a mask.

"It looks... Like a fox mask, from back home." She said quietly, looking at it. "During the summer festivals, they would sell masks like these."

I nodded. One didn't need to be a huge fan of Japanese culture to know a Kitsune mask. Done in pencil, this mask was coloured in, all black. Pointed ears, slight beak for a nose, little slit at the mouth. The only colour on the entire thing, were two gold spots for the eyes. Underneath the picture, was a single line of messy writing like something out of a fever dream, "The guise of the hunter, seeing through the eyes of her lover." And under that, in a much neater hand. "Cassandra."

What bothered me most about it, was that the prophetic writing was in English.

"What does it mean?" Haruhime asked, her slender finger tapping the foreign words.

I repeated the line for her, and added, "Well, now I know why Cassandra hugged me. Poor girl..." I looked sideways at Haruhime, then explained what had happened. "She's so shy, and almost no one believes her when she has a vision..."

"But you do?" She sipped her tea, the tiny instant of jealousy in her eyes vanishing after my explanation.

"She's been right every time, so far as I've seen. So yes. Seems she gave me some homework. Always wanted a mask. Sure I'm nearly immune to fire, but there's nothing funny about a claw to the face." I captured Haruhime's tail with one of my own, the rest of them curling around her. "I know I know, I shouldn't joke about it..."

We shared a moment of close silence, before she said, "You had something to say earlier?" She reminded me.

"Your story first." I replied with a smile, refilling her cup of tea, "So where does Wiene's name come from?"

"Well... Bell-san and I, we both like to read stories. Melusine, is the name of a fairy, who a hero falls in love with. I think he added Vouivre, and Melusine, to get Wilusine." Haruhime explained with a giggle, "Bell-san is such a romantic, but I'm not sure he realizes it."

"Interesting. I see the connection... But how does the story end? I asked, sipping my tea.

"Well, being a fairy, and the hero, a human, they had their difficulties." She started, "She had to hide her true form from others. But he discovered it one day, seeing her wings." I nodded, chuckling at how that might have happened, "Tragedy keeps them apart, but in the end, their friendship with each other helps them slay a mighty dragon."

Typical fairy tale stuff... Though I was expecting a tragedy. Not on the scale of say, Macbeth, but... Well, maybe there was hope for this series of events... Haruhime nudged me, "Your turn, Ko-san."

Thankful that I was taller, I looked outside without her noticing, spotting the dim reflection of that black owl's eyes. Quietly, I said, "I was wondering, if Hestia could gift Wiene with Falna."

She looked up at me sharply, eyes wide, her lungs filling with a surprised breath. But before she could say anything, I silenced her with a kiss. I took my time with it, my hands roaming her back for that spot just above her tail and the base of her neck just under her long hair. I held her lips until she let out her breath in a low moan and started to relax into my arms. I then broke the kiss and rubbed my cheek against hers as I drew her into an even tighter hug, whispering into her ear, "Shh... No loud noises, people are still awake."

* * *

Notes

Do you hear that Phesik? That's the sound of the author (me) derailing a main plot point, again.

Well mostly. Maybe? Mwahaha.

Also, This is the last update before I call off the 'Kodori goes wandering to different anime' vote. I have a pretty good idea what it is, but who knows? AND! Anime North is at the end of the month! If you see someone in red and gold scales, say hi, and mention Kodori. :)

Until next time, dear readers.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 45

I was probably 'glowing' still, and admittedly not quite satisfied. But it wouldn't have been fair to Haruhime to leave her all worked up. She tended to pout if I stopped in the middle, and still felt a little guilty about taking care of herself.

But, if I wanted to talk to Hestia before bed, my own needs would have to wait, else I'd be too tingly to want to get out of bed again. Haruhime made a point to learn all of my buttons, so to speak, and yeah...

Ahem.

I did notice however, right after I'd given her a second kiss, that the owl had vanished again. I suppose, if it was a watcher of some kind, the person seeing through its eyes wasn't a pervert, at least.

I heard Hestia's voice, reading a story by the sound of it, as I approached her room. Making sure I was actually covered up properly, though there was nothing I could do about some of the more obvious signs, I tapped on the door. "Lady Hestia?"

The reading stopped, then, "Yes? Come in Kodori."

Opening the door, I spotted Hestia on her bed, legs apart, book in one hand, with Wiene sitting between her legs, head resting on the Goddess's bosom. Hestia was propped up on a bunch of her pillows and the two of them were obviously reading together. It looked rather adorable.

"Sorry to interrupt story time." I said, stepping in an shutting the door, looking out the window and spotting that same owl again, my night vision making its camouflage useless. "Are you learning to read Wiene?"

Sitting up, the dragon girl nodded at me enthusiastically. "Lady Hestia is reading slow for me! And I can read some of it too!"

I sat down on the edge of the bed, my tails going to visit them. Wiene, dressed now in a much thinner, but made of 'battle cloth' the sturdy under armour clothes we wore, bed robe, lightly grabbed on to one of my tails. After my game of tag with her, I had a good idea just how strong she was. She was like a real dragon, compressed into a young girl's body. Yet, she was treating my tail very gently, rubbing it against her cheek.

"Lady Hestia did the same for me, too." I said, the Goddess smiling at the memory and petting the tail that had wrapped around her arm, "When I arrived, I couldn't read, or speak the language. She's a very good teacher, isn't she?"

"Yes she is!" Wiene agreed, "But... I've been... thinking? Thinking about?"

"Curious." I said, both Hestia and I sharing a quiet laugh, "About what?"

"Um... Well..." She was sitting cross legged now. I'd have to remind Haruhime about teaching her about panties. "If Bell is a 'human', and Haruhime and Kodori are... Renard? Yes! Renard. What's a 'God'?"

I quirked a smile at Hestia, and she reached over to hug the girl, "Well, a God, or Goddess, are people who come from Tenkai. The Gods realm." She explained, not letting the girl go, though Wiene certainly didn't mind. "We came down from Tenkai, to live with the people here."

The dragon girl thought for a moment, frowning, then perked up with a new question, "But what's different?" She asked, wiggling out of Hestia's hug gently. She pointed at me, "Kodori is a girl, and a Renard. She has big ears that are soft and fluffy, and friendly tails that visit for hugs." She pointed at herself, "I'm a Vouivre. I had claws, but Mr. Welf made them friendly, and I have this on my head, and long ears, longer than an elf!" She motioned to the gem on her forehead, and wiggled her ears. "I'm also a girl... Though I'm not very big?" She poked herself in right breast, her modest bust hardly moving, "Not like you or Haruhime!" She pointed at Hestia, poking her in the right breast and making her jiggle in a godly fashion.

"Hey..." Hestia complained, hugging her breasts to protect them from a second poke.

She continued, unaware that her antics might have been embarrassing. Was three weeks too soon for 'the talk' with a young monster girl?

"Bell is a human, and kinda normal? Like , and Ouka!" She paused, "And he's a... Boy?" She poked herself again, "He doesn't have these?"

We both shook our heads at her.

"And and! Haruhime told me that dwarves are usually short but strong! And the Cat People have smaller fuzzy ears like Kodori, and thin tails that don't visit for hugs. And... Ch..."

"Chienthrope." I supplied.

"Yes! Chienthrope have doggy ears! Droopy ones, and happy tails!" I thought of Nazza, and her 'highly efficient' tail that was always on energy save mode. "But... Hestia and Takemikazuchi," I was impressed she didn't stumble at all on the war god's name, "Are 'Gods'. Goddess is girl, God is boy?" We nodded and she kept going, "But... What's different? Not humans? You both look like humans."

I could see Hestia think, her soft round face frowning for an instant, before She said, "Well... We Gods and Goddesses give a gift to the people here in this world." She looked at me, and I nodded, getting up, my tails slipping away from the two girls. Wiene watched me as I sat in 'the chair' (version 3.0) and wiggled out of my shirt. Hestia continued, "You see, we give our gift, called 'Falna' to the 'Children'."

"Children? But I thought..." Wiene sounded confused. Looking back over my shoulder, she was watching the Goddess as she opened a drawer on the lamp stand next to the bed, taking out a little silver knife. "A knife? Why..." Hestia put a finger to the girl's lips.

"Shh." Hestia said, "We call them Children, because we, the Gods, created them long long ago. To us, all of you on this world, are Children. But." She took her finger away, and touched the little knife to it, the tip becoming wet with the silver gold 'blood' the Gods had. "Shh. It only hurts a little."

Wiene settled down from what might have been another panic like she had when Lilly started to pout in the bath, and watched as Hestia touched the tip of her 'bloody' finger to my back. I must have been more worked up than I thought, because I had to bite my lip to keep quiet as her finger went down my spine.

"Our gift, to the Children we bring into our Familia, makes them into Adventurers." Hestia continued, her finger tracing a second time, completing the ritual, my back heating up pleasantly as my status was updated, the gift of her blood drawing forth the 'exillia' and writing it into my soul. "So that in turn, they can take care of Us."

"Like... Fighting monsters?" Wiene asked, as the tingling on my back eased off and I let out a sigh, "Letters? Numbers?"

"Fighting monsters isn't all adventurers do, but yes. As they learn, and grow, and gather 'exillia' or experience, the numbers get bigger. They get stronger, or faster, or smarter. They become heroes." Hestia explained, the drawer opening again, the sound of a sheet of paper following. "Not all adventurers fight. Some build. Some support the ones who do fight."

"Like Mr. Welf and Lilly?"

"Yes." I closed my eyes as the paper touched my back, another instant of heat as my status was copied onto it.

"So... All children?" Wiene asked, her voice uncertain, shy, "Even me?"

Turned away from the two of them, they didn't see me smile. I didn't even have to ask Hestia now. Glancing outside, I could make out the black owl, its dimly reflective eyes going wide. Looking back over my shoulder and taking the paper from Hestia's now frozen grasp, I turned around in 'the chair' (version 3.0) and waited.

Well, most of me waited. A couple of my tails swished over to my Goddess and settled in her lap. Wiene was visited as well, and she moved a little closer so she could hug one to her chest.

"Am I a 'Child' too?" She asked, the silence from the Goddess seeming to hurt her now.

Slowly, Hestia relaxed from her 'hand offering paper' pose, and looked to the girl. She was obviously conflicted. No matter how much Wiene was unlike a monster, she still had her origins in the dungeon. She probably didn't want to flat out say 'no', and pretty much deny all of Wiene's 'I am a person' thoughts so far. But I was sure that if she tried, and what ever happened with 'Falna' failed, it would do the same thing.

"I don't know." Hestia said finally, her gentle eyes looking at me, then to Wiene. The poor girl looked like she was about to cry now.

"Lets switch spots, Wiene." Slowly, I stood, putting my shirt back on carefully, my skin refusing to stop tingling despite the serious situation. "Here, let me help. Careful."

Obediently, Wiene slid off the bed and sat in the chair. Raising her arms above her head, I helped tug off her new bed clothes, being careful not to snag them on the sharp undersides of the scales on her shoulders.

Task done, she sat, naked. Pale blue skin, perfect limbs, long silver blue hair. So close to 'human' that in the right lighting, it would be easy to mistake her for 'normal'. But that wasn't what this was about. Her appearance wasn't about to be tested, but her soul. No matter what she thought, would the gift from the Gods stick?

"Does it hurt?" She asked me as I knelt in front of her, my hands reaching behind her head to move her silky hair. She giggled as the hair tickled her back, but looked into my eyes.

"It might itch a little." I said, "And feel a little warm. Like a hug."

"Hugs aren't supposed to itch." Wiene said with a pout.

"Well, it might." Hestia said, taking a deep breath and catching my eye from over Wiene's shoulder. Touching the knife to her finger again, she let out the breath and touched the dragon girl's back.

Having only been witness to my own gifting, and the transfer between Ares and Takemikazuchi, I wasn't sure what to expect. All I knew was that the God, or Goddess touched the person's back, as if updating someone's status.

Wiene and I were still looking into each others eyes as Hestia touched her skin. First, she squinted a little, her hands gripping the back of the chair lightly. Then, she blinked twice, and shivered a little, like someone had run a drop of cold water down her back. Over her shoulder, I could see a faint glow, a gentle white with a hint of blue, Hestia's colours, and then...

"Itchy..." Wiene said, wiggling a little.

"It..." Hestia started, blinking in surprise, "It worked... Oh... I can feel... She's with the rest of you now..." The Goddess leaned back a little, hugging herself, the smile on her face the same one she gives us when we return home from the dungeon. "Wiene... Welcome to my Familia." Excitedly, she pulled another sheet of paper from the drawer by her bed, and tapped it down on the girl's back.

Again, Wiene made a face, wiggling a little in the chair, but at the end, she let out a little sigh. "Not itchy now."

"Arms up." I said, holding her robe and putting it over her head as she raised her arms. "There, look, its all here." I said as I nudged her shoulder to turn her around.

Wilusine Level 1

Power: I 0

Endurance: I 0

Dexterity: I 0

Agility: I 0

Magic: I 0

Fast Learner

Learns at an accelerated rate

Dragon Blood

Highly resistant to elemental magic

Curse: Dragon's tear

Removal may cause irreversible transformation

Well, there it was in writing, so to speak. It certainly explained why she was picking up things so quickly. "Hm, I wonder if we should tell Bell he's a dad?" I laughed, "His name stuck." I pointed to the name, the first one Bell gave her that everyone shortened.

Wiene was looking at the paper in fascination, her lips moving slightly as she mumbled words. "It's all... At zero?"

Hestia and I shared a look and a smile, "Yes, you are a new adventurer. So long as you do good things and become stronger, those numbers will grow."

The two of them chatted, my eyes looking back out the window. There, on the branch, eyes still wide, was the owl. Looking at it, I could almost imagine it standing there in disbelief. It moved slightly, its eyes looking at me, and I winked at it.

"Kodori Kodori! What does yours say?" Wiene asked, tugging my sleeve, "You've been... Adventure...Adventuring? A long time now? Are your numbers bigger?"

I looked one last time out the window, seeing that the owl was now gone, then down to Wiene, "Well, lets see." I said, holding out the paper and taking a good look at it myself.

Kodori Level: 4

Power: G 245 F 329

Endurance: F 391 E 421

Dexterity: H 173 G 218

Agility: G 221 G 259

Magic: E 404 E 430

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats and magic resistance.

-Home of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant natural armour.

-Judgement of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant increased strength.

Boost is greater in the defence of others.

-Guardian of the Gardens: Additive spell, summons multiple manifestations

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

Titan's stance

Becomes immovable when Titan's grip is active.

Kitsune Manifestation

Grants bestial form.

Grants a boost in all stats.

May lose control.

Fire resistance

Is immune to most normal fire, and some magical fire.

Mage: E D

Crafting F E

Abnormal Resistance G F

"Wow!" Wiene held my sheet and looked it over, mumble reading some of it. Meanwhile, Hestia and I shared a look.

"You're not growing as fast?" She asked me.

"Haven't been training as hard for a little while." I shrugged, "Not really something I can control. But maybe when the pool is done, we can get back to it. I kind of miss it." I explained, not saying that now that I was level four, training with the rest of the two Familia was getting less challenging. The last time I fought two on one and hardly broke a sweat, then right after beat Bell. And it wasn't really even a close match.

"What's this?" Wiene asked, pointing to the middle, "What's a ... Kitsune?"

"Well, if Lady Hestia would hold my hand?" I said, the Goddess taking my hand as I closed my eyes and thought of small cute foxes.

* * *

Small cute foxes like the one still laying in bed exactly how I'd left her. I'd nearly embarrassed myself, and I'm almost positive Hestia noticed what was going on. But once I'd summoned a ghostly little fox for Wiene to play with, I stopped concentrating on not feeling unsatisfied. Her tiny hands playing with what amounted to a second 'me' started making my nerves twitch.

So I excused myself in a hurry, before I started making hard to explain noises, promising Wiene I'd let her play with my tails later.

That still left me with a little problem. But looking down at Haruhime as she slept, it felt like a crime against the universe to bother her.

"Don't worry. She will not wake until morning." A voice said. Cold, empty. Familiar.

Well, there goes that feeling. Turning my head towards the voice, I spotted a figure in a black robe. Inky black, with patterns that were just visible in the near darkness, the person at the balcony door held both hands out, palms upward in a show of being unarmed. Even with my ability to see in near total darkness, I couldn't make out a single thing under the figure's hood.

"And the rest of the house?" I asked quietly, my body instinctively settling into a 'ready to move' stance.

"A normal conversation will not be heard past this room." His hands, I noticed, were both gloved. The leather smooth and woven with many different patterns over the palms and fingers. "Some one said you wished to speak to the owner of a certain owl."

"Your name?" I asked, "I suppose I owe Hermes a drink." I still couldn't bring myself to relax, but it helped me focus on something other than being frustrated.

A dry, sandy chuckle, "Yes, he is wary around you, but he isn't evil. Just... has a hard time sitting still." He took a slow step forward, hands still out, and extended his left hand. "I am Fels."

Cautiously, I accepted his hand, and shook it, his fingers thin and gnarled under the glove, though his grip was firm, respectful. "Kodori. Though, you knew that." I released his hand, and sighed, "Okay, some things make a little more sense now." I said in English.

"Pardon?" He asked, backing up a half step again.

"Oh, sorry." I replied, "I said, some things make more sense now'."

"The fox is wise." He chuckled dryly, though I was suspecting he couldn't chuckle any other way. "I was tasked to watch you, on and off, ever since your arrival."

"I remember. I still have your spare cloak." I mentioned, "I'm interested in how to make something like it."

"It would be my pleasure to instruct you, but, it is my humble suggestion, that for now, you give it to your newest Familia member." He lowered his hands finally, "Are you sure you've thought this through?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, "I just did something for someone, that answered a question that some people never find the answer for."

"And what question is that?" Fels asked, the hood of the cloak tilting slightly to the side.

"Where is my place in the world?" I replied, feeling myself relax slightly as well.

"Ah, yes. And I suppose the answer for her is, 'here, next to Lady Hestia'." He clapped once, quietly, "Bravo. But, what if it hadn't worked?"

"Honestly? I'd probably still be there, comforting a crying child. She is asking all of the questions, and her mind isn't mature enough to wait for answers." I sat down at the low table, eyeing the pot of cold tea and motioning Fels to sit if he wanted.

"Being a big sister is hard, was it?" Fels replied, kneeling slowly on the cushion opposite me. "What convinced you to try?"

"She figured out on her own, that she is a 'person' and not an 'animal'." I said with a smile, pouring a cup and offering it to my guest, though he held up a hand to refuse it politely. "She recognized, on her own, that she has free will, and understands, in a limited way, that she is responsible for what she does with it."

"Ah, clever. You truly are wise beyond your years." Fels said, his raspy voice sounding pleased. "But, now what will you do?"

"One problem at a time. I WAS about to sleep on that." After taking care of something first, maybe, but I certainly didn't tell him that. "The city is not ready for this. At all." I said with a grumble, sipping the cold tea. "But, even the coldest heart can be moved by the tears of a child."

"True. This... Does complicate things. But, since you have done this thing..."

"Made a dungeon born person a Familia member." I corrected him, "Not 'done this thing'. Let's speak plainly."

"Very well. We call them, Xenos." The word translated directly into English, and my ears and tails twitched. "You know the word?"

"Ironic, you call something from underground an 'outsider'." I replied, "Though, it works."

"Yes. We call them Xenos. They are, as you've seen, born from the dungeon, living, _thinking_ monsters. Able to exercise free will, like any of us on the surface." Fels explained.

"They, means there are more. Though, I knew that already." I said, "though, they didn't exactly introduce themselves the first time."

"They thought you were one of them at first." Fels said with a chuckle, "Feral, wounded, wearing bits of armour, mad with rage, bestial."

"I... Did just murder someone. Though, I had to give up my 'reason' to do it. My memory of that is still in bits, and not something I try to think about." I said, suddenly wishing for something stronger than cold tea. "I don't blame them for thinking that at all."

"They asked me what they should do with you, once your rage had run its course, and you went into mind down." Fels continued, nodding, "So, I suggested they tend your wounds as quietly as possible, and leave you on the eighteenth floor, where you could find your way back on your own."

"And they didn't give me a mind potion, keeping me dull witted while I recovered." I thought out loud. "Clever." I said with a little smile.

"They also decided to test you." His hand retreated into the sleeve of his robe, and returned a moment later with Chime sitting in his palm. The micro-bunny did her usual 'rub face into hand' thing, showing me Fels had her approval. "They didn't want to risk one of their own, especially on a fully awake adventurer. But I told them you were a good person, if a little violent at times."

"After Chime let on that she was much smarter than just any little critter, I kind of guessed that after Bell met another down on the nineteenth floor." I said, holding out my hand and accepting Chime, receiving the same greeting she gave Fels. "Yes, you are the best little critter." I said, putting down my tea cup and petting the soft fur.

Again, Fels chuckled, "I suspect now, they may want to meet you. Though, they may try and test you."

"Bad idea." I said flatly. "I suspect this test would be along the lines of 'pleased to meet you, pleased to beat you?"

"How do you keep ahead like that?" He asked.

"Back home, I read a lot of stories. To earn the respect of the strong, you must prove your strength. I am guessing there aren't enough of them, the Xenos, to have any real 'culture' so they would be 'feudal' in society." I couldn't tell him I played Civilization a LOT when I was younger. "To help with Wiene's... That's her name, if you didn't know," Fels nodded, "To help with her acceptance, and some very difficult thinking for some of us, I've made it plain 'IF it attacks you, you kill it'."

"Harsh, but practical." Fels responded, "I will warn them not to do that, when I hear from them again."

I nodded, grumbling, "I don't want to sound thoughtless..."

"From what I've seen, you are anything but thoughtless."

"Thank you, but, I feel I have to make that last point clear. These are young adults, who have grown up 'knowing' that monsters are bad. That they are the 'eternal enemy' of 'people'. I had to give them some sort of... reason? No..." I messed up my own hair in frustration.

"Justice. Then, justify. Then, justification." Fels said clearly.

"Yes! That. Thank you. I had to give them a way to justify working in the dungeon. I couldn't just erase a life time of 'truth'. And I had to give them some kind of anchor going forward." I smoothed out my hair again, noting I might need to trim it soon.

"How old are you?"

The suddenness of the question made me crush the empty stone teacup that was still in my hand. "Damn..." I muttered, "I suppose I'd be... thirty nine now? I never did bother learning the calendar." I didn't even bother covering it up. "You've probably guessed, this isn't my first body."

He was about to ask something else, that hissing intake of breath that sounded like sand over tile, but I held up a hand, "That's as much as even my Goddess knows."

"Forgive me for asking a lady her age." He said, relenting.

"Forgiven." I replied with a smile, "You've filled in quite a few bits of the puzzle. But, what now?"

"That... Is a difficult question. Hermes has made you aware of our... Other problems?"

"Some. The smuggling in particular. I've been working on that." I looked down at the table, dusting off the bits of paper that were still there. "Here." I pushed the ones with addresses on them over to him, "As a show of good faith."

A pen appeared in his left hand, and leather bound book in his right. Both of them seeming to pop out of the sleeves of his cloak. Quickly, he wrote them down, the objects vanishing again. "My thanks. I suggest, strongly." He chuckled, "I would never tell some one like you what to do," This time I chuckled, "That you occupy yourself with something that isn't this." He made an encompassing gesture, "For a couple of days. Maybe a week. A more formal meeting may happen soon, just as a warning."

"Formal? With who?" I asked, watching as Fels stood fluidly, his body creaking slightly.

"Ouranos, my God." He replied.

My eyes going wide in surprise, I grinned, "You've just made me a happy fox." One more bit of the puzzle in my mind clicked into place. "Travel safely. It's not safe at night."

"The fox is wise. Good night." And he was gone, walking a single step past the balcony door, and vanishing as if the wind had blown him away like smoke.

The sounds I hadn't realized were missing returned again.. The quiet sound of insects, distant noises of the 'night life' in the city, the quiet breathing of Haruhime as she hugged my pillow. I stood and closed the balcony door quietly, the latch making a distinct 'click' as it closed.

"ko-san..."

"yes?"

"cold... come to bed."

"as you wish, my love."

"your feet are cold."

"sorry."

"something wrong?" She asked as she curled against my chest, one of her ears pressed between my breasts the soft fur tickling a little.

"just a little excited." I replied, hugging her close, my tails sweeping around, pulling up the blankets and then wrapping around her back.

"still? can't have that..."

"you sure?" I'd almost forgotten 'that' excitement with a bunch of things suddenly making sense.

"nom." was her reply.

* * *

"Today!" I said to the gathered Familia, with Wiene standing in front of me, wearing the inky black robe that seemed to fit her perfectly, and didn't even catch on her scales. I had both hands on her shoulders, while she held one of my tails with a ghostly fox peeking out of the poofy fur. Hestia was behind me, and with one last look to her, the Goddess nodding, I said, "We welcome Wiene, to the Hestia Familia."

The dragon girl had the presence of mind to let go of my tail, look up at them all, and wave, saying, as Haruhime taught her, "Pleased to meet you, please look out for me. I look forward to working with you all." Followed by a bow.

Her voice, and slight form, not to mention adorable face and mannerisms, almost weaponized the 'classroom greeting'. A mix of shocks to the brain and heart had stunned most of the Takemikazuchi Familia. Welf replied with a quiet 'sure thing tiny'. Lilly gave me a sharp look, but I nodded to her, smiling a smile she'd called 'knowing' more than once. Bell looked amazed, and quite happy, while Marius just... rubbed his scalp with a sigh.

"Now." I said at normal volume, trusting their adventurer status to let them hear me while I tried to keep from anyone who might be listening from the street. "It's official here, but not out there. And, I have it on good authority we should stay in for a couple of days." I held up a hand, "At tonight's meeting." I told them, most of them recovered from Wiene's adorable introduction. "So, we have some yard work to do, and I don't think we've really cleaned out the place since we moved in."

"I will work with the children, for the inside." Takemikazuchi said with his usual calm smile.

"Many thanks, Lord Takemikazuchi." I said to him, "Though, its also been a while since our morning exercises. Let's give our newest member a gentle introduction to how we train." I met eyes with Haruhime, still looking a little sleepy eyed, though it really was her fault. "She can work with you?"

"Yes. I'd like that." Haruhime nodded.

I whispered down to Wiene, "You'll learn something new today, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled up at me.

* * *

Digging a pool sized pit is simple work. A lot of work, but simple. Breaking ground, finding a place to put the excavated dirt and the odd stone, then breaking for lunch. With a collection of hard working level two adventurers, Bell at three, and myself at four, we were close to the depth I wanted by lunch. Wiene, Lilly and Haruhime helped as well, writing things down, taking measurements, helping Welf design the water shed and change rooms.

It was also the first time I could ever remember digging a pit and not having my back ache.

We called it quits by a vote after lunch, splitting up and helping clean out the main house. Takemikazuchi and the orphans had done a wonderful job of cleaning up the common areas, but we each had our own rooms, and places the children couldn't reach. Not to mention the dangerous places, like our furnace room, water tanks, and all those things you would expect in a modern home.

Another point for who ever Apollo commissioned to build the place. The utility rooms were spacious, easy to clean, and simple. Everything that might break had simple instructions near it on how to either fix it or turn it off until a professional could look at it. It was yet another small 'modern' thing that felt out of place in this city. Kind of like me.

But clean it all we did, and as the sunset was starting, we had finished bagging the garbage and had set it just outside the gates for the garbage waggons to collect.

"Phew." I mumbled to myself, scrubbing my forearm across my face to clear up a little sweat. I was looking out over the yard, the orchard and freshly dug pit off near the corner, our training field near that, and the 'kids play area' next to that, closer to the main gate. It was nice to finally do something that wasn't worrying about the dungeon, coming home alive, or hiding a dragon girl in a city that hated monsters.

"Miss Kodori." Bell said from behind me, "There you are big sister."

I didn't bother looking behind me, the thin sandals I was wearing letting me feel his footsteps as he got closer. As he got into range of my tails, a couple of them decided to visit him, brushing against his arm and shoulder as he came to stand beside me.

"Bell." I greeted, "Good work today." I looked sideways at him, extending my arm and holding out my fist.

He grinned back at me, tapping my knuckles with his own, "I've been thinking." He started, making me worry. Bell was about as 'straight line to the goal' as a person could get. He was a good kid, but 'stopping to think' wasn't something he did a lot of the time. Don't get me wrong, he was never 'thoughtless', but under a lot of circumstances, he wasn't very 'thoughtful'.

I took a guess at what he was thinking, "About Wiene?"

"Her too." He said, scratching the back of his head. "But this." He put both hands on the marble rail of the balcony, freshly scrubbed to a polished white. "I wonder how things would have turned out if you hadn't joined Lady Hestia and me."

I shook my head, giving him a light punch to the shoulder, "Well... I might have kept working at the Hostess. For a while at least. Maybe another Familia would have scouted me. But, then I wouldn't have met Haruhime, or you, or Lilly, or this or that or all the things we've done." I rambled, a little sarcastically, "I think the same some times."

"Really?" He asked, looking at me, "You... Seem so confident all the time, it's hard to think of."

"Sure. Without that one chance meeting, a lot of this would be different. But, there's a saying, from where I'm from. 'Don't borrow trouble'." He looked puzzled, so I continued, "Getting caught up in 'what if's is a terrible thing. What if I never met Lilly. What if Hermes didn't tell us about Haruhime. What if we lost the war game." I sighed, "If you are thinking like that all the time, you start to lose sight of your goals."

"I think I get it..." Bell said, scratching his chin.

"Here's one. What if you didn't find Wiene." I held up a hand as my words almost seemed to punch the boy, "Exactly, see? Don't think 'what if' think 'what now'?"

He laughed a little, looking back over the yard, "Did I do the right thing? Bringing her here?"

"Trying to save a person is almost never a bad thing." I replied moving a little closer to him and putting an arm over his shoulders.

He gave my hand a pat absentmindedly, "So, what now?" We shared a chuckle, "She's part of the Familia. I think everyone likes her here... Maybe Lilly still has some reservations?"

"She is one of the rare people who can ask both questions at once." I said, "I know she's okay with her, but not what might happen." I wondered if Chess was a thing in this world... Lilly had the mentality to be really good at it.

"But, what now? We can keep doing odd jobs, and pay rent. But is that all? Do we bring her with us into the dungeon too? I kind of... Don't want her to..."

I gave his shoulder a squeeze and let my arm drop, "Just because she's an adventurer, doesn't mean she needs to kill monsters. She also has the mind of maybe an eight year old. Not exactly a good time to go into the dungeon."

"Yeah... I guess not... But..." Bell sighed.

"Well, if you want my suggestion..."

"Yes please?"

"Think about her 'age'. What were you doing at that age? Say between six and twelve."

Bell thought about it a moment, "Well... Aside from playing outside in the village I grew up in... Learning. Grandpa taught me all kinds of things, and read me all sorts of stories."

"So, why not try and get her to learn? Ask Lord Takemikazuchi if she can attend the classes the orphans take. Or maybe ask Eina, or maybe someone at I AM GANESHA. I did see a school near there, run by them." I chuckled, "You might have to convince her to sit still for long enough, but..."

"She does have a lot of energy..." Bell admitted.

"Oh... Not sure if Lady Hestia told you. The status on her back says Wilusine." I grinned as that sunk in, "So, just as I taught her, you are responsible for everything you do. You saved her, you named her, so now, Papa Bell, you get to look out for her future."

For once, when faced with an embarrassing situation involving a girl, Bell didn't turn into a stuttering idiot. Instead, he looked over at me, face serious, "Yes. I suppose I did. What sort of hero would I be, if I left the job half done?" He smiled at me, "Thanks big sister."

"No problem, little brother." We tapped knuckles again, "Now go give her a hug. She's been very patient."

Now he turned into a stuttering idiot, as he looked back over his shoulder, towards the balcony door, Wiene peeking out from behind the curtain, listening in on our talk.

* * *

Notes.

Phew. A lot of talking in this one. But, I hope that you and Kodori both have that sense of 'puzzle pieces fitting together'.

I know some of you are looking forward to some action, and it wont be long now. :) See you in five days.

Oh yeah. If you didn't quit reading half way, (you know who you are, Guest), I'd like to comment on your comments, but I can't unless you have an account on the site. Just saying. :)


	47. Chapter 47

Before I start: I can't reply to reviews unless you have a fanfiction account. Just saying. :)

Chapter 46

"PWAH!" I said, raising my face from the plaster I had mixed up.

"AHH!" Some one said in front of me. Sounded female. But my eyes were closed so I didn't get plaster in them.

"Hold on..." I mumbled patting the table for the cloth I had put down a moment before. Finding it, and scrubbing my face, I carefully cracked open an eye to spot Chigusa, still looking slightly horrified. "You look like you've seen a ghost." I joked.

"I was coming to find you, Kodori-dono... Then you raised your face and it was covered in white." She said quietly, settling down and petting one of my tails as it got within reach of her, but not actually touching her.

"Oh... Well here." I motioned her over, another one of my tails visiting to guide her around the table. "I'm going to make a mask for myself. So I mixed up this stuff here." I motioned to the small box I had hammered together and filled with plaster, "The powder I put on my face stops it from sticking to my skin."

"Oh..." She wasn't one to come into the workshop often, only when she had something to do there. She was certainly a 'train, read, relax' person. Very defined comfort zones for relaxing. "You've been here since sun down, and we are wondering if you're skipping dinner."

I looked out the nearest window of the workshop, and did a double take. The moon was out, and now that I wasn't so focused on the current project, I could hear the odd night time noises. "Well, isn't my face red." I said with a chuckle, "This needs time to set anyhow." I stood up, Chigusa backing up a half step as if the action needed more space or something, though she still held one of my tails.

"Um..." She started, as I fell into step beside her. "Why are you making a mask?"

"Hm? Oh, suggestion from a friend." I said, "Would you like one too? I wouldn't mind mixing up a little more of that stuff. Simple really. Like clay."

"I would like that." She said, "Um... I was also wondering..." I waited, and motioned with my hand to encourage her to go on, "Marius-san has been teaching me to use my shield properly. But it's the wrong size for me"

"Aha, no problem. I'll put it on the list and Welf and I will make one just right for you. We're out of drake scale though."

Now she broke, stuttering, "T-that's f-f-fine... Y-ou..." I put a hand on her shoulder, and she calmed down, "You don't need to make it fancy..."

"No, but I do need to make it properly. When it comes to staying safe, never think a request is too much work. Nearly losing Asuka scared the stuffing out of me. We'll get it started tomorrow. Who's turn was it to cook tonight?"

"Lady Hestia." She said, the tension in her shoulder relaxing a little. Poor girl was so shy. "Bell-san is helping."

"Excellent."

* * *

"Lilly still thinks this is bad." Our supporter mumbled at the meeting after dinner.

"Sorry..." Wiene said.

Lilly sighed like an old lady, but said, "Lilly is just saying. Wiene isn't at fault."

"Thank you." She was still pouting, but at least not looking like a sad puppy.

"Thank you Lilly." I said, "Anyhow... Let me tell you about what happened..."

So I told them. Repeating almost word for word the conversation Fels and I had. By now, everyone was used to waiting their turn to ask questions. I left out the part about the mask, Haruhime the only other who knew about 'who' told me about it. And my age. I just didn't want to open that can of worms... Like ever.

"There are more like me?" Wiene asked.

"It seems so. Fels made it sound like there were more than a few." I said with a smile, "We might be going to meet them... Don't know when, but..."

"Say we do meet them, all formal and stuff." Welf started, "No insult to our newest, but would they be trustworthy?"

"I always suspected you were special." Hestia mumbled next to me, holding Chime up to her face and touching noses.

"Well... That's the tricky bit. They aren't just going to trust us right from the start. I wouldn't trust us right from the start if we just suddenly showed up. They are from the dungeon. We," I made a gesture to all of us, "Go into the dungeon to hunt monsters. A history of violence is hard to forget."

Many nods from the room. "We almost didn't even try to get to know Wiene-chan." Mikoto admitted, frowning.

Takemikazuchi, our expert on violence, added, "History is a tricky thing. The books tell the tale for those who weren't there. But often, there is much left out. History..."

"Is written by the winner." Marius said grimly, "An all too familiar line in Rakia."

"Then, we write our own history." Bell said, face serious, red eyes clear, "And leave nothing out. If we can't make peace, no one wins." He said.

I blinked, as the others in the room thought about his words. Pretty profound, and recklessly bold thinking. Just like him. "Well said. But, I think we should play it safe for now. Fels," It was here I tried to mimic his voice, that sand over tile sound, "Suggested, strongly, we occupy ourselves with something other than this. For a few days, maybe a week." I coughed quietly into my hand, my throat just unable to do his voice justice, though I did get a few chuckles from the room.

"Well, we do have a pool to build." Asuka said, "And shopping..."

"Lilly knows a place for swimsuits!" Surprising no one.

"I wonder if they have something my size..." Hestia asked, looking down, where Chime was resting on her cleavage. "How did you get there?"

"ahem." I looked around, "Bell, I think you still have to talk to Lord Takemikazuchi. But anything else?"

"Oh right, yes." Bell said, looking across to where the war god was sitting.

People shook their heads, and I nodded, "Right. Training in the morning, so don't stay up too late."

* * *

The next two days were pretty normal. I mean, relatively speaking. None of us went to the dungeon. No one left the property. We all stayed in, and took care of our home. To anyone who might have passed by, or chanced a look over the wall, we were busy building a new structure on the property. Perfectly normal.

Unless you did a head count. We still hadn't talked to the Guild about Wiene, but I suspected that would have shattered the 'low profile' we were trying to keep. By the start of the third day, we had polished all the stone, I'd cooked up a huge amount of 'stone glue' as per Nazza's instructions, and Welf had put together a small crane to lower the slabs into the pit we had dug, smoothed, and flattened for the pool.

I had just applied the glue to the slabs we had set for the bottom, when one of the orphans called from the edge of the work site. Good kids all, they actually listened when we said 'it's dangerous so don't get closer than that.

"A visitor?" Bell asked.

Not wanting to potentially mess up the perfectly level stone, I climbed out of the pit with a ladder we had hanging from the crane instead of jumping. "Who is it?"

"An elf! She's very pretty. Green cloak." He paused, "Name... ummm... Lyu? Ryuu! Yeah!"

"Oh." I smiled, "Okay, I'll go get her. I think we're done for the day while that stuff sets." I said, "Clean up for lunch everyone, good work!"

A bunch of tired, but satisfied 'yay's.

Bell followed me to the gate, looking up at me, "I wonder why she's visiting?"

"I asked her to." I replied, "She knows."

Bell gave me a wide eyed look, but settled, nodding, "She is a good person. I trust her too." He answered.

"Good. Go clean up, ask Haruhime to get some tea ready. We'll be in soon."

"Okay." He turned and trotted off, Ryuu looking a little puzzled as she stood at the gate. Crossing the remaining few paces, I unlatched the gate and opened it. "Sister." I greeted, offering my hands.

Clasping my forearms, she replied with a smile, "Sister."

"Come in. We can chat inside." I let her arms go and turned, latching the gate again and waiting until Ryuu fell into step beside me. I noticed she was armed, her smooth pale wood sword at her hip. "Expecting trouble?"

"Here? No." She replied with one of her little smiles, "But, there are more and more rumours about now. The patrons at the Hostess are reporting strange, and dangerous things going on."

"We can talk over tea then." I put my hand on the handle of the main door, "Would you like to meet her, as well?"

"Yes. I admit, I am... Very curious."

"She is very excitable." I said with a chuckle, stepping inside, motioning to the shoe rack and a pair of house slippers. "It's... Your first time here since we moved in, isn't it..."

"Mia only allows my days off, because I almost never take them." She replied, slipping out of her boots, the sturdy Hostess uniform foot wear that I wish I had more pairs of.

"We both know she'd let any of you take a day off if you needed it. She has the second biggest heart of anyone I've ever met." I smiled, putting on my own house slippers.

"Oh? Who is the first?" Ryuu asked, following me again as I led her to the dining room.

Without answering, I took a sudden half step to the side, waving to Hestia, and Wiene who was hiding behind her, her golden reptile eyes bright, even in the full glow of the magic stone lighting.

"A silly question." Ryuu mumbled to me, bowing, "Lady Hestia, good afternoon."

"Hello Ryuu." Hestia said brightly, waving and stepping closer, Wiene still trying to hide behind her. "Wiene... This is Ryuu. She is a guest, and a friend to our Familia."

Ryuu didn't miss the 'our' in that sentence, her eyes widening slightly. "Now what do you say?" Hestia encouraged the dragon girl.

"Um..." Seeming to have to pry herself away from the protection of our Goddess's back, Wiene stepped out from behind Her, and bowed, her black robe moving soundlessly, "Hello Miss Ryuu. Welcome to the Hearth Mansion." Still bowed, she awkwardly stuck out a hand for Ryuu to shake.

Ryuu didn't hesitate at all, and lightly took the girl's hand, "When you shake a person's hand, or bow, you should look at them." She said quietly.

"Oh! Sorry... Um... Pleased to meet you. My name is Wiene." Standing up and looking at Ryuu properly, she shook her hand and let go. Then, unable to contain herself any longer, she looked sideways to Hestia and practically bubbled, "Did I do it right? Just like you showed me?"

"You still need practise." Hestia said, giving the girl a pat on the head, "But it was a good first try."

"Yay!" Wiene exclaimed, looking back to Ryuu, "Are you an elf? Haruhime told me about elves, and dwarves, and humans and all kinds of people!"

Smiling, Ryuu nodded, "Yes, I am an elf." She looked at me, her eyes smiling, then back to Wiene, "Let's have tea, and talk. I am very curious about you."

"Oooo tea!"

* * *

The two of them talked for almost an hour. Well, for the most part, Wiene talked, and Ryuu just listened, occasionally asking a question to encourage more out of the girl. I watched, also mostly silent, smiling as my oldest, and newest friends got to know each other. Finally, Ryuu asked her last question.

"Wiene, have you ever fought adventurers before?"

The question surprised the rest of us. Asuka and Haruhime had joined to listen in at some point, and Ouka too. And for the first time, Wiene was silent. Not just 'quiet' but 'holding breath body still frozen in place' silent.

Finally, "I... Don't know." She said quietly, "Sometimes... I have these dreams. They feel real, but..."

Ryuu reached across the table and put her hand on Wiene's. "Please, continue."

"I... I'm... Bigger." She held out a hand, her nails still perfectly smooth and pink, "I had long nails, and my voice was bigger. I was angry. There's fire. And bl..blood. People, they gather and attack me. I fight back. Some times, they run, others, more come, to pick up the ones who fall." She had started to curl in on herself in the chair, her hand still under Ryuu's but her free one hugging herself, "There is blood... It never stops... I want to move, but I can't. I want to see more. Of people, working together." She had tears in her eyes now, though she made no move to wipe them away, "It's so... Beautiful, how they work and help... And I feel... like I want it too... But then, my body..."

"It's okay." Ryuu said, putting her other hand with Wiene's, "It's just a dream."

Hestia stood and gathered the crying girl up in her arms, while the rest of us sort of... blinked. It was obvious none of us, except maybe Hestia had heard this before, but it raised some interesting questions for me. I filed the thoughts away and one of my tails lightly swept across Ryuu's back.

"Convinced?" I asked quietly.

"Yes." Ryuu replied, her eyes looking a little misty as well. She blinked to clear them and looked at me, "If you need my help, with anything, please let me know."

"Thank you, sister." I said, the two of us standing and holding each others forearms.

"Always, sister." She replied, before looking at those of us gathered at the table, "I should be getting back. I'll probably have dish duty for taking time off today."

Ouka, Asuka and Haruhime waved and said goodbye, as did Hestia, but Wiene, still sniffling a little, asked, "Miss Ryuu? Can I have a hug?"

"Yes you may." She replied.

As I walked with her to the gate, the both of us smiling slightly, I asked, "Do you think the others would handle this as well?"

"Possibly. But for now, the fewer who know... As close knit as we are..."

"We do like to gossip..." I said with a sigh.

"Take care of her. She seems... So bright." Ryuu said stepping through the outer gate and turning as it closed behind her. "Be well."

"Stay safe."

* * *

"Lilly thinks it looks scary."

"It matches your armour nicely though." Welf chimed in, "And I will never get used to you just... Putting your hand into the forge like that."

"Just be sure to use that hand cream after Ko-san."

"Anything for you, love." I replied, bringing the white hot metal out of the fire and using both hands and my adventurer strength as well as my own magic to move the metal around. "Lilly? Almost done?"

"Lilly would like to say no... But yes." Lilly stopped brushing Haruhime's tale and rubbed it against her cheek, "Miss Kodori's tails are friendly, but Haruharu's tail is softer."

We chuckled, "Well, maybe when Ha-chan levels up, her tail will get longer too? Or maybe she'll grow a second one." I grinned, holding the partially formed mask up and hm'ing at it, before putting it back in the furnace. "Though I wonder what she'd look like with a black tail?"

Haruhime gasped, looking at me in shock, "Ko-san! I'd never steal one of your tails." Her tail had started swishing angrily back and forth, escaping Lilly's light grip and floofing out.

Blinking at her, my eyes widened, "You mean... Wait, that's... I thought that was just a myth."

"It might be, but it's just not talked about... Some of the old stories in my family talked about when Renard hunted other Renard, stealing their tails for power." Haruhime explained, settling down. Lilly took hold of the now floof'ed tail with a quiet 'yay' and went back to brushing it.

"I got that silver up to temperature sister." Welf said.

"Oh, excellent. Umm, Lilly?"

"Does Lilly have to stop brushing?"

"Just long enough to clean the brush and put the fur into the pot there. As much as you can." I replied, "Then, if you want, and Ha-chan doesn't mind."

"She's almost as good as you are, Ko-san." Haruhime replied with a blush I could only just make out over the reddish lighting in the room.

"I could leave the room if you wanted, "Welf chuckled, "I mean, I'm all for hearing girl talk..."

Now I was sure she was blushing, Lilly too as she picked up the double meaning.

"Now now... If you do that, I'll never get this done. And I'll have complaints about my hands being all rough again."

At this point, Haruhime was holding both sides of her face and Lilly was starting to try and stutter something in her defence.

"Okay okay I'll stop..." I laughed, picking up the once again white hot mask and forming it with my hands.

* * *

I didn't have a clue as to why Cassandra's picture had gold eyes. But the line of text was clear. What use was a mask that blocked the only way to see though? Were the eyes supposed to be enchanted? As I worked into the night, Haruhime and Lilly having left already, I cleared my mind and focused on trying to enchant the mask itself.

Before leaving, Welf was kind enough to do the mixing on the silver and golden fox hair metal in the little crucible, and we shared a fist bump as he excused himself to round off his night with a drink.

I could feel the metal almost hum under my fingertips as I hammered the final shape into it. As Asfi taught me, I cleared my mind and tried to add 'intent' to my work, shaping the magic inside the metal as I shaped the actual metal to fit it. I wanted the mask to protect my face, obviously. 'Ko-steel' wasn't as hard as it could be, being only an alloy of my fur and base iron. Not wanting to have a massive weight on the front of my face, the metal was fairly thin, and I'd stretched the metal to protect around the top of my head, around to the back, but not my ears, leaving space for them to move about on top of my head. I figured, if I were to wear my coat, with its hood up, I'd have the muffles inside the hood to protect my ears from those stupid bats.

Protection. That was an easy thought to hold while I tapped lightly with the chisel and jeweller's hammer. Maybe an intimidating aura to match my coat? And a way to keep the mask steady on my face, so I wouldn't have to worry about it moving about while I fought at high speed?

Next were the eyes themselves. I'd filed the sockets for them in the mask perfectly smooth, with a slight angle so that when I set them, they would 'pop' into the sockets, requiring a perfect strike to the eye to knock them loose again. I poured the golden silver metal into the mold I'd made, and cast them, touching the molten metal with my fingertips and thinking of glass, clarity, and how much Haruhime let me keep a clear mind under the stress of leadership. As the metal for the eyes cooled, I dipped my fingertips in sand and polished them mirror smooth inside and out as quickly as I could.

Then, with a little push, I socketed the eyes into the mask with a firm sounding 'click'.

As Asfi instructed, I 'anchored' the enchantments to the final product. As I polished the black metal, again by hand with nothing but sand and my fingers, I put a little more effort into certain points.

If I wanted the mask to protect me, I would need to sense the danger. So my sanding left slightly deeper marks along the cheeks for the fox's whiskers, a slightly rougher nose for its sense of smell.

If I wanted to project a fearsome aura, the face needed to hold a certain aggressiveness. Using a metal stain, mixed with a few drops of my own blood, I added crimson eyebrows over the reflective gold eyes. Under the point of the nose, around the thin slit for the mouth, I chiseled in two small fangs, using the same stain to make them blood red.

To hold steady to my face, to stay where I needed it to, I used the last of the golden silver on the inside of the mask, along the contours I'd made using the plaster cast I had made earlier. Dipping my fingers into the molten metal and spreading it like paint on the inside, I thought of everything Haruhime had done for me and my friends since I'd met her.

And it was done. The inside of the mask almost looked like a mirror image of the outside. With the gold and black of my face on the inside, and the black and crimson on the outside. Truly, it was a work of art. And I could even feel the magic humming under the surface of the metal.

So I put it on.

And it was pitch black.

I was hoping my work could have made the 'eyes' clear, but it hadn't. However, my sense of smell became so acute I could tell that Welf hadn't had a bath in a couple of days. And he'd left the room... How long ago? I needed a bath too, but Lilly had one earlier, with Haruhime. Probably right after dinner, and they'd used the shampoo I'd made.

And I could feel the air currents in the workshop. The heat of the banked fire pushing out warm air, the cool night draft along the floor, I felt every air current in the room moving. Even as I took in and let out my breath, I could sense it with my mind until it had mixed with the rest of the air around me.

Standing slowly, I did a few simple head motions, speeding up a little as if looking around quickly to asses a room. The mask stayed on steady, and didn't make my face uncomfortable at all.

Three out of five. I wasn't about to smash my face against a wall to test its protection. And I couldn't see. But Cassandra's picture had been specific. And even if no one else took stock in her prophesy, she had WRITTEN that line. In a language she, and not a single person in the city, even knew. Other than myself that is.

So, I took off the mask, and set it down on the table, looking at it one last time, the early morning light almost being absorbed by the dark metal.

Early morning?

"Crap." I mumbled.

* * *

Haruhime and I were getting ready for our morning sparring, the two of us sitting, facing each other, legs apart with a foot on the other's ankle. The rest of the two Familia were paired off and doing the same, more or less.

"Ko-san looks sleepy." Haruhime teased me.

"I finished the mask." I mumbled back to her, lightly gripping her forearms and pulling her so she could stretch just a little further, "Sleep okay?"

"Wiene asked for a story, and she fell asleep in your spot." She giggled as I raised an eyebrow at her, my opposite leaning back and pulling me forward to help me stretch. "She isn't as warm as you, but is even more cuddly."

"To be expected. Well, sort of. You'd never know she is a dragon unless someone told you." I chuckled, standing and helping her stand as well.

"Ah, Kodori-san." Takemikazuchi said from behind me, "Good morning to you."

Turning, I saw the soft spoken war god and Wiene, as well as a small collection of sleepy eyed orphans. "Bell-kun spoke with me and yes, I think it's a good idea for Wiene to join in my classes for the children."

"Good that you are willing to teach her." I said, bowing, "But?"

He smiled slightly, "But, she needs her own supplies. I haven't had a new student in a while, so I have no spare materials for her. And, while looking for some last night, I made a list of other 'scholarly' materials we are very short on."

He handed me a bit of paper, that looked like it was re-used from a shopping list that had been in someone's pocket for a while. Wow... If He had to recycle that scrap of paper, He was either REALLY frugal, or we really did need more office supplies.

But, to go out now? Or make do? We were told to stay in, and though I'd really only just met him, I did want to listen to Fels's advice. But, education was important...

"Sure, a quick shopping trip shouldn't be too much to ask." I put the list in my own pocket and gave the God a fist in palm salute, "After morning practice."

"The fox is diligent." He replied, leading the orphans away, Wiene included. "Now, let's start with something simple today, shall we? Haru-chan?"

"Yes Lord Takemikazuchi." I gave her a pat on the back as she went to follow, earning myself a smile.

* * *

"So, You guys can get along without me for an hour or two?" I asked as we assembled around the pool work site. "For the sake of learning, and maybe making sure we don't go hungry in the next day or two..." This got a few chuckles, being an adventurer took fuel. And that meant food, and lots of it.

"Lilly will carry all the things!" Our supporter volunteered.

"Already, I am out of a job." Marius lamented, in his always serious voice.

"Sure sister. I got the plans, the stone glue doesn't need any skill now that you've mixed it... We might even get the water shed and change rooms built today." Welf said with his usual confidence.

"Good. Back soon then."

* * *

"Miss Kodori looks sleepy." Lilly commented, shifting her 'shopping' back pack on her shoulders. A half sized version of her massive adventurer one.

I, being mildly paranoid and really liking the feel of it, was wearing my full set of armour. Lilly was only wearing her usual white robe, but I didn't know if she was armed. To be fair, it was only shopping.

"Miss Kodori IS sleepy." I yawned, covering my mouth, "Enchanting needs a lot of focus. And I couldn't bring myself to put it down until it was done."

"Lilly wants to see it later." She said with a smile, "So, what's first?"

It didn't take long to find the things we needed. Having scouted all of the places during the war game, Lilly and I knew exactly where the shops we needed were. Paper was just off the main market street, needing a little more space than a small shop front for actually making it. Ink and quills, as well as primitive pencils were next to it, the shop owner seeing a perfect place to set up. We didn't really need food in bulk, but we did need fresh vegetables and eggs. We had milk delivered, so that wasn't a problem. But we were running out of tea and the like as well. At least, it tasted like we were... Haruhime could only do so much with poor tea leaves, even if her skill was incredible.

"Lilly... Did you bring your crossbow?" I'd expected we'd be followed. Though it took until now for me to sense them.

"No... Mr. Welf needs to take a look at it." Lilly replied a little guiltily, "Lilly forgot to mention it."

"No worries..." I twitched my ears, listening to the quiet footsteps behind and to the right, 'tap tap'ing along the rooftops. "Short, woman, sounds like a robe..."

"Lilly thinks that's the one who followed me." She looked up at me, only enough to meet my eyes, "If it's a red robe, and a Chienthrope."

"Okay, back soon." I said with a wink, warming up my magic and taking a deep breath.

I planted my lead foot firmly, then slammed my back foot down beside it, propelling myself into the air. Wind whistling past my ears, I whipped through the air like an arrow my hand tapping the wall for an instant of grip, my feet touching down on the rooftop a half second later.

A half second after that, before the red robed figure could say 'holy crap' I'd pushed off again. She'd fallen back a half step, tripped over her own feet, and I helped her down by grabbing a fist full of her robe and pinning her to the rooftop, my other fist drawn back.

"Why are you following us?" I asked, perfectly calm, but feeling my eyes and cheeks draw back angrily.

She really was a Chienthrope. Her dog ears sprouting from the sides of her head doing their best to be perky with surprise, the girl's nut brown face and brown eyes twisted in surprise, and focused on the fist I had drawn back. I had every advantage and she knew it. "Wait wait wait!" She said quickly, not moving her hands, though she shook her head a couple of times, "I'm with Hermes Familia!"

Still holding a fistful of her clothes, I unclenched my first and did a quick ruffle under her robe. Red vest, a couple of small daggers, black shirt underneath, and there, on the back of her red vest was a small stitched emblem of the Hermes Familia, a hat with wings. "Fine." I said, letting her go and standing up, "Now an..."

"KODORI!" Lilly screamed from street level.

"That's why I'm following you." She answered as I looked over the edge of the roof top. Spotting Lilly was easy enough, but next to her were two tall women. Dressed in red, reminding me of the Amazons who captured me for Ishtar, they had swords drawn and were slowly approaching Lilly.

"Help or get help then." I said, hopping over the edge of the roof and pushing off as hard as I could, my magic feeling like an igniting star inside my chest as I saw one of them raise her sword. "UP HERE BITCH!" I screamed at them.

She was smiling, even as she tried to cut me out of the air, missing, and my armoured fist slammed into her jaw with a terrific spray of blood and teeth. The second Amazon, I noticed as she turned to bring her sword to bear, had a scar that looked like a bite mark just visible under the red leather armour she was wearing. Unarmed, Lilly backed away and cleared out as the Amazon and I traded attacks. She was good, but I was better and she knew it.

"I won't let you catch me again, dog!" She yelled, using all of her strength to push me back, then shoulder checking her way through a wooden door.

"Get help! I got this!" I yelled over my shoulder and dashed after her.

* * *

Through a mostly empty warehouse, out a back window, through another shattered door, past a surprised couple, through another door, up to the rooftops, across three narrow alleyways, back to the streets and through an open iron bound door. She was fast! Even if she were level four like me, I was burning with my magic, making me as fast, or faster, than Bell.

But I only ever seemed to see a splash of red, before needing to make another turn or pass through another door. I was just starting to get frustrated, when that iron bound door shut behind me, and someone threw a thick wire net over me.

Unable to stop myself from getting tangled, I stumbled, fell, rolled, and managed to get both feet under me. And though I'd managed to tear some of the net, my tails, one arm, and one of my legs were hopelessly tangled. Without a knife, that someone else was using, or more time than I wanted to spend simply pulling it apart and unravelling it, I wasn't going very far.

"Good throw sister." I heard someone say, before a lady in red leather armour stepped out from behind a crate.

Trying not to panic, and taking a look around, I found I was in a warehouse. Around me, there were stacks of metal, and wooden crates. The smell of raw potato and other easy to keep foods wafted through the air as well.

Two of the red armoured women stood in front of me. Amazons. The Berbera? From Ishtar Familia? I didn't recognize... No, I did. A dim memory, just after I'd lost control before we rescued Haruhime.

"Oh, she does know who we are." The second one said, as a third appeared behind them, coming through the door I'd entered, followed by a forth. They all had clubs in hand too. "I'm surprised, I didn't think animals had a good memory."

"Do you also remember me?" Another voice asked.

Behind them, a fifth and sixth appeared, these coming in from opposite sides of the room. I felt my wrists throb with the memory that voice recalled, and I redoubled my efforts to break myself free of the net.

Then the six of them descended on me.

Each wielding one or two short lengths of iron as a club, I did my best to dodge, weave, and shuffle, all the while pushing my magic as close to my skin as I could, and tug the net off me. But my armour was meant to deflect sharp things, not absorb blunt impact. And with only half my limbs, and my tails still tangled, I just couldn't keep up.

They had every advantage, and now, I knew it.

Even as I managed to free my leg, one of them landed the first solid strike against me. My tangled arm broke just past the shoulder as I failed to brace properly. The next strike caught me across the side of the head, and the third crashed into my ribs.

Desperately, I tried to pull every shred of magic I had from the flame inside me, but even as my vision started to go red with the rage I was releasing, a second strike to the side of my head shut the lights off.

* * *

Cold water over my naked body snapped me awake.

"Now now, can't have you sleeping for what's next." The one with the bite mark on her shoulder said.

I was hanging awkwardly from a support beam, my broken arm throbbing, along with many many other things.

"What about...?" Another asked.

"Dead." The bitten one said simply, "Or captured. The Hermes spy was there too."

"Doesn't matter, we six were enough." Another said. The light was dim, but I could see, and remember all of them. No names, just faces. All from Ishtar Familia, all of them in that room.

Except this one, who was my former torturer. "Well... I wonder if you remember what happened..." She stood in front of me, a thin dagger in one hand, the short iron club in the other. "After you and the boy rejected Her love..." Again, that twisted 'pronunciation' of the word. "And those two traitors..." Her eyes, along with the rest of them, went wide with hatred, "Then Lady Ishtar was sent away... Leaving us without Her love..."

A club from one of the others slammed into my ribs, and I could feel one of them break, a spike of pain that dominated all the other hurts I'd gotten so far.

"So... We vowed to get revenge. On you..." Another strike, this one breaking my shin. She waited until I stopped screaming before continuing. "The Boy." Another to the back of my thigh. "And the two who refused to sacrifice themselves for Her Love." My broken arm was grabbed roughly, and a club smashed into my fingers.

My eyes could just barely make them out through all my tears.

Then someone grabbed one of my tails.

Eyes widening, my tails reacted without need of my broken body. I could feel one, then three more, wrap around a head, and with a sharp SNAP and a gurgle, a body fell to the floor.

And the other five didn't even blink.

"Well... I suppose now, there's one for each of us." The lead Amazon said, grabbing my jaw and looking me in the eyes. "Any last words?"

Voice raw from screaming, chest almost unable to breathe in, I looked back at her, and rasped, "If you don't kill me, I will END you."

"Oh, we won't kill you..." She said, her hand tightening and forcing my mouth open, "But when we're done, NO ONE will love you. And then, you'll be broken, just like us."

* * *

Notes

*ahem* Yes, so that just happened.

Try not to hate me too much. I mean, I'd be sad if I had no readers.

5 days until you find out what happens...

* * *

Oh! The winner of the 'Where does Kodori go next'. Is Highschool DxD. With honourable mention to Naruto (saw that coming) Worm (Still have to find and start on this one) Campione, and Familiar of Zero. Maybe If I do this sort of thing long enough, I'll end up with some crazy site wide crossover, all with a DanMachi undertone. Looks like I have a bunch of reading material to pick up at Anime North. :)


	48. Chapter 48

Sorry folks, got my chapters crossed...

So here's 47, and well, I suppose 48 is a bonus? stupid mornings and early working days...

=Warning!=

This chapter, if you didn't catch on from the LAST one, contains some pretty ugly stuff.

Just saying. Have to justify my 'M' rating, and this is one of the chapters that certainly does it. But, its part of the story, so I can't just not put it there.

Enjoy. :)

* * *

Chapter 47

She had said 'hour or two'... She had said 'soon'.

So where was she?

Haruhime paced. Or tried to. Hestia had taken hold of the end of her tail, much how she did with Kodori, and watched with a little smile as the girl fidgeted from side to side.

"You're worrying too much, Haruhime." Hestia said with a gentle tug on the tip of Haruhime's tail.

"Lady Hestia!" Lilly, as well as some one neither of them recognized all but fell into the dining room. "You tell her! I'll get the others!" Lilly said to the new face, a Chienthrope dressed in a red vest and black shirt, and a tough looking pair of faded red pants.

The two at the table blinked in surprise as Lilly all but threw her backpack off, some of the contents spilling to the floor, and dashed as fast as her short body and adventurer status would allow.

She had blood on her, the two noticed. A long crescent slash of crimson down her front.

Standing, Hestia looked at the new face and with surprising authority, said, "Explain yourself!"

Still out of breath, also spattered in blood, though it was hard to see against the red, the new face replied, "I'm Rurune. Hermes Familia. He told me to watch out for you if you ever left home." She took another couple of fast breaths, steadied herself, checked her forehead and looked at her palm with a frown, "The Fox caught sight of me up on the rooftops and while she was distracted, a pair of Amazons ambushed Lilly."

Haruhime's eyes went wide, her body starting to shake a little. The sense of foreboding that was building ever since Kodori had started being 'late', pretty much exploded into full blown dread.

"Go on..." Hestia demanded patiently.

"She jumped back down to save her, killing one of them. That's where the blood on Lilly came from, if you're wondering." Her breathing was finally under control now, "The second one ran, and The Fox chased after her. We tried to follow, but lost them almost instantly. I put out a signal to the other three who are on watch with me, but they are still looking. We had to avoid another couple of Amazons too, before we could make our way here."

All of the paired Familia members flooded into the room a moment later. Still covered in 'work' from the project out back, with Bell in the lead. "Lady Hestia," Bell said, his red eyes furious, "We're going. Please look after the house while we're gone."

Silently, angrily, they all walked past. Lilly came up last, eyes worried, "Lady Hestia... It was them. I know it. The Berbera, from Ishtar Familia."

Haruhime shook her head, "But... When Lady Ishtar was banished... Her spell should have been removed."

"They were the same ones! Red leather, with the Familia crest on it still." Lilly replied, "Lady Hestia, what should we do?"

"Where did everyone go?" Wiene asked, head peeking in from around the doorway, her yellow eyes blinking as if just waking up.

"I'll explain... I can't help them look, but I can at least do something." Haruhime said to the other two quietly, "I'm not as fast as any of you... And if they still have a grudge I'd just be getting in the way if they have to find me too..."

Hestia nodded, gathering up the two girls in a hug. "I will wait here, and pray for good fortune."

* * *

It wasn't until almost dinner time, when they came back. Haruhime was a wreck of nerves by now, but had occupied herself by trying to prep dinner. If nothing bad had happened, and her feeling of dread was just her worrying over nothing, it was Kodori's turn to cook, and as always, it would be pasta night.

She nearly cut herself when she heard the front door slam open, and the heavy footsteps of the men, and the lighter ones of the women, marched in. As she ran to meet them, she spotted Marius, carrying a bundle in his arms, wrapped in a bloody sheet.

Her heart froze.

"Lady Haruhime." Marius said, his voice, for once, commanding. Absolute. A general on the field. The difference from his usual tone shocked Haruhime, and before she could simply lock in place, she looked up at him, "She is alive. But Do Not Let The Children See." He punctuated each word, his command voice echoing over the marble walls. "Move."

And she did. Retreating from him, she ran to find Lord Takemikazuchi. Passing Lady Hestia on the way, she took the hand of one of the orphans who was following her. "Let's go this way, its dangerous that way right now. Dinner will be soon."

"Aww, but Lady Hestia was going to read us a story." He complained quietly, "Will you read us one instead?"

"Let's find Lord Takemikazuchi first, then maybe." She replied, fighting back tears, but refusing to show weakness.

* * *

Marius was right. The children should not have seen this. Her nose, a little more sensitive than most, Haruhime could smell the sickening mix of blood and dirt. She could hear Hestia sobbing, and two of the men, Bell and Welf, arguing as she approached the door to the first aid room. Marius was standing by the door, fully armed, sword, shield, helmet. He looked down at her, his usually passive face focused as if he were in the dungeon.

"Are you sure?" He asked her, getting in her way with the noise of shifting metal.

"I must go to her." Haruhime replied, "Why are you...?"

"From what Lilly could tell us, Kodori was singled out, and hunted. This was not a random thing. Our captain was targeted, lead on, and brought down." He moved a little, so Haruhime could pass. "I stand here so no one can finish the job while I live. Chigusa and Ouka are braced against the window for the same reason.

Nodding, and patting the big man on his armoured hip in thanks, she passed him and into the room. The lights were at full brightness, and the smell was much worse. And there, on one of the beds, surrounded Lady Hestia, Lilly, Asuka and Takemikazuchi, was... A body.

Welf and Bell had stopped arguing as she entered, the white haired boy looking away from the smith and holding up a hand, as if to say something, but stopping. He simply watched as the golden haired Renard took small steps over to the bed.

The body was uncovered mostly. A simple cloth over the hips and nothing else. Marius was right. It was bad. No, bad couldn't even begin to describe it. One of the body's feet had been cut off. The other was missing toes. The tendon on that ankle had been severed. Both shins, knees and thighs were broken and twisted. Both hands were missing random seeming bits of fingers, both forearms were broken at least twice, both elbows were backwards, both biceps had been cut and the bones underneath broken too. Ribs had been broken, profanity carved into the skin that hadn't been shredded, breasts removed. Nose, lips, teeth, and even the ears were cut away. The only way she could even tell it was Kodori, were her eyes. Both of the golden orbs had been slashed across the middle, but they were still in her head. Her chest still rose and fell shallowly, but she had been broken. Even her throat had a neat little cut across it. And her tails were gone.

Even worse, Haruhime realized, was that the wounds weren't bleeding. Who ever had done this to her had half healed her every step of the way.

Hestia had wrapped her arms around her, even as the strength in her legs gave out and her breath started to catch in her throat.

* * *

"We can't just go out and look for them." Welf hissed as Haruhime seemed to just... Switch off.

"We can't just do nothing." Bell growled.

"We also cannot just stand and argue." Mikoto said from her position by the other window that Ouka and Chigusa were guarding. "Would Nazza-san or Lord Miach know how to help?"

"The girl from Hermes should be on the way back with them soon." Welf replied.

"Healing... Won't really work, will it?" Asuka asked, "It's all been healed... so badly..." It was obvious Asuka was just barely holding back. But, as the Takemikazuchi medic, she kept herself together.

"Would any of the other Gods know how to help?" Bell asked.

"Let us past!" The normally calm voice of Miach demanded from just outside the door. A moment later, Him, and Nazza both entered. "Let me... oh..."

Nazza pushed past her God, and blinked, her living hand going to the metal one, before she started shouting orders.

* * *

More help had been called, explanations had been given, and after nearly four hours, Ganesha himself, standing next to someone He said, without any of the silly poses, fancy words, or loud voices, called His best surgeon. "We will do what we can, but." He looked to Haruhime, who was holding what was left of Kodori's right hand. "Little Miss... You need to let go, we need to work."

"She... has no tails..." Haruhime mumbled, "Even if she can be healed..."

"What?" They were the first words she had spoken since she had sat down next to the barely breathing body, "That's the least of her problems ma'am." The surgeon said.

"She has no magic without them." She replied, though it was as if she was talking to herself, more than anything.

Ganesha looked like he wanted to swear. His usual upbeat personality eroded away, he replied, "Fine. We might be able to help that with mind potions."

"No!" Haruhime shouted, "You don't understand..." She shook her head back and forth, "They would just... drain away. Without her tails, any mind potions you give her would poison her before they would revive her from mind down."

"Lord... If I operate on her while she is in mind down, I'd probably kill her." The surgeon admitted, "With no will, the body will simply die. It's a miracle she's still alive as it is."

"And even if you fix all this so potions would work again... Our Familia simple doesn't have anything strong enough to heal everything that's missing." Nazza said with a frown, "And the Elixir from Dain Cecht Familia or Asclepius Familia... Even without worrying about the price, they don't always have them on demand."

"I'll sell one of my swords." Welf said instantly. "Damn the price, I'll cover it. If it saves her, I'll sell it to anyone."

The entire room, minus Haruhime and Kodori, looked at the smith in shock.

"I, Ganesha, will purchase this blade." The elephant masked God said seriously, "Single edged, please."

"Done." And Welf left the room.

"That just leaves her unable to recover her magic." The surgeon said, sighing, "And us losing money again." He mumbled.

"I'll do it." Haruhime said. "No matter how long it takes, I'll give her my magic." She looked to Lilly, "Bring every mind potion we have, I'll drink them all if I have to."

"The last time you did that, she kind of... exploded." Bell said, shocked, "Will it be okay?"

"Yes. It only happened when she used her own magic as well. But since... her tails..." She trailed off, holding the mangled hand a little tighter.

"Please, Haruhime. If you can do it, please..." Hestia said, "I... I'll make dinner. We'll be no good to her if we pass out from hunger."

"May I have your seal on this, Friend Ganesha? I will take my Familia and fetch the potion." Takemikazuchi said, standing before the God of the People.

"Yes. That would be helpful. I will assist my captain. Lady Haruhime, we will start when you are ready."

* * *

For the next full day, the people of the two Familia had to occupy themselves. Hestia was, at best, a bundle of nerves. As before, when Kodori had gone missing, She paced, tried to stay awake, failed to sleep when others of her Familia noticed, and simply hid in her room to cry. Wiene had asked for an explanation, and that made them both break down crying.

Mikoto had happened on them, late into the evening. The two of them holding onto the dark metal fox token Kodori had made. The two, Goddess and Monster had fallen asleep, foreheads together, with both hands on the little figurine.

* * *

Lilly had been absent from the home all day, and most of the evening. She had visited every place she could think of to try and find a hint about these Amazons. This prompted Ryuu, as well as Aisha who was having lunch at the Hostess of Fertility when Lilly visited, to show up at the manor as well.

"Tiny. Tell me again, how this happened?" Aisha asked, stopping Lilly from running off again.

"We," Lilly had discarded her childish voice since the start of this incident, "Think it was the Berbera. It was the same group that caught Kodori and Bell the first time. Red leather armour, with the Ishtar emblem on the left breast."

"Damn..." Aisha grimaced, "A bunch of us sort of... Found some place else to stay for a while after that. I joined with Hermes, a few others found other Familia... But there were a few..."

"Can you track them? Or ask for their help?" Ryuu asked, "Where are you going next Lilly?"

"Lilly will help Aisha, if she can. And..." She gave Ryuu a meaningful look, which was returned with a nod. "Lilly will explain everything else too."

"You mean there's more?" Aisha asked, bending down and scooping up the Pallum girl, "I'll run, its faster."

Ryuu watched them run back out, down the path and over the front gate of the manor. Heading inside, she found the place almost chilly. Like some great draft had settled into the bones of the building itself. She knew where to go however.

"Ma'am." Marius greeted her, but did not move from in front of the door. "Are you sure?"

Inside, she could hear a quiet back and forth of single words. The smell of blood, sweat and sickness was strong as well, even out in the hallway past a closed door.

"Please, Sir Marius." She replied with a frown, "I will help, if I can."

"With respect, Ma'am. It's bad. As well, there are two Gods, an alchemist, a surgeon, and Lady Haruhime working on her already. I am not sure if there is any space to help." Marius replied stoically.

"If I cannot help, I will take your place, so you can sleep." Ryuu replied, the big man taking a half step to the side and letting her pass.

It really was worse than she had thought. Almost a full twenty-four hours since they had found Kodori, she had been basically tied to the ceiling with a collection of what amounted to finger thick bands. Hanging freely, this allowed the surgeon, who was very carefully moving around under Kodori, to work with what looked like a hammer and a chisel. Nazza, was crouched next to him, with a little jar and what looked like a bloody paintbrush. Every time the surgeon tapped the end of the chisel with the hammer, Nazza would dip the brush into the jar, and apply a fine white powder to the location.

Above, Miach and Ganesha were working with scalpels and more of that powder.

It looked like a live dissection.

Haruhime, who was sitting on a stool and very gently holding Kodori's head, said, "Wait." And The body, Kodori, twitched weakly, before settling again, "Safe." And work would resume.

"No closer, Ryuu-san." Asuka said from her place at the window. "Unless you can help..."

"She can." Nazza said, not looking away from the surgeon's hands, "Know where the workshop is?"

"Yes." Ryuu answered.

"Inside, main room, on the left. Workbench with all kinds of glass and pipes. Should be a jar like this on a little blue flame. It should be ready. And if you see any more bottles with blue beads in it, bring that too." Ryuu nodded, backing away, just managing to hear, "Mind pills... she invents stuff like its a hobby..."

* * *

Haruhime was in pain. Not just sick with worry, at seeing her love and lover cut open in dozens of places, bone exposed, blood very slowly dripping past the white powder Nazza had been applying. But in actual pain. She had sat almost motionless for nearly the entire time since they started. Only moving once, to let Welf and the two Gods rig up the straps holding Kodori up so they could work on her ruined back as well.

"Stop." She said numbly, feeling the steady flow of magic she was feeding her opposite flicker, Kodori's body twitching feebly in response, then settling again, "Okay."

Her rear was beyond numb. Her stomach was sour from all of the mind potions, and pills she had taken in, and she had to maintain contact with Kodori, on the only spots her torturers hadn't cut or flayed off of her. Where human ears would be.

But she endured. The contact let her focus the flow of magic to the tiniest trickle. Just enough to keep Kodori from going into mind down, but not enough to bring her back to alertness. If it wasn't for Nazza, and Lord Miach, with what ever they had put into the wounds the surgeon and Lord Ganesha were re-inflicting on Kodori... Haruhime couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of pain it would bring.

Yet, every so often, Kodori's body would try to pull in a little more of her magic, as if on instinct. And Haruhime would have to cut off her link for just an moment.

She, Bell, and Mikoto had saved her life once. She would endure this, and return the favour.

* * *

Eina knew something was wrong. Not just 'wrong', there was always something wrong in the city. Too much paperwork, people getting careless in the dungeon, people getting careless out of the dungeon, too much work, and even with the new hires in the Guild, there was always too much work.

But she had been given a message to deliver personally to the Hearthstone Manor. By Guild Master Royman himself.

After his chat with Kodori, he'd become much easier to get along with. He still grumbled, but it wasn't 'because she was a half blooded elf', but because something was genuinely wrong. But today, he'd handed her the letter and said, "Deliver it personally to your friends. It is very important. And ask to meet the new girl."

That last part, he said in elvish. Very quietly, so neither of her two co-workers, both humans, could hear him.

As she approached the Manor, the sense of 'wrong' was amplified. Bell was standing at the gate. On guard. And looking angry.

Bell was never angry. Serious, yes. Determined, sure. But angry? Never.

"Oh." Bell spotted her, and bowed, not waved as he usually did, to her. "Miss Eina."

"Hello Bell." Eina couldn't help but feel, for the very first time since meeting the boy, a little afraid of him. He was all three, Serious, determined, AND angry. "I... What's wrong?"

"Kodori was hurt." He replied simply. "And I am making sure no one enters this gate to get to her."

"Oh..." She paused, then pulled out the letter. "Well... Since this is an official letter, I guess you are acting captain?"

Bell accepted the letter, and actually looked like he was going to rip it up, but stopped, shook his head, slapped both his cheeks at once, and sighed, "Sorry..." He said to her, running his thumb under the wax seal.

"And, Mr. Royman told me to ask to meet the new girl? Eep!" Eina backed up a half step as Bell's hands did rip the letter, but it looked to be more a case of nerves this time, not anger.

"Mr. Royman..." He considered, rescued the letter from the envelope and put the two halves together, not reading them yet. "Yes. We trust you, Miss Eina."

Eina was starting to feel like something was going to jump out of a shadow or something and attack her. This was far beyond what she knew of how Bell acted. "Lead the way then?"

"Just a moment." Turning, he looked towards the main door, and yelled, "Ouka! Switch!"

"OSU!" Came the reply from the big spear man before he started to approach.

* * *

"Shh." Bell said as he very carefully opened the door to Hestia's room. "Lady Hestia?"

The Goddess was sitting in bed, with an unfamiliar girl resting her head in Her lap, sleeping. Eina was shocked, for many reasons. First, it seemed like the Goddess herself was... Dim. Gone was the familiar energy when ever she had seen her, be it visiting like this, or going to buy potato puffs on her lunch break.

No, just like any mortal, She looked like a wreck of nerves, tears, and almost no sleep.

Next, was the girl. Dressed in what looked like a pool of ink that was somehow in the shape of a robe, her appearance was... Alien. Pale blue skin, what looked like small scales peeking out from the shoulders of the robe, long ears, longer than any elf, silken white/blue hair, and a small gem on her forehead. Her own lessons to Bell and the others shuffled through her head and her eyes widened.

And in yet another moment of Bell being out of character for his usual self, before Eina could make a noise, he had placed his finger across her lips, his red eyes more 'dungeon self' than 'social self'.

"She's been crying almost every moment she's been awake." Hestia explained quietly. "She won't even let me hold Kodori's stone while she's sleeping." Eina was shocked again, as the Goddess pet the girl's head as if she were just another sleeping person.

Bell took his hand away, and gently pushed Eina's shoulder, directing her back towards the door. Once outside, the door closed behind him, he said quietly, "Her name, is Wiene. I found her, wounded and alone, after being attacked by monsters and people. I offered my hand to her, and brought her up."

"But... She's..." Eina shook her head, it wouldn't do to start name calling. So instead, "And then?"

"Kodori helped me convince the others, and we hid her until we got home. It took a little while, but we gave her a name, taught her some of the things about us... Even if she was born in the dungeon, she is more 'human' than some of the people I know." Again, Bell surprised her, "Heh... I'm sounding more like Miss Kodori..."

"Lady Hestia... Took her in?"

"It took a little convincing, but after Miss Kodori helped Wiene realize the difference between 'animal' and 'person', Lady Hestia gifted her with Falna."

"And... Royman knows... I think I may need to sit down a moment." Eina admitted, Bell offering his hand and shoulder for her to lean on. "Lady Hestia mentioned a 'stone'?"

"Oh... One moment." He turned and tapped on the door very quietly, opening it, "Lady Hestia? May I... Thank you." He vanished, then returned, a small white rabbit sculpture in his palm. "Hold this. And walk with me to the kitchen, I'll make you some tea, Miss Eina."

It was surprisingly heavy for its size, with small ruby flakes for eyes. "It's... Metal? Silver?"

"Yes. Miss Kodori made Lady Hestia a full set, Lord Takemikazuchi too, one for each of us." The two of them made it to the kitchen, Eina noticing a faint coppery smell in the air. "Sit down, I won't be long."

"It really does remind me of you." Eina said with a small smile.

"Close your eyes, and put both hands on it." Bell explained.

Doing as instructed, Eina held the bunny figure in both hands, closing her eyes.

It was as if Bell were standing next to her, almost touching her shoulder. The scent of his armour and simple shampoo, as if he had just arrived at the guild hall for his morning lessons. His smile as he greeted her, his embarrassment as she reminded him of something from her last lesson, his modest head scratching as he traded in his magic stones at the end of the day.

Unable to help herself, she opened her eyes and looked around, confused. Bell was watching her from next to the not quite boiling kettle. The scent had faded back to the faint coppery smell, and Bell's face wasn't smiling.

"That's... Amazing." Eina said finally, "It was like..."

"Miss Kodori couldn't think of a final name, but Lady Hestia called them 'memory stones'. They are her first real try at enchanting, and they do... Well... Exactly what you just experienced." Bell said, sighing, "When Lady Hestia holds them, we feel her too. It's different for all of us, but..."

"What does it feel like for you?"

"Like She is holding my hand, and walking beside me." Bell replied with a small smile. "It sounds silly... But..."

"It's not silly. It's amazing! She could probably make a small fortune selling these." Eina said, trying to divert Bell from thinking about Kodori's current state, and towards a future with her still in it.

But he shook his head, turning to tend the kettle, "No... She would need to know the person. How did she say it... She would need to go drinking with everyone who's God wanted one made for?"

"Hm.. I wouldn't mind one of you." Eina said before she could stop herself, her cheeks heating up a moment later.

Again, Bell didn't act embarrassed, instead putting down a cup for Eina, then sitting down as well. Instead, he said "Miss Kodori said you might. If she gets better." The boy sniffed then, squinting his eyes shut a moment, then opening them again, "When she gets better, I'll ask for you."

Eina gave the boy a pat on the shoulder, then sat back again to sip her tea. "Still have the letter?"

"Y...yes..." He reached into a pocket and put the two halves of the letter on the table in front of him. He didn't read it all out loud, but sort of mumbled out the main points. "Hestia and Takemikazuchi alliance... Formally requested... Ouranos?" He stopped and blinked in surprise, "Consider this a guild mission. Come as soon as you are able, the night of receiving this letter if possible. The presence of your newest member is mandatory. Come equipped for a proper trip into the dungeon..."

With a sigh, he leaned back, holding one side of his face with a hand, "This is terrible timing."

"Again, you sound like Kodori." Eina teased gently.

"Without her... And Miss Haruhime for sure..." Bell mumbled, his eyes going distant as he thought.

Eina smiled behind her teacup. This was the Bell she knew from the start of his career. Thoughtful, careful. She didn't like the thought of Kodori being hurt, but it pleased her that Bell could still operate without his captain. "Should I return and tell Royman to wait?"

"No. Miss Kodori has told us her thoughts on this. Mr. Royman knows. Lord Ouranos knows. Lord Hermes knows. Lord Ganesha knows. We have allies, no, Wiene has allies in this. But we need to go to them. They can't expose what they know yet. The city can't accept the Dungeon Born yet, but there are those who want to help them, even so." Bell was pacing now, two steps turn, two steps turn. Just like Kodori when some one was holding one of her tails.

Eina smiled again, not hiding it this time, "You've grown Bell, and you do listen. You make me proud to be your mentor."

This time he did react like his usual self, and dissolved into a stuttering idiot.

* * *

That night, after a dinner no one seemed to really be able to eat, Bell took everyone to the living room. Hestia managed to bring Wiene from her room, but the dragon girl still held the little black fox token. Aisha had returned, and replaced Mikoto in the infirmary, while Ryuu had replaced Marius as the hallway guard.

Quietly, Bell got up from his usual spot on the biggest couch, and stood in the middle of the room. Eyes sweeping over everyone's faces, he started.

"The timing for this, is terrible." He said, holding the two halves of the letter. "But, Miss Eina delivered an official guild notice, directly from the guild master himself, Mr. Royman."

"Kodori mentioned him. How her second meeting was much better than the first, at least." Welf said, his leg dangling over the arm of his favourite chair, "What's it say?"

"To the Hestia and Takemikazuchi Alliance." There were a couple of small smiles from around the room as Bell started. "It had come to our attention, that certain things have been made known to your two Familia. You are formerly requested to go to the twentieth , by order of Lord Ouranos God of the Sky, Protector of the city, and founder of Orario."

"Ouranos..." Marius mumbled, "The first God to descend?"

"Yes, he was the first of us to Descend. It was Him, and his Familia, who drove off the Black Dragon, though they were only able to injure it." Takemikazuchi explained, "This allowed the capping of the dungeon, and founding of the city as we know it."

Marius nodded, then went back to looking passive. Bell looked around the room quickly, and continued, "Consider this a Guild mission. You must go as soon as you are able, the night of receiving this letter if at all possible. Your newest member's attendance is mandatory in this. As well, come equipped for a proper excursion into the dungeon. This will take you to the twentieth floor, to a location marked on this map."

"Then there is some sort of scribble I think is a name... It's very fancy." Bell finished.

"Huh..." Welf said, scratching his head, the rest of them silent.

"Miss Eina said this was a mission. An official one. And only we can know about it." Bell explained.

"Mission?" Wiene asked, "Into the dungeon?"

"Yes Wiene... We have to take you into the dungeon." Mikoto explained, patting the girl's hand gently.

"You... aren't going to leave me there, are you?" Wiene's golden eyes were starting to tear up again.

"No." Mikoto answered plainly, moving over and giving one of her rare hugs. "You are Familia."

Everyone in the room nodded, the dragon girl seeing it and managing to stop herself after only a single tear, "And we do not leave Familia behind." They all said together.

"Do you think this is what Kodori was talking about? Meeting the other... Xenos?" Ouka asked, "I'll admit, I'm curious, but level twenty is still a bit of a run, and when we get there... Then what?"

"Oh..." Bell laughed a little nervously, "Miss Lilly? I'll need your help making a copy of this..." He handed her the letter, "On the back, I kind of ripped in in surprise, when Miss Eina told me she was told to meet Wiene."

"Miss... Eina?" Wiene asked.

"You were sleeping." Hestia said, taking the girl from Mikoto's light embrace and hugging her properly. "But, Kodori calls her 'best adviser'. Eina has taught almost all of my children about the dungeon, Takemikazuchi's as well."

"She's a bit bossy." Welf started, sitting up properly, then standing, stretching out his back, "But, the information she teaches us has saved all our lives at least once, each."

"So... Miss Eina is wise?" Wiene asked, earning a tired chuckle from everyone.

"Yes." Bell said, scratching the back of his head, "Now, it says we are to leave at midnight... That gives us... three or so hours to get ready. Miss Kodori would probably say get some sleep, or maybe try one of her... What did she call it?"

"Instant coffee pills." Asuka said, "Bleh. Wakes you up, but the taste..." She shivered in her chair. "Tastes like the smell of a really dirty monster."

A couple of others nodded, also making a sour face.

"So we are leaving Kodori and Haruhime here. Should we ask Miss Aisha and Miss Ryuu to stay? Do you think that's too much to ask?" Bell asked.

"I'll ask them." Hestia said, "I think Ryuu would be happy to, and isn't that Amazon one of Haruhime's best friends?"

"Yes." Mikoto said with a nod, also standing, "She protected her, and kept her company during her time with Ishtar." Even the rigidly polite Easterner had dropped the title from the Goddess's name.

"I guess that's all then." Bell said, looking around as everyone who wasn't standing got up and made ready to leave, "Let's..."

They all paused and looked at him, the boy switching gears, to show his determination as was proper before a mission.

"Let's complete our mission. And return, to make our Captain proud." Bell said, "And prove that we have learned, grown, and become two Familia who work as one, to overcome All."

"Yeah!"

* * *

Notes

This was... Kind of hard to write. I've been writing 'first person' for so long now, (since October! Wow... Like... damn.) that switching to a 'fly on the wall' perspective makes me feel like I'm writing... I dunno.

Anyhow, Look forward to the next chapter! I hope I wasn't too graphic for some of you... I mean... You know, I'm gonna put a warning up top before I save this for the day.

Be awesome, and see you soon. :)


	49. Chapter 49

Go back to chapter 46, and hopefully, 47 will be there. Wasn't awake enough when I posted things and got them out of order.

Chapter 48

Hestia watched them leave. Sad, but pleased they got along so well. That they, together, were able to overcome and adapt to anything that the world threw at them. Beside her, Takemikazuchi was smiling as well.

"They burn so bright, our children." the War God said, "The bonds of trust are strong between them."

"Just as she meant them to be." Hestia replied, sighing, "Even... After what was done to her. They trust in her teachings. She is gone, but her methods are not."

"Not gone." Takemikazuchi put his hand on the diminutive Goddess's shoulder, "Our Familia are not the only bonds of trust she has made. I'd never have expected Ganesha himself to come. Miach, yes, he is our dear friend as well, but Ganesha?"

"It surprised me too." They both turned and headed back inside, the midnight air from outside being overcome with the faint coppery smell that had overtaken the manor. "I suspect there is something behind that. But, I suppose, he is a God of the People."

"Kodori-san is quite the person." Takemikazuchi replied with a smile. "I will make sure the children are sleeping soundly."

"I have to talk to that Amazon and Ryuu." Hestia said with a sigh, "I hate to impose on them, but..."

"Good night, Lady Hestia."

* * *

"Stop." Haruhime said faintly, a moment before Kodori twitched again. "Aisha-san?"

"Here." Aisha put a bucket in front of Haruhime's chin, and the fox girl coughed, then vomited into it. The amazon rubbed the girl's back until she was done, then put the bucket down and wiped her forehead with a cold cloth. "Can you keep going?"

"Y...Yes." She managed to say, "Put you hands under my arms again?"

Wordlessly, Aisha stood behind Haruhime, and put her hands under her elbows. Haruhime relaxed just a little, leaning back against the tall woman's smooth stomach, and without needing to hold her own arms up, touched her palms to the sides of Kodori's head again.

"Okay." She said after a deep breath.

"It is well we are almost done... I think." Miach said worriedly, "Lady Haruhime is suffering from overdose."

"Been suffering, you mean." the Ganesha surgeon said, "Miss, I'm impressed you've managed for so long, but at this rate..."

"Quiet." Ganesha himself said firmly. "There are two more things left. And then we can consider the Elixir."

"Two more?" Aisha asked. "I'm trying very hard not to count at how many things you've done... But what's left?"

"Her throat." The surgeon said, pointing to the thin cut that had been put there, "I suspect her voice was cut out. Along with her tongue." He sighed, applying his scalpel to Kodori's bicep, while Ganesha brushed the fresh cut with the powder. "We've had to basi"

"Stop." Kodori twitched weakly once again, and all motion around her ceased, then resumed when Haruhime said, "Okay."

"We've had to basically do the damage to her, all over again. But the two deepest cuts are not going to be easy." The surgeon continued, "Opening her throat, is potentially fatal, even with all of us here. A simple cut won't do. Who ever did this, dipped their weapon in healing potion first."

"And her eyes?" Aisha asked, nodding her head towards the unseeing golden orbs.

"The Elixir might not fix those." Nazza said, "But that's something I do know how to mix something for."

"Seriously? Why not?"

"We would have to basically remove them from her head, and that is something none of us here want to risk. This stuff we've been putting into the wounds stops blood from flowing, but putting this near her brain?" Nazza explained, "At worst, they will heal, but she'll be blind until I can mix up the clear-all. Almost every alchemist knows that one. And used it too, on themselves mostly."

"Oh... Is that the stuff for when you get something like acid in your face?" Aisha asked and Nazza grunted an affirmative, "I've used that before. Don't have any with me..."

"It's simple to make, but needs a day. I don't have any on hand, because someone..."

"Sorry..." Miach said before Nazza could explain further.

"Yeah, anyhow..." the Chienthrope grumbled.

"So, what's the second spot?" Aisha asked.

"Her womb." The surgeon said simply. "I almost missed it, but they did the same potion blade technique there too. It's not potentially fatal, like missing a cut near her voice, but, I have my pride as a healer. We'll basically have to cut out around those places, so it can heal like the rest of her when we give her the Elixir."

"Thank you." Haruhime mumbled, "Stop." Another twitch, "Okay..." Haruhime's eyes had dried up hours ago, but she managed the brightest smile she could for the people hard at work, "Thank you for letting her at least still have a choice. Even if..."

"She loves women?" The surgeon asked, glancing back at the girl, "That doesn't matter to me. Some one is hurt, and I can fix it. That matters to me."

"And that is why you are my best." Ganesha said with a hint of his usual smile, "My eyes see no more save those two places. Anyone else?"

"Don't forget her ears please?" Haruhime said, "I don't care if you get a little blood on me."

"With all the damage... I'd honestly forgotten." Ganesha admitted.

"That would be terrible." Aisha said, gently hugging the girl she was, at this point, basically holding up. "I really like her ears."

"All that's left then, is to 'trim' the ears, the breasts, then the last two places."

* * *

"Miss Ryuu?" Hestia started, as she got within sight of the infirmary door.

"Lady Hestia?" She replied, though she didn't relax at all. Ever since she had replaced Marius as the door guard, she'd had her sword out, point on the floor, and hadn't moved an inch since, save to let the occasional person in or out.

"I hate to impose, you've done my Familia so many favours so far..."

"It is no imposition. My sister needs me, so here I am." She gave the Goddess one of her rare smiles, lighting up her pretty round face. "Moreover, I am honoured you trust me to do so, Lady Hestia."

"Then, please, can I leave her in your care for a little longer? And could you ask Aisha as well?" Hestia asked, showing obvious hesitance about entering the room behind the elf.

"She is here as much for Kodori, as her dear friend Haruhime." Ryuu replied, "I won't ask, it may insult her." She held up a hand as Hestia's face fell a little, "Amazon are particular about some things. Duty and Debt are two of them. She owes, and is honour bound to the both of them. There will be no issue."

The Goddess sighed in relief, then nodded, "Thank you." But she wasn't done, "I have to step out, there is something I need to take care of." The letter Bell had read was in her hands, partially crumpled in her tiny fist.

"In relation to Bell and the others leaving, I am guessing?" Ryuu asked.

"Yes."

"Then I will ask no more, but please, be safe." Ryuu said, offering the Goddess a little bow.

"Thank you. There is food, for everyone, in the kitchen. Please, let them know." Hestia replied with a small smile, "I'll be back soon."

* * *

None of the Children had noticed. To any of them, the pretty scroll work and flowery edges around the edge of the official guild letter would look like just that. Decorative. But to Hestia, they were words, hieroglyphs, the language of the Gods. "Come to the fourth block, of the seventh district, after they leave, you will not be harmed." Hestia mumbled to herself, as she walked at a brisk pace towards her destination. "Our old home..." She finished, sighing quietly.

The seventh district was quite literally 'the poor district'. Nowhere in the city was 'slum' but this was as close as it got. But even so, it had been home once, and her former neighbours were good people. Thoughts like these flitted through her head, of the good times and bad, with just Bell and Kodori as her Familia.

"Stupid Apollo..." She mumbled to herself as she entered the clearing where her first Familia home was. The ruined church, with the crater over the cozy little apartment under it.

"He was... A strange one." A smoky, indistinct voice said, before a shadow, made by the moon above, detached itself from the only standing pillar left in the clearing of the ruined church. "Lady Hestia, a pleasure to finally meet you." The shadow drew closer, remaining a respectful distance from the Goddess.

With a forced calm, Hestia looked at the figure. Dressed in a black cloak that seemed to drink in the light, wearing black leather gloves that creaked faintly as the figure flexed its fingers, she tried to peer into the even deeper darkness of its hood. "You... Yes, you are human... Aren't you?"

"Ah, there is no fooling a God's eye." The person said, "Thank you, for coming all this way. I must apologize for the trouble."

"You don't look like a guild employee... So what are you exactly?" Hestia asked, the letter still in her hand.

"I will gladly answer all your questions, but, not here, we are being watched." The person said, looking up past Hestia, to a tall building a fair distance off. "Again, forgive me, but we must change locations, to have a meaningful chat."

Eyes wide, Hestia spun to look behind her, seeing what might have been the top of someone's head ducking out of view. Before she could turn around again, she felt the presence of the other person just behind her, and with the sensation of walking under the shade of a tree from under bright sunlight, her senses faded away.

Only to be return an instant later. It was a simple, torch lit room. With only a single heavy wooden door. Old, but not dirty, stone walls and ceiling spoke of truly ancient construction.

"Forgive me, Goddess Hestia, but we needed to take a but of a short cut." The voice behind her said, before stepping around her with a faint creek of leather.

"Shortcut? Where..." Hestia started, following the person as they opened the door and stepped into a hallway.

"No more than a simple artifact and an little magic. It is a rather convenient back door. Though, I could count on one hand how many different people have used it in the last... eight hundred years?"

"Oh, so it's an escape route for your Master then?" Hestia goaded, though, even under the concealing blackness of the hood, she could almost feel that the person was smiling at her.

"Ah, one moment." They had come to a blank wall. A dead end in the stone corridor made of the same aged stone. Reaching out with one hand, the figure traced a simple pattern on the wall and mumbled a short phrase. A moment later, a piece of the wall faded from sight, revealing a room beyond.

"Open sesame?" Hestia joked.

"Close." The figure replied, its shoulders shaking slightly as if laughing. "This way please."

A giant stone room. Mostly dark, save for a platform in the middle that was surrounded by four large torches that had been planted in the floor. The design was akin to a forgotten temple, a different style than her old home, but giving off that faint 'forgotten God' feeling.

Except, the person sitting on that platform, in a giant stone throne, his arms resting on the flat armrests and lit by four more torches that were placed on the four corners of the platform, was a God anyone in the city would know.

"Oh. It's you, Ouranos." Hestia said, a little surprised, but greeting Him as if they were passing each other on the street. "It's been... What? A thousand years?"

Glancing sideways, she had the faint impression that the figure beside her wanted to facepalm.

"Fels." Ouranos said, his deep authoritative voice echoing faintly in the massive stone chamber, "You've done well, thank you." Shifting his gaze slightly, he looked at Hestia directly, "Yes, it has been a while. You are well, I see."

"I will return to my vigils." Fels said with a bow, but paused as he got directly behind Hestia, "I will check in on her too." And continued walking before the Goddess could reply.

"W... Well enough. All things considered." She waved the letter in the air, "Going through all this trouble? Why bother?"

Closing his eyes, Ouranos took a deep breath, looking up towards the obscured ceiling above. The motion made it look like He, the God who Prayed for the Dungeon, who had the greatest authority in the city, wanted some kind of divine intervention. But instead, he lowered his gaze back to Hestia, and said, "Fels, had told me you have gifted one of the Xenos with Falna."

"Her name, is Wiene." Hestia said, moving towards the stairs leading up to Ouranos's platform. "And yes. We... Wanted to answer a question for her."

"You may approach." Ouranos said, nodding as the Goddess hesitated to put her foot on the first stair. "We have much to discuss."

"Like what the rest of this mission is about. Or why so many people in the city know about this, but no one -really- knows about it." Hestia grumbled, "Stupid stairs... who even built this place, giants?" Her much shorter legs were having a hard time with the tall and broad steps.

"Fels told me about this. After speaking with your Child, Kodori." Ouranos paused, and to Hestia it looked like he was trying not to smile at her difficulties, "Unless she keeps things from you?"

"No. She doesn't keep any important secrets from any of us." Hestia grunted as she got to the smaller half way platform. "Seriously... going to have to join in the morning training..."

"Very well. You know that they exist. And there are more of them." Ouranos started, "The mission, that only we, and your Alliance know about. It is to visit the Xenos, directly."

"Kodori warned us that might be happening... Before..." She shook her head, and finally cleared the steps, standing before Ouranos, who was still taller than her even though He was sitting. "Anyhow..."

"Hm, yes, she is a mystery, that one." Ouranos replied, "But, through certain means, Fels and the Xenos have been talking. They are interested in meeting the ones who have extended a hand to a monster, and taken her in as one of their own."

"Just so long as they don't try... How did she say it? Meet and beat?" Hestia said, "I tell you, my Children can be so difficult." She sighed, "But, I suppose Kodori had to say something to clear their minds."

"Oh? How did she convince them?" Ouranos asked, his stern face moving, if only to raise an eyebrow.

"Well, let me tell you..."

* * *

"Ohhhhhh." Wiene marvelled quietly, looking up at the 'night time' 'sky' of the eighteenth floor. The clear crystals were a deep red, and the forest was swaying very gently with the convection of air in the dungeon. In the distance, the resort town Rivera, had only a single light on in the tavern, and the few lights around the perimeter of the adventurer town.

"I suppose you didn't see much of the place the first time." Welf commented, checking his gear for the hundredth time since they started.

It had basically been a mad dash down to this floor. The two Familia minus Kodori and Haruhime, had taken advantage of the late hour. They hadn't seen a single adventurer on the way, and were able to go all out without risking the 'secrecy' of their mission, as well as run from monsters when they were threatened to get bogged down. No, tonight was all about speed.

"Avoid the town and head for the roots?" Ouka asked, rolling his shoulders and checking the straps on his shield.

"We'll take a short break at the tree line. Equipment check, but as little light as possible." Bell said, finding the path that led into the forest, but towards the entrance to the nineteenth floor, and not the town. "Miss Wiene? Are you doing okay? You're not hurt?"

"Nope!" She replied cheerfully, getting shoulder to shoulder with Asuka and smiling brightly. "It's a little scary... But you are all helping me."

"I wonder what they are like." Asuka said, giving the dragon girl a pat on the back, "I mean... They are monsters. But smart, like Wiene-chan."

"I'd imagine they are even smarter." Marius said, "Ma'am Wiene is only... A month old?"

"True. Though, I bet she's the only one of them who can read." Lilly said with a smile, "Miss Kodori must be so jealous."

They laughed quietly, "But... Even so, she never shows it." Chigusa said, "And even helps, or learns with her if she doesn't know."

A moment of silence, then, "She'll be okay, right?" Asuka asked.

"Miss Haruhime is looking after her." Wiene said confidently, "She gives the best hugs." The dragon girl touched the soft leather collar with the gold and black yin/yang in it, her face thoughtful.

* * *

Having been there from the start, it was like watching all the work the two Gods and two mortals happen in reverse. The bottle of Elixir was poured carefully into the exposed windpipe of Kodori, Nazza saying so long as it made it into the body it didn't matter where it was poured, and with a faint glow that seemed almost alive with its own heartbeat, Kodori was slowly restored.

Exposed and broken ribs shivered back into place. The weeping wound on her lower abdomen closed and was made smooth again. Her breasts returned atop the regrown pectoral muscles. Broken legs and ripped muscle knitted and bonded again. Her missing foot returned, along with the missing toes on the other one. Fingers spread out from her palms and twitched as the tendons on her arms healed. Her throat closed, and air wheezed past her newly regrown nose, and finally, her ears, twitching reflexively as they now brushed Haruhime's now slightly bloody kimono.

The surgeon lightly squeezed Kodori's cheeks together, opening her jaw, and nodded as he confirmed that her tongue and teeth had regrown as well.

"Almost like she was never hurt." Nazza said after looking under the towel over Kodori's hips, "Did the eyes make it?"

"They are whole, but clouded. You'll need to mix that clear-all after all, Miss Nazza." The surgeon said as he brushed his fingertips over Kodori's eyes to close them. "Miss Haruhime?"

"Is she... It worked?" Haruhime, at this point, was looking almost transparent. Her skin was waxy, her eyes didn't seem to be looking at anything, and Aisha was sitting on the stool under her to support the girl.

"Yes." Ganesha said, "Aside from her tails it seems." He knelt down, and looked under Kodori, "There is nothing but a small lump there, where they used to be."

"Our spines are a little different." Nazza said, her own tail swishing exactly once. "Instead of sitting on our 'tail bone' it's curled the other way." She made a hook gesture with her finger, "So it makes sense that's there."

"Now all that remains, is what to do with them." Miach said quietly, noting that Haruhime had simply passed out in Aisha's arms, with a small smile on her face.

"Well, if Ryuu is still at the door, you guys can go home, or nap, or eat or what ever." Aisha said, "And we'll get these two tucked away."

"The problem now is Miss Kodori being unable to generate her own magic." The head surgeon said, "It may be days, or weeks, maybe even a month, but without natural mana generation, the body will die."

"We will find a way." Ryuu said as Nazza let her in. "But for now, we will clean them up, and put them to bed." She looked to the four exhausted looking medics, "If you feel awake enough to eat, there is pasta in the kitchen. If you wish, there are blankets in the living room, and couches enough for everyone." She approached and looked Kodori over, "Lady Hestia has stepped out, but still wished to provide for her guests."

"Most gracious of her." Miach said, standing tall and stretching his arms above his head. "We really should eat something before we sleep. We've been at this for... over a day and a half now?"

"I'm all for just sleeping." Nazza said, looking toward's Aisha, "make sure to get as much of that powder off her as possible. It will dry out skin like no one's business."

"Lord Ganesha?" Ryuu started, looking up at the elephant masked God. "You're tallest, could you help me get her down?"

"I, Ganesha, would be delighted to." He said.

* * *

"They look... Adorable together." Aisha said, standing at the door to the two Renard's room.

Even while under mind down, Kodori had rolled onto her side so Haruhime could curl into her middle.

"They are a pair, certainly." Ryuu replied, "Something needs to be done about this however."

"Yes. This is certainly something I'd consider worthy of seeking revenge on." Aisha replied, "So, rock paper scissors for first watch?"

"Indeed."

* * *

They were, if the map Lilly was carrying was correct, close to the path down to the twentieth floor. Without Kodori and Haruhime as the extra fighting forward and stat boosting supporter, they were having a harder time than they would have liked. But, as a unit, they were holding out well. Mikoto had brought her own bow, and was shooting the flying swords down one by one beside Asuka. Lilly was focused more on the killer rabbits, who were wielding their stone clubs. Ouka and Marius were holding the flanks while Welf and Bell mowed down every monster they could.

It wasn't the most effective they'd ever been. But they all had a purpose, and that was to keep Wiene safe, and make it to their destination.

"Clear the hall!" Welf shouted, drawing a yellow veined blade from a thin sheath on his back.

The instant Marius had stepped clear, Welf pointed the blade towards the hallway that would take them closer to their goal, and turned every monster down that hall to ash as white hot flame erupted from the tip.

"Thank you." the smith said, as the blade made a bright ringing noise, and shattered. "Go Go GO!"

As one, they filed down the hallway, Bell in the lead, daggers drawn and ready as he dashed down the hall, ready to keep the exit clear with his firebolt.

"Am I imagining things? Or does the dungeon seem... Angry?" Marius asked as he used his big body and shield to protect the rear of the formation as it spilled out into the next room.

"There's the way down!" Asuka called out, her bow making a sharp 'swip' noise, a killer rabbit getting pinned to the wall by her arrow.

*crack*

The wall behind the arrow made a single sound. Before another, and another, and even more cracks resounded through the room. It was like every surface except that of the way down was starting to blister with fresh monsters.

"Definitely angry." Ouka said.

"Fighting retreat! Down we go! Wiene stay next to Lilly!" Bell called out orders, "FIREBOLT! GO GO GO!"

* * *

"Wake..." Haruhime heard a quiet voice near her ear. "Wake up child."

Despite her earlier exhaustion, Haruhime managed to crack open an eye. What greeted her made her heart turn to ice in her chest, and her tail stick straight out from her body.

"Shh. I am a friend." She was looking into the black nothingness of a hood. "Your love knows me as Fels. I am fulfilling a promise to Lady Hestia to look in on her.

Kodori had rolled onto her back, and was quietly snoring, leaving Haruhime resting her head on Kodori's arm. Blinking, she made out more of the figure. Though, in the gloom of the early morning, there still wasn't much to see. Just a person shaped 'darkness'.

"Relax. You've had a long day." Fels continued. "In the morning, you will need to ask yourself how much you trust her."

"Trust... With everything." Haruhime replied trying to form words but not quite finding the strength to.

"Shh. Just listen. You are so close to mind down yourself, you need rest." Fels said, "As it is, Kodori will die. Not now, but soon. Her magic was stolen, and she could only rely on you to feed it to her." Haruhime managed to nod at least, so Fels continued, "When you wake up, you will need to ask yourself, how much do you trust her. It is not a question of her betraying you, or anyone. But do you trust her ability, determination, and sense of justice."

"What..."

"You know how to get her started. But, can you trust she is capable enough to see it through?"

Even in her half numb state, Haruhime already knew the answer, but instead of answering him, she thought about something else. "Table... picture... work...shop..." And she was out again.

* * *

"Lilly? What are you doing?" They were taking a five minute break. Welf had needed to use a second magic sword, and Lilly had used up one as well, just to make it this far. If the map was correct, they were close to their destination, but they didn't want a last second surprise to catch them.

"Lilly is collecting glow moss." She replied, carefully cutting a swath of brightly glowing green moss from the wall.

"Thinking of selling it back in the city?" Ouka asked.

"This isn't the time to be thinking of profit." Mikoto admonished.

"It isn't just for that." Lilly replied, "Lilly thinks Kodori might be able to make this grow. And we only have two magic stone lamps right now."

"Wiene is sorry." The dragon girl pouted.

"It's not your fault." Marius said, kneeling in front of the girl, "We'd rather you had dropped the lamp, than you tripping and falling on it."

It had been a 'fighting retreat' from the entrance to the twentieth floor to here, and there were a few places where there was no light being produced by the dungeon walls. As the only real 'free' pair of hands, and wanting to make her feel useful, Bell had given Wiene one of the magic stone lamps, but she had dropped it. Luckily, it was after they had left the dark zone.

"What's the map say?" Asuka asked.

"Lilly will check." There was a ruffle of paper, then, "Unless the dungeon plays another trick on us, it's just down that way. But..."

"But?" Bell asked.

"It leads to a pond."

"Oh... Um... Can everyone swim?" Chigusa asked, looking down at her armour, "I mean... I know Kodori-san wanted us protected, but..." She looked at Marius, who was scratching his head.

"Damn." Welf grunted, "I know we're adventurers, but Marius might have to walk along the bottom if we have to swim."

"Miss Lilly?" Marius asked, "You have that climbing rope?"

"Always." Lilly replied.

"No problem then."

* * *

Hestia and Ouranos looked at each other. "So, all of these 'monster festivals' and the like have been to try and get the population to accept monsters."

"Yes. For over a thousand years, the Children have been fighting them, but now, there are monsters who are... Not monsters." Ouranos said grimly, "And it would be wrong to simply discard them."

"It would look bad on us Gods if we didn't at least try, right?" Hestia agreed. "But, what can we do with them? They might not be 'monsters' but the people won't see them that way."

"No, they won't. But, we must try. That is why I have decreed all this secrecy. No matter the cost, we must keep the people calm. As well, as I am ruler of the guild, my involvement may weaken the already delicate balance."

"Stupid politics. Now I understand why Kodori says it like a swear word." Hestia grumbled.

"Working with Hermes, to keep as much secret as possible. Ganesha, to try and educate the masses about monsters, and show that they can be tamed. I have been trying to slowly push the idea forward. But, we no longer have time." Ouranos's deep voice sounded weary. "There have been rumours from the dungeon, of monsters stealing equipment. Of black market deals, trading monsters that can scream like a person." Ouranos closed his eyes, "You descended recently, so you wouldn't know of the 'Evils'."

"Know? Not really. But I've heard them mentioned... umm... Twice? And I was probably eavesdropping..." Hestia fidgeted with her hands.

"They were, simply, Familia who made a point to try and upset the balance I was trying to establish. Most were either banished, or killed. But I suspect there might be one we missed."

"Ikelos?" Hestia suggested, remembering the name Bell mentioned.

"I see..." Ouranos opened his eyes again, looking down at the Goddess, "He is much like Soma, in that he simply wants to do as he pleases. Though, his hobbies are less... Wholesome, they were, at the time, never illegal."

"He had asked directly if my Bell had seen a Vouivre girl." Hestia said, "I think that makes it clear, right?"

"Yes." Again, the God sighed, "I will do what I can about it."

"Good." Hestia replied shortly, "I have a question though... Who is Fels?"

"Again, you wouldn't know, being recently descended." Ouranos took a deep breath, "Fels... Fels the Fool, was once human. A brilliant mage and alchemist, as well as the greatest enchanter I've ever known among the Children." Ouranos had a far off look now, "He was obsessed with finding the secret of immortality."

"He wouldn't be the first, right?" Hestia said with a raised eyebrow, "I mean... um... Some of the Children get attached to us..."

"He was one such man." Ouranos agreed, "Eight hundred years ago, he came close. But ultimately failed."

"Oh? My lord? Are you talking about me?" Fels said from the bottom of the stairs, "He is wrong... Or half wrong, at least."

"Since you are here, Fels?" Ouranos said tiredly.

"Certainly." Hestia was a little jealous at how easily Fels made it up the steps. "You see, it would be better to say, I was only 'half successful'."

"Half?" Hestia was curious now, still unable to see under the hood of the inky black robe, even with the bright torchlight.

Slowly, Fels reached up with both hands, and pulled down the hood. "Yes. Only half." It was a skull. Surrounded by a thin black vapour, the 'face' under the hood was in fact, a smooth skull. "The rest of me is like this as well." He explained, even as Hestia tried to say something but couldn't.

Finally, she managed, "But, you, how..."

"To my knowledge, I am the only one to have created the Philosopher's stone." Fells put the hood back up, "Except, while it granted my soul immortality, my flesh was not so lucky. I am, over eight hundred years old. Though my body died long ago."

"That's... Kind of horrifying." Hestia finally said.

"It certainly took a while to get used to. But now, I make my self useful, regardless." The hood turned to Ouranos, "The dawn approaches, if I am to use the back door, it must be soon."

"Agreed. I am tired, Hestia, though it was good to see you smile again." Ouranos said, his serious face shifting slightly into something that might have been a smile.

"When Kodori is on her feet again, maybe she'll have an idea about all this." Hestia said, giving Ouranos another smile. "Sleep well, Ouranos."

On the way back to the 'back door', after Fels had closed the fake wall again, he said, "I suggest, that you hurry home."

"Oh? Why?" Hestia asked.

* * *

I woke up. And I was very very angry.

Notes.

Well then. That was an interesting exercise for me. Writing in 'second person' isn't as easy for me as it used to be, long ago. But, I think I might put a few more bits like that in for a few scenes that need to be put in. I can't have all of you (yes, you guys/girls/beings, the readers) be in the dark about EVERYTHING that doesn't happen around Kodori.

5 days until update. :)


	50. Chapter 50

Anime North was awesome. Got a pile of manga, including Highschool DxD. Research time. :)

And sorry again about the chapter mix up. x.x

* * *

Chapter 49

I was angry. Incredibly angry. From the instant my eyes opened and saw nothing, to the moment I realized I was in bed with Haruhime curled into my middle.

Pushing the anger aside a moment, I took a brief inventory of myself. My last memory, crystal clear in my blindness, was the removal of my last tail. As they cut each one off, I felt massive chunks taken out of my magic. Worse than when I used my 'spells', instead of being 'drained' by use, it was 'removed'. It took about a minute before I slipped into mind down, while my missing ears listened to the faint laughter. Blind, hopeless, broken and bleeding, I simply couldn't stay aware.

Now, as I wiggled my toes, all ten of them, and moved my ankles, knees, hips, back, shoulders elbows, wrists, and fingers, I seemed to be 'whole', I even had a little fuzz growing on my ears and head. Except... I only had one tail. Had someone found and brought one back?

With an experimental mental nudge, I tried to wake up the fluffy appendage. But it was staying asleep. So, taking the hand that wasn't under the cuddly body next to me, I reached behind me to give it a pet.

"No... no... nononononono you didn't!" I said, in a voice that sounded like I'd swallowed gravel. This wasn't my tail. Too smooth, too well groomed, too short. I knew this tail almost as well as I knew my own, and it belonged on the rear of Haruhime, not me. "Please tell me..."

I put my hand on Haruhime's back and ran it down her spine. Aside from a small sticky spot just above the cleft of her shapely rear, there was nothing.

"Fox? You're awake?" I heard the voice of Aisha say as the door to the room opened. "What's... oh no..."

I tried to speak, but the anger had returned. I was sitting up now, with Haruhime's body cradled in my arms. I heard, and felt, Aisha enter the room, and stop just out of arms reach. "Calm down Fox." Aisha said over the sound of my growling. "Come on, relax. Please, I need you here."

"I am so angry right now, if my eyes were working, I wouldn't be able to see straight. How long?" I asked, then coughed, feeling some of that imaginary gravel try and work itself loose.

"Here. Gods damn it RELAX" Aisha yelled at me, putting a hand on my shoulder, "Last time you started glowing like that you wrecked the place. Come on. Deep breath. Drink this."

Using her voice, and the hand on my shoulder to anchor myself, I did as instructed, my nose catching a whiff of dried blood as I swallowed the water slowly. "How. Long." I repeated, my voice sounding like sand now. Better, at least.

"They found you almost two days ago." Aisha explained, "You were... Well, I suppose you were there." I nodded, starting to rock back and forth gently, hugging Haruhime close. "Yeah... Anyhow, you were under the care of Haruhime, Lord Miach, Lord Ganesha and his head surgeon and Nazza for about a day and a half. We, oh, yeah, Ryuu is around someplace." I nodded managing to smile just a tiny bit, "Put you to bed a couple hours before sun up. It's now just after sun up, say eight o'clock."

Haruhime's tail finally moved, swishing against my back as I felt the strong desire to swear. So I didn't.

"I can't see. What did she use?" I asked.

I heard Aisha stand, then, "Looks like an old knife. Like what a supporter would use, short and curved."

"My first restoration project." I said, "It was mostly rust when I bought it." I moved my legs, knelt, then stood. "Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to need your help to dress."

"Where are you going to go? I mean, you're blind."

"I am very aware of that."

"Nazza said she'd have something for that in about a day."

"Too long." I said, "I felt it, every second of it. The instant I lost my tails, I was done. Mind down. I know what happens if it goes on too long." I 'looked' towards where Aisha's voice was coming from, "She's on a clock, and I will not wait. Now, can you help me dress, or would you like to hold her while I fumble about for socks?"

"Let me get the elf." Aisha said, "And what's with the mask?"

"Mask?"

* * *

They did in fact, need to swim. Most of them could still swim, as their armour was mostly leather, but Marius was wearing half his weight in metal, and even if he was quite strong, there was pretty much no way he could swim.

The solution was fairly simple. With Lilly's rope and a little climbing gear, Bell swam ahead, finding the underwater cave marked on the map. Tapping in an anchor or two, and making a couple of trips so he himself didn't drown, Bell threaded the rope and gave Marius a way to pull himself through the water much faster than sinking to the bottom and drowning.

It still wasn't an easy swim. But, they dragged Marius out of the water, coughing and sputtering.

"Let's hope the way out is easier." He commented as he wiped his face dry. "Though, if I were to have drown, the water at least tastes good."

They all chuckled, before Lilly lit up the last lamp and gave Wiene the patch of glow moss. "It's very dark in here." She commented, "And... Lilly thinks it feels... Different?"

"Yeah... It's like... We aren't being watched by the walls? Like it's not the dungeon." Asuka commented, kneeling and putting her hand to the floor, "Feels like normal stone..."

"Yes... Not alive, like the dungeon." Chigusa said, holding her own lamp up high.

"That's because, it isn't." Someone said, just outside the bubble of light surrounding the party. "Are you the ones?"

The voice was deep, but also clipped, like the words were coming from a mouth not quite made for speech. Everyone tried looking into the darkness, but it was just too absolute outside the glow of the lamps and moss. There was a thump, like something heavy and wooden being dropped. "Where is the fox? She would be with them..." The second voice sounded a little more natural, but with a bit of a lisp, like they were talking around fangs.

"Kodori is wounded." Bell said, stepping forward, but holding up a hand to keep everyone in place. "My name is Bell, and I am captain, in her place." The white haired boy stepped closer to the wall of darkness, as if offering himself to it.

"I know this one." A third voice said, one that made Welf and Bell perk up a little, "Yes, he smells like her."

"Hm, one more then." The first voice said, "Where is she?"

Bell was about to reply, but he stopped, tilted his head sideways a moment, then looked behind him. Half turning, he offered his hand towards Wiene. "This is Wiene. Our newest Familia member." A pause, as Wiene timidly stepped forward and took Bell's gloved hand, yet was still trying to hide behind him. "She's a dungeon born, like you. Shh..." Bell tried to calm the girl, raising his other hand to her forehead and brushing the hair out of the way of the tear shaped stone set there.

"Well then." The deep voice rumbled, "Not as fun as the test we had in mind..." With two lumbering steps that could be felt through the boots of everyone present, a shape entered the light of the party. A lizard man. Two meters tall at least, and dressed in full armour, adventurer armour, it loomed over the white haired boy and dragon girl. "Light." He declared.

Black fabric was drawn away from multiple light sources. Each one of those lights was held by something obviously inhuman. A woman, tall and slender, wearing Kodori's old pants, with talons instead of feet, and wings instead of arms. Something that looked like a massive humanoid bear, wearing sheets of metal and carrying an equally huge shield. A spider, black and bulbous, with the upper body of a woman in plate armour where the spider's head would be. A half snake, half woman, clothed in long strips of battle cloth and armed with a bow. A hell hound, long and sleek, nearly as tall as Marius at the shoulder, and maybe five meters long. I white ball of fur that looked like a cotton ball, yet had two red eyes and a long slender unicorn horn. Another harpy, only with golden feathers instead of that tropical green. The list went on, all told there were maybe three dozen, humanoid or not.

"When Fels told us not to test you... well, as we intended, I said," The lizardman spoke as if having a conversation with himself, "But Fels, how are we supposed to test them? I mean, we want to see if they just run away at the first sight of trouble."

Here, he knelt, offering his hand to Wiene, "Then he said, they would never abandon Familia. Pleased to meet you, Little Wiene, I'm Lido."

Unsure at first, being dwarfed by the lizardman who was almost twice the mass of a normal one, Wiene looked at the hand, then to Bell. Bell himself looked unsure, but he seemed to shake it off, his face switching to what Wiene knew as 'job to do' face. "Remember to do it properly." He said to her quietly, letting go of her hand, and standing beside her.

Her hand free, she looked up at Lido, who was stone still and still taller than she even when kneeling. Eyes following his body, down the arm, to the massive scaled hand, she reached forward, and took hold of a finger. "Pleased to meet you." She said, looking up at his face again, properly, as Lady Hestia and Ryuu taught her. "Mr. Lido."

"Pleased to meet you too, Little Wiene." Lido 'smiled', the human expression on the wide maw of the lizardman looking out of place. But, after Wiene shook his hand properly, he turned to Bell, "And you too, Bell Cranell." He offered his hand again.

Kodori had taught him about how important a handshake could be. How in that first moment, how one shook your hand could tell you what they thought of you. How much respect they might offer, or how little they had for you. Taking Lido's hand firmly, parallel to his, he looked the lizard man in the eyes, and shook, "You as well, Mr. Lido."

Monsters and surface dwellers looked at the three standing apart from their groups, and all at once, the monsters let out a cheer.

* * *

"Yeah, creepy mask. Haru showed me a white one like it once." Aisha said, making me freeze in mid step towards what I was pretty sure was my dresser. "Um, you're going to walk into your screen. Here, let me get Ryuu, you just... Stand there and look adorable for a moment."

Retreating footsteps, a door opening, a call for Ryuu. Mapping the room in my head, I paced back and forth. Two steps, turn, two steps, turn. I was so angry at myself. I'd done pretty much everything I told BOTH Familia not to do in a combat situation.

Don't go alone.

Don't chase monsters that are running.

Retreat if you get in trouble.

Wait for backup if you are separated.

I screwed up every one of those. And if they enemy wanted me dead, I'd be dead. That's it, second chance to live a fulfilling life gone. Here, in this world, I cared about people. People cared about me. And I nearly threw it all away because I couldn't keep a lid on my FU

My borrowed tail swatted me again.

"Sorry." I said automatically, all thoughts derailing. My arms adjusting Haruhime a little so I could just... hug her better.

"Sorry?" Ryuu's voice said from the door, "Oh sister... She didn't..."

"She did." I replied. "Aisha?"

"Yes?"

"Hold her please? I need to get dressed. Sister? Help me?"

"Of course... But..."

"See that mask on the table?" I asked.

"An interesting conversation piece?" Ryuu said, a smile in her voice. "The detail is exquisite but... It wouldn't go well with dinner."

"I tried to enchant it. Not just little stuff, but serious... guide me to my closet? Thank you." I pawed around inside the closet, my fingertips touching the shoulders of at least a dozen different textiles. "And for the most part, it worked. If I can get the last part working, maybe... Sister? This one. Help me get into it?"

"Wow, Fox. That's fancy. Like... formal occasion fancy." Aisha commented.

"Since Welf and I made my second coat, I haven't needed it. And the last formal thing I went to was Apollo's Gala." Haruhime's tail swatted me again, "I wasn't going to swear."

Two quiet laughs, followed by one of my own. "Are those sleeves... They are! Where are those from?"

"My last coat, after Phryne ripped it in half. Sleeves were still useful, so I made this 'highly mobile' kimono Lilly helped me buy for the Gala, into something I could wear as backup armour..."

All the while Ryuu was helping me put the thing on. It was far too complicated for my tastes. But, I'd been slapped hard for my mistake of rushing in. I could only guess how much effort went into healing me, but I was sure as *swat* ... Heck not going to do it again without some kind of protection.

"Now, the mask?" I said, rolling my shoulders a little to settle it on my shoulders. "I've lost weight? Huh..."

"Fox... You were... You know, I'm going to let some one else tell you how bad it was. I just do not want to go there." Aisha said. "I feel sorry for who ever cleans up the infirmary."

I heard the tiny stomping feet of an angry Goddess a moment before "Where do you think you're going young lady!?" Then, "Oh no!"

I felt the weight of the mask being put into my hands, and heard what sounded like a little bit of paper ruffling towards the floor. "I." I oriented the mask so I could put it on, "Am going to fix this." I put the mask on carefully, fitting my ears through the two holes I knew I put in the top. "I am going to get my tails back." As the weight settled on my head, and the enchantment on the inside 'stuck' to my face, my voice changed as I spoke through the thin slit I'd put at the mouth of the mask, "And I am not going to ask nicely."

I couldn't 'see'. But it was something very close to it. It was like my mind's eye was being fed almost triple the amount of information. My ears could hear Ryuu's heartbeat, the muscles of Aisha's legs twitch and step backwards slightly, the quiet shallow breathing of Haruhime, and the gasp of Hestia as I 'looked' towards her.

"But... If you get caught again..." It took a moment for Hestia to find her voice, and it had a faint quiver of fear in it. "Then both of you will..."

"Lady Hestia." I said, my heart aching like it hadn't for nearly ten years. "When I get my tails back. And wake Haruhime up again, I am going to ask her to marry me." I held up a hand, "And after this mess settles down, I will find, or create, a way for us to have children together. Even if I have to petition a dozen different Gods to do it."

I heard Aisha's arms shift Haruhime around a moment before she started clapping. "Wow, bold words there Fox."

"But... Can't you wait for the others? They've gone down to... Umm... Do that thing, you mentioned might happen." Hestia stumbled over the lame explanation.

"F..."The golden tail swatted me again. "Da..." And again. "No. I really can't now. Do you know where the other half of Wiene's tracking bit is? For her Collar. My half was in my coat."

"Tracking?" Ryuu asked, "Like the collar on Chime?"

"My version of it. Just in case Wiene wandered off, I wanted a way to find her. But, also for her to find a way home. All three pieces can find each other." I explained.

"So... If Wiene is wearing her collar... And your coat..." Hestia mumbled. I could hear her heartbeat speed up as she realized what that meant. "They're in danger of being found!"

"Aisha? They are after you and Haruhime too. The ones who did this to me." I said, grabbing my new tail and petting it so it would stop swatting me every time I thought about swearing. "Bell too."

"But... How are you going to help?" Hestia asked, "Your eyes..."

"Chime is by your right foot." I said, the hyper sensitivity I was feeling letting me hear the critter's miniscule breathing. Kneeling, I picked up the bit of paper that fell. My fingertips traced it, and I could feel the marks left on the paper by what ever wrote on it. "And... Oh... Okay..."

"How... Can you read that? Are you really blind?" Aisha asked.

"I'll explain later." I felt myself smile under the mask, "Aisha? Can you take care of her for me?"

"Won't be hard... I mean..." Aisha sighed, and I could hear her hug her friend close. "Is there anything I can even do? Aside from keep alert?"

"Lady Hestia? You know where our potion supplies are right?"

"Yes, but after... There isn't much left." She replied, "Haruhime had to use her spell to keep you from... while..."

I stepped over to her, hugging the Goddess, "I understand. But please. I need to know."

Sniffling, she kept going, "She drank, or ate most of the potion supply. By the end she was so sick. We might have a little left, those pills you made for sure."

Petting Her hair, I looked back over my shoulder to Ryuu, "Sister, I won't go out alone again. Can I ask for your help?"

"Always."

"Lady Hestia, Aisha. Try and feed her at normal meal times. Give her one of the mind pills with broth. It might help a little. If nothing else. Keep her warm, always, and make sure to clean that cut on her back." I let Hestia go, and knelt a little, feeling her breath against he metal of the mask. "I will be back. And when I return, you can ground me. But if I don't do this, I'll hate myself forever." I paused, thought, and said, "Give her my memory stone to hold too, and hold on to hers, Lady Hestia."

"I understand." Hestia replied. "Though Wiene took your stone."

"Thank you." I tapped my foot against the floor, and felt Chime give my foot a headbutt. "For luck." I said at her.

* * *

Bell, the Xenos, and the rest of the Alliance, were having a party. They had been taken further back through a small network of caves until they reached what could only have been called a 'village'. Lacking wood, the 'homes' were really just dug out of the walls. But they had magic stone lamps, food, water, and even some smokeless cooking fires.

"What do you think Bell?" Lido asked as they stood at the entrance to the massive 'village' cave. "Fels has been able to help us get some really convenient things down here."

"Magic stone lamps." Mikoto started, "Cutting tools for mining. Magic stoves... They really are a 'people'."

"Well, more or less." Lido said, rubbing the back of his scaly head, "I mean, some of us can't speak, or use tools, or really do much at all." He pointed a clawed fingertip towards the large needle rabbit. "Like her. Made a new friend already though."

Wiene was currently hugging the giant fluff ball, the needle rabbit leaning into it and making a quiet rumbling noise. "Bell! She makes the same sound Chime does! Only bigger!"

"Chime?" Lido asked, putting a hand on Bell's shoulder and backing up, moving the two of them out of the way of a small dragon. Small being only slightly larger than the drake on level ten.

"Oh. The little needle rabbit Kodori picked up after you took care of her." Bell answered, smiling as the larger version hopped its way over to listen in, Wiene laughing as she clung to it and was bounced around. "Yes, we are taking good care of her." Bell said, getting down on one knee and carefully petting the fur around the long unicorn horn.

"Isn't that great?" Lido said with his version of a smile, "See? Fels was right."

The bus sized hell hound approached, grumbling. The air around it smelled like brimstone, but it only seemed 'grumpy' not 'hostile'.

"Oh come on." Lido said to it, "So you were wrong about Kodori being one of us. Besides, you wouldn't have been able to go up with her. Maybe some day soon, you know, after she meets you."

"You understand them?" Bell asked.

"Not exactly. It's like... Trying to read a book that has words and pictures. You have to guess at the words, by the picture." Lido explained.

The massive hell hound lowered its head, and sniffed Bell's head, his white hair shifting with the breeze. It then backed up a half step, snorted, then walked off.

"I guess I do need a bath." Bell said with a chuckle.

"Well, that's one thing we don't have." Lido said with a shrug. "But level eighteen isn't far, and some of our other exits have ponds too. But!" It was then Lido clapped his hands together, the big scaly paws making an echoing noise throughout the cavern over the sounds of monsters meeting adventurers. "Today we welcome our first guests to our home. Our first Friends from the surface!"

There was a cheer, a mixed thing of words and growls.

"So! Let's get cooking! It's time to celebrate!"

* * *

I put on my last pair of boots, then 'looked' towards Ryuu. I heard her nod, the air around her quivering with the motion. "Do you have any idea how to find them?" She asked.

"Yes and no." I admitted, "I am not at my best, and I'm thinking more on 'when I find them'."

"The token?" We left the building, my senses opening up now that I was out of the confines of an enclosed space.

"That's part of it. Right now, its telling me 'down'. But that's not very useful."

"No, I guess it wouldn't be."

"Though, that does tell me they are both down from here. I won't really be able to tell much more until I'm 'between' them. Instead of so far to one side. If that makes sense?"

"Yes." Ryuu laughed quietly, "That's what I am used to hearing. Don't run into the gate."

"Used to hearing?" I missed my first try to put my hand on the gate latch, but it rattled as I touched the gate, and I corrected my aim.

"You being thoughtful. I understand our need for swiftness. But you've just been healed from what most would consider... A good reason to retire." I could hear the frown on her face as it changed the tone of her words.

"Save my lady, then think about it. Think 'what now', not 'what if'." I said, "Speaking of swiftness... I am going to need to adjust to this mask, and my magic feels different."

"Shall I run in front of you? Are we taking the normal way in?" Ryuu asked as we got closer to the main street. "Also, I'm curious... That paper, what did it say?"

"She thought of you before herself. Fels." I quoted. "I hope she says yes when I ask."

"Me too. You'd make a good mother, I think." She replied, "I'll snap my fingers if we need to make a sharp turn."

Feeling like the mask was fresh out of the forge, I nodded.

* * *

We didn't stop. Not to say hello, not to apologize for pushing past. I followed Ryuu's steady footfalls, her Hostess of Fertility uniform boots sounding distinct among the hundreds of other footfalls I could hear.

People were curious too. I could hear stray comments from the people we rushed past. Was it an emergency? Is that the Demon Fox? What's with the mask? Doesn't she work at the Hostess?

I hardly noticed it. My thoughts were focused inwards. My borrowed tail was different. Colour aside, it felt like it had added a new shade to my magic. Having so much of it 'missing' the cage inside my mind, holding the flame of the 'beast' I called my magic... It was really just a grumpy ember now. My own anger aside, it was a shadow of its former self.

I was actually kind of thankful for that. Had I had all my tails, and found Haruhime in that state, I'd probably have skipped 'anger' and went straight to 'murderous rampage'.

But I could feel something was different. So, I tried my most basic trick, and pushed my magic to my limbs.

The surprise I felt when I could suddenly see, made me stumble and fall. Ryuu managed to get out of the way in time, but I rolled past like it was my first day sparring with her. The dungeon wall I finally stopped at was a little jagged, but it thankfully didn't do more than bruise me.

"What happened?" She asked as I stood up, blind again because of my broken concentration.

"Let me try that again..." I huffed. "Where are we anyhow?" I steadied my breathing and started to fan the little ember that was my magic.

"Floor twelve. We're making good time."

"Good... Now..." Again, I focused, and 'pushed' the energy towards my skin.

And I could see. Sort of. My vision was basically gold with black outlines. But I could clearly make out Ryuu, her hooded cloak and smooth wooden sword. The walls of the dungeon around us. My bare hands, with their newly healed skin. "The guise of the hunter, sees through the eyes of her lover." I mumbled, "It's kind of like... a black and white picture. Except its gold with black outlines."

"You're also glowing a little..." Ryuu said, getting closer, "The mask's eyes especially." She was nose to nose with the mask now, but I couldn't feel anything through it.

"Hm, it seems to have turned the other enchantments off..." I said, relaxing the effect, my sight returning to darkness, and my other senses jumping back to where they were. "You used my shampoo, didn't you?"

"It smelled nice. And you needed a bath after..." She paused.

"Let's take the next floor or two slowly. I need to work on this." I sighed, the metallic tone of my voice vibrating from the mask. "I need to know."

"As you wish, sister." She replied, starting from what she had heard about when I was found.

* * *

"Has my sister come up with a plan yet?" Ryuu teased me gently as we neared the eighteenth floor.

"I'm trying. But my thoughts are... mixed up." I replied. "I know this must be done. I refuse to let the one closest to me, aside from my Goddess, die because I was careless or ... Sigh, stupid words..." I hadn't learned 'indecisive' yet.

"Then what is the issue?" Ryuu asked, peeking around the corner to the last stretch before the eighteenth. "No Goliath." She said.

"They broke me, sister." I replied. "If I didn't have a goal in mind, right now, that is practically burning in my chest, I'd probably be at home, trying not to sleep." I paused, sighing, petting my borrowed tail, "They made sure I was awake for everything, right up until they cut off my tails. And knowing what was needed to put me back together..."

"You asked." Ryuu replied quietly, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll put the biggest thought first then." I said, ears twitching at a drop of water falling some twenty paces off. "I have killed three people, since I started. Phryne, and two of the ones who attacked me." Her hood ruffled, indicating a nod, "Phryne, after I gave myself to my madness, the first Amazon because I panicked on my way to save Lilly, and the second one... Well, I'm not sure I really did that one. My tails, and my unbreakable grip twisted her head off just before they really got started on me."

I was surprised when Ryuu laughed at that, though she squeezed my shoulder to tell me it wasn't at me. "I think... No, I know where you are going with this. Follow me."

So I did. Pushing my magic outwards, I lost the hyper sensitivity of the mask and gained the gold and black vision of the lenses. We ran down the path to the eighteenth, off the first cliff, instead of taking the path to the town, and through the forest. I'd never fully explored this place. Too much going on, but some of it was familiar to me. Where she took me though, wasn't, at all. A secluded little clearing with trees almost making it inaccessible without jumping over or cutting through them. What I saw there surprised me.

It was a grave site.

No other way to describe it. Old and worn weapons were placed, point down, into the dirt. Stones, not of the dungeon, were placed next to them, and a single word, different for each, was carved into each stone.

"This. Is my Familia." She said simply, standing amongst the weapons and stones. Stunned, I stood there, unmoving, as she continued, "Before I started living at the Hostess of Fertility, I was an adventurer, like you, of the Astraea Familia."

"I... I've only heard the name." Greek Goddess, was all I knew of this one.

"I am the last member. My Goddess has left the city as well, out of sorrow for losing almost all of us." Ryuu said, shaking her head, "You've heard of 'Evilus'?"

"In passing. Familia who didn't want to play nice with others." I said, "Wiped out or exiled, though that's all I know."

"The Rudra Familia was part of Evilus, and, for killing my Familia, as the last survivor, I sought revenge." She said, tracing a finger over the hilt of a blade, "Tricks, traps, assassination, I killed them all."

Not wanting to watch her cry, and not wanting to hear it either, I took off my mask, and held it under one arm.

"It was luck that Syr found me, and Mama Mia's kindness that let me survive my wounds. I've been hiding there, as my actions caused... well... No small amount of trouble." I heard her approach me, "I am with you sister. But, unlike me, you have someone to return home to. Do I regret doing what I did? No. But you still have to look at yourself in the mirror when this is done."

Her offer was clear. She was willing to do anything, at all, to help me. But she was reminding me that I still had to live with my choice. So, I chose. "Sister. There are five monsters to hunt. They are smart. They work together as a pack. But, they are sick, and must be put down."

For the life of my love, I'd become a monster.

"Can you tell how close they are now?" She asked.

"Sort of." I replied, putting the mask on again, and fishing in my pocket for the 'yin' side of the token. "One is..." I pointed down, and towards the nearest wall. "It isn't moving either." I pointed more or less towards the base of the giant tree, "The other isn't as far..."

"And Lady Hestia said they were going to the twentieth floor..." She paused, her heartbeat speeding up slightly, "How will you deal with them, then?"

"The token is in the pocket of the one wearing my coat." I said, making to scratch my chin, but being stopped by the mask, "I say, we return the favour. Here's my plan... First, I need some cloud fruit... Actually, a bunch. I'm kind of... really hungry..."

Despite the situation we both laughed quietly.

* * *

Notes!

A little shorter this time. But the next chapter is going to be quite messy. :)

Until next time, dear readers.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 50

After quickly finding, and eating some cloud fruit, we found a little more, and I told her my plan.

"It does seem many people have taken the day off today." Ryuu said after I gave her the rough idea.

"Which is good. But, we have to get past them first." I held one of the juicy fruits in my hand, "Since the air only travels up, not down."

"Have you gotten used to the mask now?" She asked.

"Yes. It takes me only a second to switch... Though, it might be because I'm not well..." my borrowed tail tried to reach my nearest hand, so I met it half way and gave it a little pet. "Doing my best, but if I had to guess, my magic stat would be negative."

"It would be an interesting thing to see... But not the time." Ryuu and I shared a nod.

"So, first, we get past them." I touched the enchanted bit of metal in my pocket, "It seems Wiene has moved a little, but is still that way." I pointed towards the far wall of the eighteenth. "And my coat is down and a little that way. Moving slowly." It was hard to judge distance, but I got the distinct impression it was 'closer' than the other one.

"Very well. I will lead, I still remember the way."

* * *

"Haha, sure that thing hasn't stuck itself to your butt?" One Amazon commented, brushing her hand over the tail she was using as a belt.

"It'd be the most action I've gotten for a while if it did... I think I'd notice." The Amazon wearing Kodori's coat replied, looking behind her. "It's just tied there. Wanted to look convincing, you know."

"Think your little scare worked?" The one with the bite mark asked. "Though, it was fun to hear them scream..." She had a tail around her neck like a scarf.

"With this coat and the hood up? By now, I'm sure the ones we left alive are already telling the guild The Demon Fox has lost her mind." She looked at the blood stained gauntlets, "Have to say, I like these. But needs some spikes or something."

"Shin guards too, I mean, whats the point of adding metal when you don't put something sharp on it?" Another asked, a long black tail hanging from just behind her spear's head.

"Maybe she just liked that feel of contact, you know..." The last one had a tail hanging off her shoulder like a tassel.

"Hmm... Contact..." One of them snerked, "What did Dix say?"

"Needs time to prep." The leader said, "But now that we have a good idea where they are..."

"Kinda wish some of them would look at me, instead of some of those monsters..."

"Yeah... I mean, sure, if you can see past the fangs..."

"Or scales."

"Feathers too."

The dungeon chose that moment to sigh. Warm air from the lower levels rushed past, bringing with it the faint smells from below. Stone, moisture, monsters, dungeon grown vegetation, and something sweet.

"Huh. Smells kinda like a pantry. Was there one around here someplace?"

* * *

Standing by the entrance to the twentieth floor, Ryuu's blossom shaped cape fluttered and was still again. I was kneeling behind her, well clear of the little pit I had punched into the floor and filled with crushed cloud fruit. We had seen no other adventurers on this floor, and with the help of my tracking stone, stayed far out of sight of the one wearing my coat.

"One last thing." I said, taking off the mask and putting it on the ground.

"Hm?"

"Hold still." I said, reaching out to her and finding her shoulder with my hand. "Just making sure I'll know who you are if I can't see."

She giggled quietly, "If you wanted a hug, you could have asked. For luck, sister?"

"For justice." I replied, Haruhime's tail doing its best to join in, "Okay... Time to play the spider..." I took two steps back, knelt, and found the mask, put it on again, then removed my boots. "Don't loose these please? It's my last pair."

"Mama has scolded you often about how fast you go through them..." Ryuu chided, my senses sharpening, making her unique scent, mixed with my own and a little cloud fruit easy to distinguish from the rest of the dungeon.

"You'll know the signal when you hear it." I said with a smile, though it was hidden by the mask.

* * *

"Why does he even have us patrolling anyhow? I mean, we found them, why aren't we attacking yet?"

"Most of the others are out as well, like us."

"What? It's not like they just spawn all the time. I mean..."

"Besides, magic stones are magic stones."

"I suppose. It's just boring, that's all."

"Yeah, fighting, or fucking, that's what I'd rather be doing."

"Speaking of, the dungeon's been pretty quiet today."

* * *

Maybe, who ever put me here in the first place, was actually being kind to me today. Ryuu and I had to stop maybe a half dozen times to clear a path of monsters before we could proceed. Either that, or the Dungeon was just taking a deep breath before playing more of its dirty tricks.

I had predicted the path of the Amazons, using the stone and the scent of moving cloud fruit. Ryuu had moved down another tunnel, making sure my escape path was clear. And, barefoot, I had walked up the wall of the small cavern I was in, and hung upside down from the ceiling, my toes clinging to the stone, grip unbreakable.

Glad for the extra warmth of my boxers, since the pleated skirt of my battle kimono was making me look like some kind of weird flower, I waited, listening, smelling, feeling.

I didn't want to switch to my sight yet. Ryuu had commented that it made me glow. And a spider didn't want to give anything away...

I heard the walls below be crack, blister, crack again, and with a sound like wet gravel hitting the floor, a pair of monsters hit the floor. To my ears, they sounded like those giant beetles, outer carapace and legs clicking as they found their feet and shook off the remnants of the dungeon birthing them.

"Oh, ya hear that? Might get some fighting done at least." I heard from down another hall.

"Spears first, swords to the side!" One of them commanded, the sounds of five pairs of boots stomping into the cavern under me, the two monsters roaring a challenge.

I waited still.

The clack of a spear. A second spear. One sword, a second one, then a sound of cracking carapace as someone punched one of them.

I switched the enchantments, the gold vision of my love's steel showing me the battle under me. Two spears, one for each of the beetles, two swords keeping the beetles shoulder to shoulder and limiting their movement, and the third wearing my equipment, smashing my gauntlets into the rear of one of them.

I waited still.

Then one of the spear women made to thrust her weapon into between the clacking mandibles of one of the beetles. I spotted my tail too, trailing behind the spear point.

I 'crouched', then pushed off as hard as I could, gravity and my own strength making me fall like a comet. Twisting in mid air, I heard the meaty 'chunk' of the spear striking true, just before my feet snapped the shaft.

Both feet on the ground, one hand behind me, fingers touching the fur of one of my tails, I looked forward into the face of the Amazon.

"You're the one who cut off my nose." I said to her, the metal of the mask distorting my voice.

Before anyone could react, my empty hand grabbed her face, fingers flexing slightly. My other hand grabbed my tail, and moving like a piston, I ripped my one hand back, and brought the other forward, ripping off her face, and then caving in her skull like a rotten fruit.

Then I ran. Switching my enchantments again, and following the scent of Ryuu, before the other four Amazons could disengage with the two monsters and chase after me.

* * *

Dix paced. And raved. His fellow Familia members saw him as leader, but only because, despite his apparent madness, he was very strong, and very smart.

Ikelos watched the man pace and mumble to himself. The god was well aware of this man's obsessions, but, he amused him. Dix, with his grubby battle cloth, cruel looking short sword, and smokey quartz goggles, was someone who couldn't help but 'do things'. Even if those things were by and large illegal in the city above.

"I hate waiting." Dix said, continuing to pace. His eyes trailing over to a row of mostly empty cages. "I hate delays." His eyes fell on to one of the occupied ones, holding what looked like a large serpent. "And I hate monsters."

The serpent twitched, and started to sluggishly move to the back of the cage, getting as far away from the man as possible. A thin feminine arm reached out from the scaled coils, and tried to drag itself faster towards its goal. The serpent had a female upper body, that was marked with cuts and bruises, but still, it tried to get away.

"Now now Dix. If you keep abusing them, you'll never sell them. "Ikelos chided as Dix picked up a spear, the head of the weapon cruel. Hooked and curved, this was no tool for hunting, but for inflicting pain. "OH! Huh... Seems one of our newest members just died."

"What?" Dix paused, spear raised to prod at the captive Xenos in the cage. "How, when, who?"

"Just now. Was quite sudden too. One of the Amazons" The God thought a moment, chuckling, "Didn't you send them on patrol?"

"I... Yes. After they told me about the camp." Dix said, putting the spear down and returning to his pacing. "Once some more of our patrols come back. And our teams come down from gathering supplies... Yes... We can sweep through and capture them all! All the ones that will sell, at least... The rest... Maybe... I'll curse them? A perfect distraction! Yes!"

Ikelos smiled as he sat lazily on a crate. Yes, this one was entertaining.

* * *

As planned, I ran away from the four confused Amazons. Still engaged in battle, they could either break away, and possibly have to deal with angry monsters behind them, or, finish what they started and go from there. As I ran past Ryuu, and she sent a burst of wind down the tunnel behind me, I heard no sound of pursuit.

"Success?" Ryuu asked as she caught up to me and we moved to a more secluded area.

Covered in dust, blood, bone and a little brain matter, I held my recovered tail in my hand. It was moving too, sluggishly. "Yes sister... Poor thing needs to be brushed..." Haruhime's tail swished across my back lazily. "Yes, I'm sure once I return, there will be much brushing. And bathing..."

"Here." Ryuu said, snapping her fingers to indicate a sharp turn, "A dark spot."

"Perfect for us and our long ears." I said quietly, "Now... I only know how to remove one of these..." My free hand brushed the fur of my reclaimed tail and found the string that had tied it to the spear head. "Right, this end up..." I mumbled to myself, holding the severed end in one hand, sweeping aside the back of my skirt and finding the base of my borrowed tail. "Play nice now..." I said, making Ryuu laugh quietly, as she helped keep the fabric out of the way. "Maybe I just tou..."

When I was young. Like... Five years old or so. I looked at an electrical socket, and thought to myself, 'I've seen mom and dad put keys in a slot just like this!' Thankfully, I only suffered numbness, pain, and bit of a shock. As my returned tail touched the base of my spine, it was kind of like that. Except instead of my hand, it was my butt, and a lot more intense.

After I was done twitching, I felt the sensation of someone rubbing my back, and the dire need to bathe. "Oh that's... Embarrassing." I groaned as the feeling returned to my limbs. "Keep this a secret between us, sister." I mumbled, chuckling quietly, "A grown woman wetting herself..."

"Well... You are wearing a long skirt?" She said as I stood back up and removed my boxers, taking a moment to push the end of my reclaimed tail through the hole in the back of my kimono. "Have they moved on yet?"

Grumbling at once again going commando, I touched the tracking stone in my pocket. "Yes... And as planed, they are going down the other tunnel." I had flicked my bloody hand down the tunnel Ryuu and I didn't go down, hoping they would notice and try and find me in the wrong direction. "Seems she hasn't figured it out yet."

"And if she has?"

"I'm sure the two of us can take on the four of them... But only if it comes to that." I sighed, the metal of the mask making it sound almost like feedback from a speaker. "Oh... Hello..." I said as my recovered tail wrapped around one of my arms and hugged it. "Yes I missed you too..."

"You talk to them?" Ryuu asked, prompting the tail to visit her.

"Sure." I 'looked' inside myself, at the ember of my magic. It had brightened a little, but also changed. The golden spark now had a dark smoke trailing from it. "Urg... I'm going to have to re-learn my own magic... It's all... mixed up."

"Mixed up?"

"Haruhime tried her magic on me once. It's like my own, except, instead of boosting myself, she boosts someone else. I kind of... exploded." I explained, "This will need time we don't have."

"Don't stray from the plan then." Ryuu said. "The trap with the least parts..."

"Is the most reliable." I finished, touching the tracking stone again and sniffing the air, "Lets go."

* * *

"What the fuck was that?" One of the Amazons asked, "Was that her? How the hell was that her?"

Another one, crouching over the nearly headless Amazon, who was still twitching on the floor said, "Wrong tail... But right size." She picked up her spear again. "That mask... When I saw it I just... couldn't move."

"What we did to her... How could she recover so fast? Two days? Not even?" Another said.

"Yeah, we broke her... She would have needed a team of people to fix her, then... An Elixir!"

The leader nodded, tapping her chin, "Even if it is her, we can still beat her." She laughed, that broken laugh, "We've beaten her twice... Let no one say we leave a job unfinished. If she wants to throw her life away, let her." She looked at the one with the bite mark, "Still have that net?"

"Always."

"Good." She touched the 'Yang' half of the tracking stone.

* * *

I sniffed the air, as we took a route that was more or less two tunnels over from where the other stone was. "The smell is spreading out..." I mumbled, "I think the one with my coat remembered the stone."

"That's fine." Ryuu said calmly. "Shall I?"

"Trade you that last fruit for it?" I replied, offering her the 'Yin' symbol.

* * *

Fruit in hand, I waited. I'd covered the fruit with a bit of mud to mask the sweet smell, so it wouldn't confuse my senses as to where the Amazons were coming from. As per 'plan B', Ryuu was simply wandering around, using her own sense as an experienced adventurer and the stone to keep just out of sight. Meanwhile, I had tucked myself between what seemed to be roots of the great tree from the floor above.

My boot brushed something on the floor, and I knelt down to pick it up. Smooth, with a teardrop shape, the 'point' was wickedly sharp. It was a scale.

"So this is where Bell found you..." I mumbled, tucking the scale away in a pocket.

If all was going to plan, and my sense of smell didn't deceive me, the three Amazons were getting close. Getting into a runner's crouch, I hid between the roots, and waited.

* * *

"You think this will work?" The one wearing the tail as a belt said. "She said to loop around, but where is she?"

Just behind her, the one wearing the black tail around her neck replied, "If memory serves, the next crossroad is where we wait."

The last one, wearing the tail wrapped around her sleeve said, "I'm still... Even with an Elixir... And how she killed..."

"Catch." She heard a metallic voice say.

* * *

Hearing them as they got closer, I tightened my leg muscles until they started to ache. My ears followed them, as the first, then second passed. Switching to my sight, I waited for my vision to fully form, seeing the third one just come into view of my hiding spot.

And I sprung. With all my might I pushed off, my right hand lofting the muddy fruit towards the second one.

"Catch." I said, a moment before my left hand grabbed the wrist of the one in the rear.

With all my speed, I could feel the small bones of her hand crackling under the pressure of my grip. I didn't stop though, even as I dragged her screaming away from the others like some kind of horror movie prop.

What was probably out of reflex, the one I tossed the fruit at sliced it out of the air, spattering cloud fruit juice everywhere. Even as I slammed the one I was holding into the opposite wall with a crack of stone and bone alike, I could hear her swear.

"You." I said to the Amazon's upside down face, as my right hand held her in place against the wall, and my left recovered my tail, "Liked breaking bones."

Coughing blood, she looked at me in horror, as I moved my right hand to her throat, pulled her off the wall, grabbed her leg with my left hand, and slammed her over my knee. I switched the enchantment back to heightened senses and 'stared' the other two down even as I heard the Amazon I'd shattered over my knee die, bone fragments shredding her heart as it beat in terror.

Prize recovered, I pushed the corpse off my knee and dashed away.

* * *

"We..." The two remaining Amazons ran ahead, spotting their leader, "We have to leave... Right now."

The leader turned, seeing only two of her team instead of three. "What are you doing here, the plan..." She touched the stone, feeling the distance grow, except in the opposite direction of the two who were approaching. "There's two of them..."

Then the dungeon walls started to crack.

* * *

I could hear the distant sounds of fighting as I reached under my skirt. Ryuu stood watch as I once again went into an electric shock spasm, and fell to the floor.

"Sounds like the dungeon is starting to take offence at us being here..." Ryuu said quietly as she rubbed my back again, my re-bonded tail looping around her arm, "Yes I'm glad you're back in place too." She said to it.

"See? Now I don't seem crazy." I coughed, my legs taking longer to recover. "Urg... I might need a moment longer... My magic looks like I just added syrup to white batter." I used a cooking analogy, for what I was 'seeing' inside myself.

"Relax... It sounds like they are having a hard time." She kept rubbing my back until I was standing straight again. "Are you able to continue?"

"Yes." I replied, taking a deep breath and slowly fanning my magic, trying to make sense of it. Having basically tripled my magic power in less than an hour, I had to do something with it, or I'd explode.

* * *

"Why! Damn! Get off me!" The one wearing the 'scarf' screamed as she desperately swung her sword. "Help me!"

Covered in cloud fruit juice, the monsters saw her as the tastiest in the room, and even with the other two fighting to thin the mob of sword bugs and killer rabbits, it was like trying to swat a swarm with a baseball bat.

"Get your back to a wall! Damn monsters! Get off her!" The one wearing Kodori's tail as a belt stabbed and kicked, working as best she could with the leader. Even with less than half their number, they were still the Berbera, Ishtar's best.

Blood was starting to flow now. In typical monster fashion, they fought without care for themselves, only wanting to get to the 'food'.

"I believe you have something I want." A deep metallic voice said from the tunnel behind them.

"Shit! That's her!" The belted one said, half in a panic. "We can not deal with this!"

"AH!" The one wearing the scarf screamed as a sword bug slipped past the other two, and slammed into her shoulder. Furiously, the bug started to claw and bite, the fruit flavoured skin gushing blood as it ripped through the leather armour.

* * *

Even after I called down the tunnel and heard one of them scream in pain, I took my time getting there. Not being covered in cloud fruit, like they were, I was fairly certain I'd be unhindered, or at least not as high up on the monster's list of things to eat. When I did get to the room, I could smell the black ash of monsters, and the bright metallic scent of blood. My ears picked up the sound of running boots and scuttling feet as the last two Amazons ran from me.

Taking a deep breath and changing the 'colour' of my magic, I could see again, in gold and black. There, against the wall, amid a scattering of magic stones, a dropped sword and still dying monsters, was one of the Amazons. Wearing one of my tails as a scarf, she wasn't moving. Carefully, I made my way across the room, using my boots to crush the head of any still twitching monster. When I made it to her, my gold flooded sight noticed a scar at her collar bone, barely visible from the blood that had spilled from her missing throat.

"Ironic." I said as I knelt down, "That you were the one who wanted me to watch as you fed my cut off bits to monsters." I reached for my tail, the amputated appendage sluggishly coming to life as my fingers brushed it. "Out of all of you, I have to at least say I'm sorry."

"Remorse, sister?" Ryuu asked behind me, her weapon drawn, even though the room was clear.

"She was the one I bit." I said, closing the dead Amazon's eyes, "That, I've always felt bad about."

"And the last two? I think..." She touched something under her robe, "They are heading up. If they get to Rivira, it may cause trouble."

"I overheard them say they'd pretended to be me, with my equipment and tail. If they were to go there, they'd be falling into the trap they made for me." I stood, then knelt again, picking up a neatly stored net that was hooked onto the Amazon's belt. "But, if they are going up, then that will save us time for the return trip."

* * *

"We can't go to the town."

"No... Damnit, and the nearest exit for us is on the far side of level eighteen..." The one wearing Kodori's coat said, "This shouldn't have happened! We broke her! No one could love something like that!"

"We have to wash this scent off us too! Wait, her tails! What if we just give them back! I don't want to have my face ripped off!"

The leader gave the panicking Amazon a sharp slap across the face, "And you call yourself one of the Berbera! We can run, but we do not 'give back' a trophy of war!"

"Then lets run! Please!" She replied, holding her reddened cheek.

"Yes, please, run." That metallic voice said from behind them, on the ramp down to level nineteen.

* * *

Ryuu and I spared no effort as we ran to catch up to them. Using the sightless enchantments on my mask, she was running ahead of me until I could hear their distant conversation. Switching back to my eyes, I sped up just a little, the two of us switching places.

"Then lets run! Please!" The one wearing my tail as a belt said desperately, holding her cheek with one hand, her spear with the other.

"Yes, please run." I said, "Or not..."

I must have done a really good job with the 'menacing' enchantment on the mask. Not for the first time today, I'd frozen them with a look. I could make out both their heartbeats hammering in their chests, and hear the reluctant movement of leather and scale as they tried to push past the fear.

Finally, the one one wearing my tail as a belt broke, her knees hitting the ground. With a brief noise of ruffling fur, something was thrown at my feet as I got closer. "Take it! Take it! Please don't kill me!"

Still 'looking' at the two of them, I heard the other swear, "Fucking rookie! Fine, stay and die!" There was a sound of impact, and a heavy thump as the one who surrendered was kicked prone. This was followed by a pair of boots making a hasty retreat.

I knelt slowly, my ears tracking the groaning body still on the ground. My severed tail found its own way to me, brushing against my hand and prompting me to pick it up. I shivered as it curled itself around my arm like some sort of furry snake, and I smiled under the mask. "You." I said, making the Amazon on the ground whimper, "Liked to hit me with those iron rods..." I got within kicking distance, and was about to bring my foot back to kick her.

"Sister." Ryuu said from behind me. "For justice?"

Sighing, I held my hand back towards her, and caught the 'Yin' half of the tracking stone. Holding it in my fist, I unhooked the net from my belt and kind of dropped it artlessly on the fallen Amazon. "Stay there, or I will be very disappointed when I find you again."

Uncaring whether she actually obeyed me, I sniffed the air and ran after my coat.

* * *

It had all gone so WRONG.

Panic and desperation fuelled her as she ran towards the entrance to Dix's caverns. She knew the keystone would let her in, and anyone not directly beside or behind her wouldn't be able to enter, let alone see the entrance. But first she had to get away.

Weaving through the forest, she found and crushed any cloud fruit she could find. As best she could in her haste, she emptied the pockets of the coat and tossed it aside. Next went the tracking stone. Then her shirt. She couldn't take off the tight scale pants without stopping, so she found one of the many streams, and did a shallow dive into it. The cold water almost made her muscles cramp up, but as she surfaced, she was fairly sure she had done enough to wash off what ever that damned fox was tracking her with.

"F-fucking monster..." She mumbled, shivering slightly as she oriented herself again, and started running once more.

* * *

"Funny." I said as I stepped out from behind a tree in front of her. "I was about to say the same about you."

"What?! How?" She stopped short, her feet sliding on the grass as she nearly tripped.

"I simply found high ground, and waited." I pointed over her shoulder to the little plateau I had fought and nearly killed Moldo, on. "Once you chose a direction, I simply jumped."

She was naked to the waist, with only a belt, a pouch, sword and my gauntlets. I knew where my coat was, so finding my last tail wasn't an issue, the tracking stone was simple too. I had turned my sight back on, so she wasn't as slow to react as I took a step forward.

"You should have just let Ishtar have you!" She shouted at me, drawing her sword.

My borrowed tail swished lazily back and forth, while my returned ones went still, like a cat ready to pounce, "She offered an empty love, fill of lust, but empty of substance." I took another step, readying myself, both hands open.

"How would you know? You rejected her! If you hadn't come, Haruhime would have died, and we would have overthrown Freya with the power she granted us!"

I didn't even bother to reply to that, instead I said, "You know, I should have just left you in that building to burn. After you tortured me like that, I really should have. But, the love of a friend stopped me from becoming something I hate."

She roared incoherently at me, leaping and swinging her sword. It wasn't a bad swing, but it might as well have been sent by mail.

Dodging, I continued, "It was the love of Haruhime, my Goddess, my Familia, that put me back together after you tortured me again."

"SHUT UP! YOU KNOW NOTHING OF LOVE!" She screamed at me.

"You broke me. And you even cut out my tongue so I couldn't kill myself and end it." I slapped the sword out of her hand as she got sloppy trying to stab me. "But, even as I was being put back together, I could feel the love of my Goddess, holding my memory close and praying for me."

She was beyond words at this point as I used hard trained skill and what was at least a level and a half of difference to simply dodge her increasingly clumsy attacks.

So I ended it. Drawing back my fist, I slapped her next punch away with enough force to spin her around. Her back to me, I very deliberately punched her as hard as I could, grabbing her shoulder to brace her for the full impact.

I looked over her shoulder, as she looked down at my bloody fist. Opening my hand, I said into her ear, "Oh, I guess you don't need a magic stone, to be a monster." Obviously unable to reply, I let her fall, shaking her once to help her fall off my arm.

* * *

"Sister?" Ryuu said beside me as we walked back to the surface.

I had used the net to carry my coat and pants, as well as what ever else the last Amazon had. It was slung over my shoulder, five of my tails curling around it, the last one visiting Ryuu. "I will deal with it later." I said, looking ahead of us to the Amazon who surrendered. "You."

Acting oddly for an Amazon, but considering the day she almost had end abruptly... She stopped in her tracks, her spine straightening like someone had run ice down it. "Y...yes?"

"Can you wash dishes?"

"...Yes?"

"Cook?"

"A little."

"Laundry?"

"I always have clean socks?" Her nervousness was slowly becoming confusion.

"Really, sister?" Ryuu asked me, though she was smiling slightly.

"Best place I know for women who need a place to start over." I replied.

"What...?" The Amazon started.

"You are going to tell who ever the Guild sends, everything. Then, you are going to work, and stay the *swat* ... Heck out of the way of what ever mess is going on." I looked behind me, the golden tail swishing back and forth amidst the other five tails. "Understood?"

"So you're not going to kill me?" She asked.

"No. You proved to me you weren't just a mindless monster." I looked to Ryuu, the golden outline of her face nodding to me, "Once you start working however, I'll be the least of your problems if you step out of line."

I looked to Ryuu, took a half step over to her, gave her a hug, that included all but the shorter gold furred tail, and stepped back, "Sister. I leave her in your care. I have to get home."

"Wait until tomorrow, at least, before you ask her." She said, making my face heat up under the mask, "Be well, I'll visit soon."

"Be well." I replied, gripping her forearms, then letting go and running.

* * *

Notes

*ahem* So yes. An appropriately bad end, to an appropriately bad group of people? Did I make my ULTRAVIOLENCE rating? Is there even such a thing?

I'm sure you can guess some of what happens in the next chapter, but well, keep reading anyhow? Please? :)


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 51

I hadn't kept track of time while I was 'hunting' for my lost tails. I'd left around nine in the morning, and the trip to the eighteenth, and the light from the giant crystal inside the cavern, told me it was around noon when Ryuu and I got started. As I ran the familiar paths towards the exit, I passed some groups of adventurers as they too were making their way back up.

For the most part, I completely ignored them. I had one more stop before I could go home, and hoped Eina would be there so I didn't have to find Royman. Aside from a very quick dip in a stream after I'd recovered and reattached my last tail, I was still covered in a lot of evidence that the monsters I hunted weren't from the dungeon. The less interaction I had with others, the better.

Luck was with me, and the sun was just setting as I dashed out of the tower. People were giving me strange looks, and more than one person said something that included 'Demon Fox' in the sentence. But again, I was hardly paying attention. Eina would either be just getting ready to leave, or maybe dealing with one last person.

And she was. She had just waved goodbye to that last person, giving him, a large Conan look alike, her best smile. I had to push past, and apologize to a couple of people as made my way to her.

"Sorry, pardon, emergency..." I said as I made my way through the lineup. "Eina." Even at level four, running twelve floors of dungeon after a high stress mission had left me out of breath. I couldn't keep talking for a moment as I stopped in front of her and simply panted.

"Kodori! What's wrong? Slow down, breathe." She noticed my clothes, her eyes widening, "Did something happen? And why are you out of bed?"

"No time. It's not mine." I said, my mask making the words sound just as sinister as it was. I took another moment to get my breath back, hearing people behind me start muttering, "Eina, talk to Royman." I whispered, "Tell him, they've been found. He'll know who, and hopefully pass it along quickly."

"I'll... Pass that along." She said, blinking at me, "You should really get home... You look terrible."

"I feel terrible too. Thank you, visit soon." I said, turning and excusing my way straight back the way I'd come.

* * *

I was nearly home when I got another surprise. "Hello there, Miss Demon Fox." I dimly remembered the voice, belonging to Finn, the Pallum captain for Loki Familia. "Have a moment to chat?"

"Not right this second, no." I answered as he fell into step easily beside me, having no trouble with what would have been considered record breaking back on Earth.

"I really must insist." He said, passing me and looking over his shoulder at me, his easy going expression clear in my gold coloured vision.

"So talk. I have to get home." I replied, making a turn, only to have him catch up a half second later, and resume his slightly ahead position.

"A bit earlier today, we got a request from someone, to track you down. Seems you were causing a bit of trouble just past the eighteenth. Something about a half dozen dead adventurers." It was hard to tell with my vision being mostly one colour, but it looked like his expression was hardening. "Could you please, stop? I mean, I could just stop you... Hello?"

I'd put on a burst of speed, and just scooped up the Pallum. He was unarmed, and not even armoured, but thankfully he didn't resist. I knew he was level six, and could probably have sent me right back to the infirmary with hardly any effort. "You're invited for tea after I get home. But seriously, I can not stop."

Even with me running so fast, he didn't upset my balance at all as he moved around and cling to my back, over the pile of my netted equipment. "Life or death then?"

"And more."

* * *

"You know, I've never actually been here." Finn commented as I got inside, hopping off my back as I kicked off my boots, "Loki always took Ais to those parties Apollo had."

"Hello the house!" I called out, "Anyone!" I walked forward two steps, stopped, turned, "Boots off please, guest slippers are there." I pointed to a shelf filled with slippers of various sizes, "Or borrow Lilly's. Seems they are still out." I said, continuing on.

"Kodori! You're... Covered in blood. What happened?" Hestia came in from the dining room side of the main hall, "And you're... Finn?"

"Yes, Lady Hestia." Finn said with perfect formality. "I'm here to ask Miss Kodori some questions on a certain matter. But she was insistent I wait."

"For good reason, Mr. Finn." Hestia replied, then to me, "Aisha is with her in your room."

I almost fell over at hearing those words. I'd made it, she was still alive, and Hestia wasn't giving me any bad news about it.

"Thank you. Could you be the best Goddess ever, and put on some tea? And my secret cookie box is behind the pots and pans we never use."

"You have secret cookies? How mean..." She pouted at me, making Finn laugh, "This way Mr. Finn, I'll tell you a little about what's been going on."

"Thank you. Don't leave without talking to me, Miss Kodori." He called after me as I took the stairs two at a time.

* * *

"Holy crap you look terrible." were Aisha's first words to me as I almost unhinged the door opening it. "And easy on the door... I'd say be quiet, but well..."

The larger woman was leaning against the low table, bed and blankets arranged under and around her. Haruhime was laying against her chest, her golden hair and ears covering most of the Amazon's upper body. "It's been a long day. Can you get her to the bath? It might be a little messy." I looked around the room, tossing my bundle of reclaimed equipment haphazardly by the coat rack it usually hung from. "Could she eat? Made any motions? Body temperature?"

"We got a little broth into her, and she kept it down, along with a couple of those pills. But she's been like this all day." She lifted Haruhime easily and made it to the door, "You think this will work?"

"If it doesn't I'll ask Mikoto to be my second." I told her, looking around the room for a moment, and finding the simple curved knife. "You'll have to do it." I said as I followed her.

"Oh right, you and the weapons... I've wondered about that. No weapons at all?"

"I only get away with wearing armour because it is protecting me from hurting myself, while I hit things." I replied, "That's my... idea? Idea about it?"

"Theory." Aisha said with a chuckle, "Okay... Put you here, gentle gentle..." Aisha put her down, leaning her carefully against one of the cleaning stalls, "Strip her down I guess?"

"And make sure the bath is warm." I said, stripping down as well, "I hope I can get the blood out of this. It was comfortable."

"Not a mark on you." Aisha commented as she carefully lowered Haruhime into the water. "I take it the job is done?"

"One survivor." I said, watching her reaction as I handed her the knife, "Animals don't surrender. But next time you go to the Hostess, be nice to her."

She frowned as she accepted the knife, but nodded. "Right. Turn around so I can get her whoa!"

My tails, more or less just shifting back and forth in that constant balancing act, went totally insane as Aisha reached for the out of place tail. They didn't attack her, but they flailed about and whipped themselves at her to keep her away. Haruhime's tail however, had ducked between my legs and wrapped itself as best it could around one of them.

"Okay..." I said, looking behind myself. "Hold on, I'll ask I suppose."

Aisha backed up a little, and my tails relaxed, though Haruhime's tail stayed where it was.

"Well, um..." I thought a moment, then said, "I need a volunteer."

Five black tails stuck straight out, like a group of kids wanting to answer a question for their favourite teacher. I could even imagine them saying 'mee mee!' as my balance was nearly lost with their sudden motion.

"Well if you ALL go, I'll be back to where I was this morning. And poor Haruhime wouldn't know what to do with you all."

Reluctantly, they lowered, until only one remained.

"Now, Aisha is going to use that sharp thing there, and move you over. The rest of you, be nice."

The reply from the 'committee' was the other four tails wrapping around my front, so I could hug them. Aisha was trying not to laugh, but failing.

"Right... As close to my skin as you can." I told her, "Then, place the end against the little lump at the base of her spine."

"He he... ha, yeah. Hold still..." Aisha replied, very carefully taking hold of the offered tail, giving it a pet as it wrapped around her arm, and with a very brief, and cold sensation, it was simply... Gone.

When the Amazons cut off my tails the first time, I was pretty much a person shaped bag of broken bones and missing bits. But, now that I was calm, and ready for it, the sensation was... like my internal temperature had just dropped, the 'capacity' for magic that the tail held simply vanishing from my body. I had to hug my remaining tails tightly just to stay standing, but after a moment of vertigo I regained my balance, and could let my tails go. I could feel a little trickle of blood make its way between my butt cheeks, but there was no actual pain.

Then Haruhime groaned.

The world kind of stopped mattering to me about then.

At some point, I felt the weight of the mask being lifted off my head, but I was too busy hugging Haruhime in the warmth of the bath. I think Aisha excused herself at some point, but it was only when I felt Haruhime's hands start to wander around my back did I really notice anything else. She was alive.

"Ko-san... Gently... feel so weak..." She mumbled to me, "what... when? How long?"

Easing up a little, I sat her sideways on my lap and supported her back and legs. I realized I couldn't see, but I was fine with that. "Sorry... It's been a... rough day. If I wasn't so happy, I'd give you to Hestia for punishment." Using my cheek to touch her face, I kissed her forehead, "It's early evening, around sun down. It took me a couple of hours to wake up after you gave me your tail. And with Ryuu's help, I got back my own tails."

"That's good." I could hear the smile in her voice, "I feel so tired... and... different..."

"Um... About that..." It was easier to control my tails when my eyes were closed, and being blind was about the same. "Your tail decided it wanted to stay. So you have one of mine."

There was a moment of silence, a quiet splash, a second one, then, "Oh... Hm... It... has a bite out of it?"

"It umm... Kind of got nibbled on by monsters." I replied.

"You kids okay in there?" Aisha called from the change room. "I brought some clothes, and that Finn guy from Loki Familia is still waiting downstairs."

"Yeah... Seems the leader decided to play the Demon Fox, while in my coat." I said to Haruhime, then "Sure! Just umm... I still can't see."

"Can't see? Then how?" Haruhime asked, her body moving slowly. I helped her stand, and held my hand out to support her as she got out of the bath.

"It was your tail. We'll both have to re-learn to use our magic. It's... added some colour to mine. And that's what made the eyes on the mask work." I explained, standing up.

"That's what I'm feeling... Oh hello, yes I'll dry you soon." She said, probably to her new tail, "Here, careful." She took my hand and guided me across the room.

"Towel for you, and you, and... oh hello to you too, thank you for that..." I heard Aisha say as she handed me a towel. Followed by a wet noise and the sound of dripping water, "And towel for me. This is going to take a little getting used to. Your tail is huge on her."

"Well, we'll always be together now." Haruhime said, her voice muffled by what was probably the towel going over her head.

"Unless Nazza has come back, I'm going to need that mask again..." I said, patting myself dry, "And a little help dressing. I've already had to get breezy on my adventure today."

"I'll drain the tub for you, then get my things together." Aisha said with a chuckle. "It's a loose knit Familia, but I do have to report in occasionally."

"You've been a big help." I said, Haruhime helping me put my shirt on the right way. "Visit any time."

"Yes!" Haruhime said, her voice smiling, "I know where Ko-san keeps all her secret cookie boxes."

"If I could see you, I'd poke your nose." I said.

* * *

"You look considerably better than an hour ago." Finn said as Haruhime and I entered the dining room. "Though, I'm curious why you're still wearing the mask."

"You've heard about what happened... three days ago? Two?" I asked. The gold and black vision only let me see 'most' of the details. It was kind of like a television with the sharpness turned way down.

"Lady Hestia did tell me. You were captured and injured quite badly. It's a shame you don't have a healer among your two Familia." Finn took a sip of tea as I sat down, Haruhime sitting next to me and filling teacups for us.

"It was worse than that." I said, removing the mask, my world going black. "I've been told it took five people more than a day and a half to undo the damage they did, and an Elixir to actually heal me. My eyes, as you can see, are whole, but..."

I heard him lean forward. "Yes... Well, I suppose that answers half of what I came to ask."

"I told you she didn't do it." Hestia said, "Hey no hugs you're still wet." I felt her swat at a couple of my tails as they tried to visit.

"You have a certain reputation, and the client was well, rather distressed." Finn said, the chair creaking slightly as he leaned back.

"The ones who did this to me... The leader was wearing my equipment, and had one of my tails tied to the rear." I answered. "Former Berbera, they had a grudge against myself, Bell, Haruhime and Aisha."

"Had?" Finn asked.

"Had." I answered.

"I see..." Then, "Well, nothing for it I suppose."

"Actually..." I held up a hand, almost knocking my teacup over, but Haruhime rescued it, "Thank you. Ahem, actually, so long as you respect Mama Mia's policy about her girls. I left one alive. Ask her about Ikelos. The black market. And unofficial dungeon entrances."

"Oh my." Finn said, "Sounds like a story... We've been looking into those topics for a little while now."

"So I've been told." I smiled, "There is more, but, we can't say." I motioned to either side of me to indicate my Goddess and Familia, "Come back later maybe, and ask the right questions though..."

He was silent, but I could easily imagine his childlike face looking thoughtful. I couldn't fully trust him, or Loki Familia. I knew they were 'the good guys', to a point. I didn't know how open minded they were, or how much they knew about the dungeon born. If he wanted to know more, he'd have to know the right questions to ask, before I told him more.

"I understand." He said finally, the sound of a stone teacup tapping the table. "Thank you, Lady Hestia, for the tea and cookies. I'll be sure to talk, politely, with the new girl at the Hostess of Fertility." His chair moved back, "Oh, almost stepped on you, little fellow. What an adorable critter you are."

I heard him put Chime down on the table, and felt the little rabbit hop over to me and headbutt the back of my hand as I held the teacup, "Yes Chime, I can't see you, but I'm happy you're here. Stay Safe, Finn." I said, "Oh, and let Miss Loki I might need to talk to her some time soon."

"I'll do that. Good day." I listened to his retreating footsteps and only relaxed when I heard the big double doors at the front of our home open, then close again.

"That went... well." I said with a sigh, "I'd really like to just..."

I heard the big doors open again, then close, Nazza's voice echoing through the halls, "Hello!"

"Well, seeing is nice too." I said with a sigh.

* * *

After exchanging some hellos and the like, Nazza had me sitting on a short backed chair and leaning my head way back. Ears flat against my head, Nazza was using her belly to keep me in place as she held open one eye.

"Now, this might sting." She said, "But, unless that Elixir was defective, this will clear your eyes up."

'Might' sting was an understatement. It felt like someone had poured salt into my eye, but as the granular feeling spread, light started to creep back into my vision. Hugging my tails, I endured as she added a second, then a third drop to that eye, each one adding a little more. First undefined light, then colour, then brightness, then with a fourth drop, it was like I'd never been hurt.

I mean, except for what felt like rock salt rolling around on my eyeball.

"Easy easy..." Nazza mumbled to me. "You're a new alchemist, so you haven't had this done yet. But if it's any comfort, it doesn't feel as bad the next time." My single eyed world dimmed a little as the laid back face of the Chienthrope leaned down to look into my eye, "Colour is back to what it was. Good good. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd miss that eye colour."

There was a giggle off to my left.

"I am so making goggles for everyone." I mumbled, hugging my tails a little tighter, "Can I wash this out yet?"

"I'll get that... Thank you." Nazza said as I saw her accept a clean cloth. "Can't actually wash it out, but I can draw the excess out like so..." She touched the cloth to the corner of my eye drawing away the liquid.

"Well, I can see." I said, my now good eye working naturally to clear itself again. "Tears are happening too."

"Good." Nazza replied, moving her head around a moment while gazing into my eye. "Right, now the next one."

It was much the same, enduring a second dose of rock salt eyewash. But after it was done, and Nazza gave me a last look, she moved back and I sat up properly again. "Now, no actual water in the eyes for a little while." She said, "If the itch lasts more than an hour, cut some onions or something to speed up your natural tear production." She explained.

"Yup, goggles. Or something to save the rest of my Familia from that kinda feeling. Bleh." I mumbled, blinking rapidly and looking about the room.

Haruhime was standing behind Hestia, who was holding Chime, the three of them looking at me hopefully. Haruhime's new tail was wagging happily behind her as I smiled at them. "Best alchemist." Haruhime said.

"Well... Not really." Nazza said, moving from behind me and standing so the four of us could see each other. "Because my Familia isn't big enough, and I don't adventurer anymore, I'll never be anything but a minor potion seller."

"You were there when it mattered." I said, "I heard you were able to keep me from bleeding out while the others fixed everything."

"Remember all those goblin teeth?" Nazza said, her tail swishing once, "It was really just a powder to slow bleeding, but it was all I could think of to help." She held the elbow of her silver arm, something I noticed she did a lot. "Those pills you made are really amazing though."

"You should learn to cook." I replied, "Ha-chan taught me how to make moon cakes. It's where I got the idea."

"Moon cakes?" Nazza asked.

"It's something from back home." Haruhime said, "It's like a cake you can see through. There's a simple powder you add to turn the liquid batter into a solid."

"And I just added a little of that, and let a potion drip through the... Retort? Alembic? I'm sure you'll figure it out, if Ha-chan wants to share her cooking secret with you." I said, watching Nazza's tail swish about again. I made eye contact with Haruhime, and she perked up.

"Yes, I'd be happy to." She replied, offering a hand to Nazza, her new black tail going to visit. "Hm, um, sorry."

"I'm used to it, lead the way." Nazza replied as the black tail perched on her arm for attention.

After they were gone, I looked at Hestia, "Lady Hestia, I am tired." I said quietly.

She stood up and put Chime down on the table, crossing the two steps to me and putting a hand on my head. "You've had a rough time." Her hand didn't pet, or play with my hair or ears. "You should sleep. Bell... I wonder when they will get back?"

Unable to help myself, I reached my arms around and hugged my Goddess, hiding my head under her divine bust. "I'd expect..." I sniffled, "After dark, around midnight." I couldn't help the tears now, but I tried to keep talking, "My coat is in my room, I could... Wiene is still a secret..."

"Shh... I'll check myself..." Now she was petting my head, her free arm around my shoulders.

* * *

I didn't know how long I cried, but after I started, I just couldn't keep it together. With the return of my sight, it felt like I'd finally become myself again. But now, instead of darkness, whenever I blinked, I saw little flashes of what had been done to me. I'd be able to hold it down later, but I was just so tired.

I dimly remembered the smell of cooking, Chime leaning her tiny weight against my forearm, and someone patting my back.

Then, "Oh... I think they are close?" It was Hestia.

Senses returning, I lifted my head off my arms. I'd probably passed out at the table. The blanket over my back added to my theory. My eyes didn't burn, but they felt dry. "mmyeh?" I tried to say.

"Oh, Ko-san..." Haruhime was by my side in a moment, her tail visiting while mine did the same. "Oh that's going to take getting used to..." She said, hugging my arm and shoulder as I sat up and blinked at the world. "You're better at this... Are they close?" She put both tracking stones into my hand and closed my fingers around them.

Mind still foggy, I leaned into her and 'felt' what the paired Yin and Yang tokens were telling me. "Still... In the dungeon. Maybe... Level two? Three?" I mumbled, "Feels about right..." I put the tokens down on the table, "What... Did you cook pasta?" I sniffed the air, "But that's on my night to cook."

"Well..." Hestia started, standing and gathering us both up in a hug, "Since you missed your night, and everyone's been out for a day, you can cook it this time next week." She gave us both ear pats too, "So if they are that close, help me set the table."

"Yes, Lady Hestia." We both said together.

* * *

When they returned, it was like they were holding in all the noise they wanted to make. It reminded me of when we brought Wiene home. We'd done well, but couldn't actually be happy about it until we were safe.

When I greeted them at the door, it was a bit overwhelming. Seeing me, the dragon girl broke her 'ask for hug' routine and jumped into my arms. The liquid black robe she was wearing keeping her scales from poking me as I hugged her back. Everyone else had to wait until she'd let me go, before also giving me a hug. Or a pat on the back. Or a fist bump.

"So how did it go?" I managed to ask as they finally got their collective boots off and out of the front hall.

"It was amazing!" Wiene started, "So many of them, and different too!"

"We met the harpy again, and a siren, a really big hell hound, a spider lady, and..."

"They have lots of space down there too! And..."

I must have looked like I was herding a bunch of school kids, as I stood in the middle of the procession. Only Marius was taller than me, but he was at the back of the line, keeping silent and dutifully putting his 'carry' equipment away, along with straightening out everyone else's as they jammed it more or less where it was supposed to go. Packs, potions, odds and ends, anything not armour or weapon was put in the 'carry' equipment storage, but with all the excitement, the big soldier was the only one actually doing it properly.

As they talked through dinner, the pasta not really touching the hunger I felt, I sorted out the random seeming sentences and mentally put together 'the picture'.

They had been there a while. The lizard man, Lido, wasn't the strongest, but he was the 'oldest' of them. And from what I gathered, not the most 'intelligent' but had the farthest reaching mind. Good at planning, remembering, making sure things got done in the right order. A leader.

Just over half of them could actually speak. Like Chime, who was smart, and able to think like any of us, their mouth and voice box just didn't do 'human'. They were perfectly capable of making themselves understood, even if all they could do was grunt, or bark, or squeak.

They had a dragon. I hope it didn't mind I wore one of its cousin's skin as armour.

Ever since being 'discovered' by Fels and Ouranos, they had been getting little bits of surface equipment to improve 'quality of life'. Simple tools, lamps, etc etc. Their equipment however was salvaged or stolen. One of them, a goblin wearing a red cap, had actually found Marius's old armour and done something with it.

They do their best to scare off adventurers, and not kill them. But they also don't introduce themselves to just anyone.

The last one was the most interesting. They didn't level up like adventurers, but could eat magic stones to get stronger.

"Well." I said between mouthfuls, "I'll admit to being wrong about a few things then."

"Oh? So the fox is only wise sometimes?" Welf quipped.

"I thought they would be more feudal. Might makes right. But they seem to have their act together." I ate a bit more, "I hope Eina was able to deliver my message."

"Message?" Bell asked, nudging the basket of dinner rolls my way.

"The leader of the Former Berbera, was wearing my coat and trying to make me look bad." I held up a hand to stall comments, "That's been mostly dealt with." my tails temporarily abandoned Haruhime, and waved behind me for emphasis, "But, they found the tracking stone. I'm almost sure the entrance you used has been found."

I was pleased to hear everyone sound unhappy about this. The situation itself was bad, but each and every one of the two Familia was concerned for the Xenos.

"So Miss Kodori told Miss Eina, who told Mr. Royman?" Lilly asked. "I wonder if I'll ever meet Fels? He sounds mysterious."

I spotted Hestia shiver a little at the name.

"We can hope." I said, finally feeling the edge of my hunger smooth out a little.

Dinner was mostly quiet from that point on, until, "So umm..." Bell started, "Why does Miss Haruhime have your tail?"

So I told them about my day. Leaving out what I hoped was the obvious parts of the 'over my dead body' situation of how I got them back. "That reminds me." I said, looking to Hestia, "Ha-chan did something very silly."

Ceremoniously, Hestia got out of her chair, and gave Haruhime a Karate Chop of Justice. Then gave me one too.

The pair of us rubbed our foreheads, for show really, and did our best to look repentant.

"This also reminds me." I started, finally pushing my plate away, "Next time anyone goes to the Hostess, try and be polite to the new girl. I'm sure that under Mia's care, she will no longer do anything like this again."

That one got a mixed reaction, but thankfully no one did more than grumble a little.

"And..." Bell looked hesitant again, "How are you feeling?"

I didn't want to lie, so I dodged that question, "Well, I'm not hungry anymore." I probably ate about twice what anyone else did. "And hoping we can get the pool done before any more stu*swat*... emergencies happen." I looked over my shoulder at the golden tail, sticking straight up threateningly, daring me to swear.

Haruhime giggled at my sigh, and stood, starting to clear plates.

* * *

I should have been exhausted. Long surgery, a few hours of actual sleep to recover from mind down, a long day of what amounted to bloody revenge, and an epic meal. But, even with Haruhime's soft body curled into mine, I just couldn't shut my eyes long enough to actually sleep. I'd considered sneaking out of bed to find Welf's hidden bottle of... what ever it was he drank. But I knew that would be the start of a long and terrible downward spiral. So I endured.

I did however, between what felt like really long and horror filled eye blinks, see something amazing. It started with a little twitch of Haruhime's tail. Extra long, black, with little bits of fur missing from its mishandling, it looked sort of out of place on her. But, with a second twitch, I noticed that one of the missing bits of fur wasn't actually missing, it was splitting.

Slowly, like watching a snake shed its skin, the single tail twitched and swayed, each time the gap between the two ends managing to widen slightly. Curious, I moved my hand closer to the end, and had one of the two halves latch on to my wrist, while the other tried to sway in the other direction. Not wanting to wake her, I didn't do more than that, but after what felt like an hour, the single tail had become two.

"Congratulations." I whispered into her ear. Her only response was to curl up a little more.

* * *

She was both alarmed and pleased at what she woke up to the next morning. Not only did she have two tails, which if legend was true, signified she now held much more magical power than before, they were still exactly the same length.

"Well, now I get to brush your tails longer?" I tried to cheer her up as she fumbled with her workout clothes. "Oh, let me help with that..." I said, getting a little pair of scissors, "I think we should skip normal practise today."

She watched as I carefully widened the little hole for her tails to fit through, "I agree... I feel..." She held one of her tails, then the other when it acted left out, "Like my magic is the wrong shape."

"And a lifetime of getting your tail to listen to you is gone?"

"That too."

We continued getting dressed until she took hold of one of my tails, "Oh... It got longer. Yes I'm happy you're happy where you are." She pet her old tail, "It's not quite at long as the others..."

"It will help me balance." I said, looking behind me, "It was so weird with only one tail again."

"I'm happy I could help." She said, looking up at me, "Fels... He visited after you'd been healed." I nodded, remembering the bit of paper in the mask, "He told me I knew how to fix you, but I'd have to trust you."

"I'm... Not sure how to feel about that." I admitted, "I mean... I know what prolonged mind down will do to a person. But if I failed..." I gave myself a last look over, to make sure I had all my arms and legs in the proper holes in my clothes, then did the same for her. "But I'm... Really happy you trusted me."

She gave me a hug then, and for that instant, I wasn't afraid to close my eyes.

"Let's get to the field." I said, wiping away a tear, first from my eye, then hers.

* * *

We sat side by side, with Takemikazuchi standing beside us, holding a bamboo sword. The two of us were trying to meditate, and get a feel for our magic again. Back in the dungeon, while I was collecting my tails, I'd felt like I'd eaten too much, or drank too much and was trying to hold it in. All that magic, with no where to go. But, when I tried to use it for my usual self boost, it started to feel like that time Haruhime used her spell on me.

Not wanting to explode in the middle of my adventure, I simply held it back. My body adjusted to the increased capacity for magic, but it was really uncomfortable.

I suspected, Haruhime was going through something similar now. Just as her tail added a little 'colour' to the glowing ember inside me, I was sure my tail, or tails? Were doing the same.

"This is not really my area of study, so to speak." The War God said behind us, "But, you." He thumped the leather wrapped point of the sword near my hip, "Say your magic has a new colour." I nodded, and he thumped the floor next to Haruhime, "And you say it is now a different shape." She nodded as well, "So, I would like you to close your eyes, and imagine a room. The walls, grey as a stormy sky. Dark, yet lit from behind by the sun."

He waited a moment, "Now. Picture how you imagine your magic to be. And simply observe it. Do not fight it, do not try and make it how it was. Simply look."

The smoky beast, inside the cage I'd built, appeared, back lit by the stormy sky. I'd always pictured it in a dark room. Lit only by the light it shed. But now, the vaguely fox like shape inside that cage was traced with gold. Instead of a dim purple flame with blue tips, the edges had a very distinct gold outline.

It felt no less powerful. If anything, if felt like I had a little more power than when this mess started. But it felt... It looked... sharper. Clearer. Less chaotic.

Takemikazuchi tapped the end of the sword against the floor again. "Do you have it? The image you seek?"

We both said yes, quietly, sounding puzzled, but also curious.

"Here is where my experience ends." Takemikazuchi admitted, "So, try your most basic exercise. The simplest thing you know how to do."

Taking a slow deep breath, I imagined, as I always had, that extra air fanning the flame. Feeding the ember of my magic what it needed to burn brighter. The gold outline faded slightly, and I could feel my body fill with the usual feeling of power. So I did it again, pulling in more air, pushing my magic closer to the underside of my skin. First, strength, then endurance.

Then a third breath.

The feeling of my magic pushing past my skin caught me off guard. With my eyes closed, I could only feel a 'different' resistance as my clothes and fur ruffled.

"Ko-chan..." Haruhime said next to me, breaking my concentration, the feeling vanishing. Shaking my head and opening my eyes, I looked over to her. "What's..."

And she was glowing. Not in the usual way, when she gifted her spell to people and grew those ethereal tails. But in the 'Kodori is angry' way. The dripping/boiling acidic purple way. "Calm down." I said, starting to reach out for her. "Lord Takemikazuchi?"

Takemikazuchi took one step, and reached down, putting his hand on Haruhime's shoulder lightly. As He'd done with me, the touch seemed to gift Haruhime with a sort of instant calm, and the aura winked out.

"That was... surprising." He said, kneeling down across from us formally, putting his practice sword next to him.

"It was... sharp, and changing shapes." Haruhime said, "But, part of it was always smooth, like glass."

"This is going to take a little time, I think." I said with a sigh, "But, I think I know what to do... Maybe..."

"Oh?" Takemikazuchi asked, that tiny smile on his face.

"We both use our magic for the same thing, except she gives it away, and I keep it for myself. But, now we share each others gifts. I could never get my magic past my skin. With the exception of making foxes appear from my tails." I explained, "Except, I just did."

Haruhime perked up, catching on, "And instead of giving my magic away, it was... gathering inside me. It felt... Trapped. Restless."

"It sounds like I could leave you in each others care then." The War God said with a slightly bigger smile.

"For this? Yes. But." I bowed to him formally, kneeling and touching my forehead to the floor, "If this small fox could ask for a lesson."

"We would be honoured to receive your instruction." Haruhime copied me, glancing sideways at me with a pure green eye.

"It would be a pleasure." He replied, taking up his sword and standing. "Let's start with some stretching."

* * *

Notes.

On the road to recovery I suppose? I am so excited for the next book. I think I know how to proceed from here, but with a little more to read, I'll know for sure. I hope you keep reading, and enjoy.

Until next time. In five days. :)


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 52

"So, the question is. Now what?" Ouka asked, "I mean..."

Mikoto nodded, "I agree. We can't just sit and do nothing."

"If they have been found out by Ikelos Familia, then they are in serious danger. Mr. Lido is strong, and many of the others look strong too, but..." Bell worried, scratching his head.

"I don't want my new friends to be in danger..." Wiene agreed, her limited understanding of how big the problem was, not hindering her willingness to help.

"But... Can we really help at all?" Chigusa asked, "Kodori-dono passed on the message, do we need to do more?"

Asuka, standing beside her, nodded, "I feel bad saying it, but do we even know how to help?"

"Lilly only knows what we've been told. We left the same way we entered, so..."

"Even if we knew another way," Marius started, "The trip down is harsh, and we have no real idea about our enemy."

"Jumping into it would be foolish." Welf said, thumping fist into his palm, "And we haven't recovered from our last trip either."

"Potions, weapon maintenance, armour repair, a good night's sleep..." It was back to Ouka again, though he was looking at me when he said the last one.

"I'd..." I started, almost flinching as everyone looked at me. "Yeah... I could do with another day." I shook my head, "Rushing in as we are, with no information, poor supply, and little rest would just get us in trouble. We don't have to be idle, but no dungeon today, unless we do get some information." I looked to Lilly, "Think you can chat with our watcher from Hermes?"

"Lilly will ask if something was found." She replied, one of Haruhime's tails visiting her. "Ack! Tickles!"

"Sorry..." Haruhime replied, taking the tail in hand and hugging it, then the other as it tried to visit as well. "Ko-san still has a mess to clean up too." She gave me a sideways look, "You left your clothes on the floor."

"Sorry, I'll clean that up." I replied, "Welf? Would you like a hand in the shop?"

"Yeah, I have to work on paying off Lord Ganesha." He sighed, "At least I know He's a decent God."

"Sorry." I replied.

"Don't worry about it." He waved it off.

"Actually." I sighed, "I have to apologize to all of you." I looked around the circle, "I pretty much did exactly what I've been telling you all not to do, and if had been anyone else, I'd be dead."

Mikoto spoke up after a moment of grim silence, "Second time is shame."

"Mikoto is wise." I said to her, getting a chuckle from everyone. "Be safe Lilly, and anyone who wants to go with you." I hinted.

"I'll go." Marius said, "Just in case we have to carry all the things."

"Lady Hestia might have a shopping list." Bell suggested.

For the most part, everyone started to disperse, though Bell, Haruhime and Wiene stayed behind. "Questions?" I asked.

The three shared a look, came to a silent agreement, and Bell spoke first, "Miss Eina wanted a memory stone."

"Come by the shop a little later."

"Are you coming to clean up first?" Haruhime asked.

"Yes."

"Can I have a hug?" Wiene asked.

"Just one?" I asked.

* * *

I wanted to get to the shop. Every second I spent cleaning up my room reminded me of what had happened. But, since Haruhime would either pout, or make me groom my own tails if I didn't... "Um, where did you get this?" I asked.

"Miss Lilly got it a little while ago..." She said with a shy smile, "She thought we would look good as a... Matched set?"

I sighed, but played along, standing in front of the mirror and looking at myself from a few different angles. "Nope. I'm wearing my boxers." I said finally.

"But its a maid uniform!" Haruhime pouted, "Your usual underwear wouldn't work."

I tried to resist, but couldn't, "Fine. I will wear this, just for today, because you are the best girl." I reached out and pet her ears, getting that room brightening smile from her, "But I draw the line at the bonnet."

"Deal. But you have to smile!"

"I'll try."

* * *

I had finally put all my equipment away, and was sorting through the pouches from the last Amazon's belt. It was nice to have a clean room, with all my gear properly put away. It was like... Another piece of 'getting home from work' had fallen into place.

"Is that..." Haruhime started, looking over my shoulder as I set things into little piles.

"The leader's belongings." I said, "Sword, probably sharp, but if I tested it and cut myself, it would break." I put that aside carefully. "Potions, two." I sniffed the red potions, "Good quality."

"We need more of those." Haruhime said, "Bell-san mentioned it was a hard fight to the twentieth floor."

"I'd imagine." I replied, "Chalk, bit of paper... personal item..." I hoped she washed that, "And... strange thing." The last item was a small four sided pyramid. Felt like stone, maybe a light metal, and had a carved rune on each side. Tracing the runes, I could feel the tiniest hint of magic.

"What's that?" She held her hand out, and I handed it to her, "Feels a little magical?"

I scratched my ears carefully, thinking back to the chase. "It was important enough to keep while being chased." I said, "If you see a black owl, wave at it. Maybe we can get Fels to visit. Tell the others too."

"Okay." She passed it back to me, and I put it in my sock drawer, "I'll tuck it away here, just in case, and mention it to everyone at tonight's meeting." I slid the drawer closed and sighed, "Lets get to the infirmary."

She gave me a hug as we walked, our collection of tails offering comfort.

* * *

"Finally here sis... What are you wearing?" Welf asked as he looked up from the workbench.

"Lilly got a maid outfit for me. Though, I suspect Haruhime had something to do with it."

I could tell he felt conflicted as he looked at me. I didn't blame him really. Even I thought I looked good in it. "Yeah... Um... So, what do you want to work on?"

"A few things, actually. I'm going to need your help for something personal, and I had an idea for the Magic Sword you were going to make."

"I'm all ears sister." He grinned.

* * *

"Miss Kodoooooo..."

"You owe me ten Valis." I said as Bell broke.

"Damn it." Welf said, fishing in one of his pouches and flicking a coin at me.

Letting Bell take a moment to reset, I adjusted the maid outfit a little. Work near the forge had made the white bits a little see through, and I'd moved the shoulders of the blouse down for a little more ventilation. The effect was apparently too much for the poor boy.

"Um... Yeah." Bell started, "You needed me for the stone?"

"Yeah." I said, "Tiny bit of hair, and a couple drops of blood into that glass vial there." I also fished around in a pocket, pulling out the scale I'd found, "Think Lady Hestia would want one for Wiene? I found it down where you found her, while I was looking for my tails."

"Would that be enough?" He asked, carefully prodding himself on the thumb with his dagger.

"More than enough." I replied, "And it would be a nice reminder, don't you think?"

Both Welf and Bell smiled, "Yeah, good thinking sister." Welf chuckled, "I am so glad I risked you wrecking one of my hammers."

"Feels like a life time ago." I mumbled, tapping knuckles with the smith, then Bell. "Oh. Bell?"

"Yes, Miss Kodori?"

"I would like you to help Haruhime with what ever she is doing. Probably making lunch, I think? But yes. Keep her out of the shop, and away from me, for the next few hours."

He considered my request, then nodded, "I can do that."

"And if she insists on visiting, you have my permission to give her a hug, and say its important." I continued.

"I can... Can I do that?"

"You can." I said firmly. "As well, good job taking over while I was down. See you all at dinner, no breaking, shoo shoo."

I sighed and sat down again, "Secret project?" Welf asked me with a sideways glance, pulling out a bar of metal from the fire.

I listened for the door of the workshop to close, and timed my reply just right, "I'm going to ask Haruhime to marry me."

Welf missed his next swing completely, overshooting the metal bar, hitting the outward corner of the anvil, and losing his grip on the hammer. It spun twice in the air, before bouncing off the far wall with a 'thump', falling into a pile of metal scrap, scattering the semi-neat stack of metal bits all over the floor.

"That wasn't fair!" He complained after the stack of metal had stopped clattering apart.

* * *

My stomach was telling me it was around dinner time when there was a knock on the main workshop door. Quickly hiding my 'secret' project under a box and sliding it to the back of my jeweller's table, I put the small silver rabbit in front of me and said, "Come in?"

"Kodori-dono." Mikoto said as she entered and greeted me, pausing, "That looks... Surprisingly good on you. Though, your legs..."

I sighed and moved my legs closer together, "It gets hot in here, and Ha-chan wouldn't let me wear my usual..." I waved her over, putting the little hammer and chisel down, "Can you test this for me?" I asked, motioning to the rabbit, "I want to make sure it works."

"Of course." She said, brushing one of my tails once, then ignoring them as they hovered near her, just in case she wanted to pet them. She placed her hand over the little rabbit, and closed her eyes, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Hm, yes, I would say it is done."

"Excellent." I replied, "You needed something?"

"Ah, yes, dinner is soon, and the owl was spotted an hour ago. Asuka managed to get its attention, and it flew off soon after."

"Good. I think. I mean, I hope?" I sighed, "Also, good job, getting to the twentieth. I know I said this to Bell, but you all did well, so I'm going to tell you all, one at a time." She held up a hand to stop me.

"It was our duty." She said, "So it was done."

"It was difficult. And you managed. So, good job." I smiled at her, "Welf and I will be there for dinner soon."

"You may want to clean up a little first." She said, "It would be unbecoming of a woman to attend dinner in such a state."

"I'm sure Ha-chan will forgive me if I don't wear this for dinner." I replied, "Especially if I told her you would have disapproved."

We both shared a smile, and she gave another one of my tails a pat before leaving again.

* * *

To say I was distracted during dinner would be an understatement. I was certain the others knew it too, as the conversation was never directed at me. I could understand why, and was both thankful and irritated about it. Even Haruhime, who forgave me my changing into something more practical after a quick shower, didn't speak to me. She did however, have one of her new tails curled around one of my own, just out of sight of the others, and her smile was just as brilliant as always when I had sat down.

Eating on automatic, and trying not to think about anything was hard. I knew they weren't avoiding me, or taking pity on me, but the silence around the table as dinner wound down was slowly becoming crushing.

So I tried to do something about it. "Is there much left for the pool, before we lay the pipes?"

A pause, then Bell spoke, "The change room needs... What did you call it? Sealing?"

I nodded, "I'll mix a little of that before bed." I replied, thankful for something to do, "Did someone check the pool itself?"

"Yes, we looked at all the slabs, and there are no cracks where you put that paste." Asuka said, "Welf-san? We need some mesh covers for the pipes leading into the pool."

"Yeah, I'll get to those soon. Simple stuff." The smith waved it off, "We almost have everything set to start on the magic sword too." He said, looking at me.

"Good." The tail that had been wrapped around Haruhime's tail gave a gentle tug, "Love? We'll need to put a little extra time into brushing tonight."

Her free tail flopped over the top of her shoulder for attention, "Yes that means you too." She said to it, before smiling at me.

"I'm not sure how much of 'me' is still in your tails. So maybe we can keep our fur separate for now." I said, "Anything else to report, since we are all here?"

"Lilly and Mr. Marius did all the shopping." Lilly said with a grin. "It's nice to not have to carry all the things some times."

"And once again, I have a job. Life is good." Marius said, "But the watcher from Hermes Familia didn't have any new information yet, save one thing." He turned to Lilly and said a quiet 'ladies first'.

"Lilly was told they found a few entrances, and thanks to Miss Kodori figuring out who to ask, have leads on a few more." She smiled at me.

"Asuka? You're closest, could you ruffle her hair for me?" I said, "Best Supporter."

Asuka reached over and gave Lilly a pat on the head, while Ouka said, "I wonder how many of these entrances they have?"

It was rare that Takemikazuchi spoke during our little meetings. Both of our Gods tended to let us Children be Children. But, "Each one found, cuts a potential line of escape, and supply. Now would be the time for your enemy to show their true colours, backed into a corner like this."

There were nods, but Marius spoke up, "I disagree, My Lord." He said, "I am new, but this makes me think of an ant hill. Block one, they dig another. It takes time, but from the information we gathered, they are used to living underground. And even we know, that aside from raw building material, refined metals and the like, you can live down there for a long while."

There were a few nods, when a new voice broke the silence. "The foreign prince speaks truth." It was the sand over tile voice of Fels. "I ask forgiveness, for my intrusion, may I join you?"

Looking across the room, we all spotted the inky black cloak that contained Fels, his gloved hands palm up to show that he was unarmed. He was standing at the entrance to the main hall, making me guess he had come in through my room again or something. Some of us were half out of our chairs, hands gripping dinner knives, but we relaxed as Bell spoke up, "Mr. Fels, come in, but um, surprising us..."

"I am sorry, I have been dealing with your information, and been helping our friends as best I can, while dealing with Hermes and his information as well. This is the first bit of time I've had." Fels explained, passing on an offer of tea from Chigusa. "My owl passed on your need to meet."

I took a deep breath, I wanted this meeting to be a little more private. "Yeah, I found something interesting, after cleaning up from my hunt." I looked to Haruhime, who nodded, stood and exited the room. Not before her tails could give me one last brush. "While she gets that..."

"More questions, I presume?" Fels said with a dry chuckle, "I will do my best to answer."

"How do you talk with them?" I asked.

"Oh! Wiene knows! I mean... I know!" Wiene said, shrinking a little from Mikoto's stare, "Lido showed me, its a green stone, that's all shiny on one side."

Fels nodded, "She's right. It's something I made to talk with them. A little past your current skill I think, but again, when I can, I'd be happy to teach you." I nodded back to him.

"Here." Haruhime said as she entered the room again. I smiled, thinking she covered the distance quite fast, and she hadn't broken a sweat. "Fels-san." She handed him the little pyramid, and sat down next to me.

We all waited while the hood of his robe lowered itself to his open palm, the little stone resting in the centre. Finally, he said, "I see. I would not want to call anything to do with your recent trial 'lucky', but this is quite the find." His empty hood looked towards me.

I tried not to blink, as I looked into that darkness, "She was making a straight run towards one of the edges of the eighteenth." I said, turning away and spotting a dinner roll left in a basket. I occupied my hands with cutting and buttering it.

"If you will permit me to hold on to this?" Fels asked.

"What is it?" Ouka asked, this being the first time anyone had seen it.

"If my guess is correct, I think this is a kind of key." Fels made his leather bound notebook appear from his sleeve, "I will be busy for a couple of days. They will need help finding a new home, and it will require all my attention until they are safe again." He scribbled something down with a quill that appeared from the other sleeve, "I will leave this stone here, in case you need it." He looked to Hestia, "I can't exactly travel freely, as you know."

Hestia shivered, but nodded.

"Mr. Fels." Wiene started, "Will they be okay? My... Um, cousins?"

"I hope so child. Would you like me to send them a message?" He readied his quill again.

"Actually..." She surprised me by reaching into a pocket. I had no idea that inky robe she was wearing even had them. She pulled out a little bit of paper, a sheet I remember buying with Lilly, before...

I shook my head.

It had a bright yellow circle on it, and a crude collection of coloured stick figures. I only caught a glimpse of it, but it had a wide collection of figures, not all of them humanoid. She handed it to Fels, and stepped away.

"I see." Fels said, his voice sounding pleased, "I will do my best." He looked to our two Gods, nodded, then looked to the rest of us, "I must be going, if there is dire need, write a note, and give it to my owl, I will do my best to help."

We all nodded, and watched him as he backed out of the room, vanishing like mist as he crossed the room's threshold.

"Well. I suppose that's it for the meeting?" I asked, using a napkin to clean crushed dinner roll from my hand.

Everyone nodded, and as one, we stood and started clearing the table.

* * *

I was trying to focus. On the work bench in front of me, was the beginnings of the memory stone that would represent Wiene. Her childlike innocence, optimism, curiosity, and seemingly insatiable thirst for knowledge. But, that wasn't all there was to her, was it?

Even Bell, with his hard working, honest to a fault nature, could get angry or frustrated.

Welf, with his passion for the forge could sometimes be buried under one too many drinks.

"Hey sis...ter?" Speaking of Welf, he had poked his head around the doorway to the 'hot' section of the workshop. "Problem?"

I waved a hand at the 'magically charged' block of 'ko-steel' that also contained Wiene's cast off scale. I'd already given it the rough shape of a tiny dragon. Curled around itself as if sleeping. "I'm not sure I know her well enough." I replied.

"Ah, well, can you put it down for the moment? I'm gonna need a hand with Ganesha's blade." He replied, "Doesn't help you suggested a scimitar. Considering his height, its a little awkward without the hilt."

"Sure." Carefully, as per Asfi's instruction, I put the little figurine inside an iron circle. This would keep stray magic from ruining my half done work. After her lesson, Welf and I had made a few of these, for various sized projects. Being rookie enchanters, we didn't want something we made to say, blow up in our face, because we had to take a potty break in the middle.

"I'm sorry I made you do this." I said as I followed him into the second room, "I let myself be led like an bloodthirsty animal into a trap." Like a fox, though I didn't say that.

"Yeah, it was stupid." He said, though his straightforward tone didn't have any bite to it, "But, I'd have done the same thing." He sat down next to a blade shaped length of steel, still black from the forge, "We might bicker like a cat and dog, but I really like the little runt. All of you guys are more of a Familia than Hephaestus Familia."

He held the blade while I turned the sharpening stone, grinding off the excess metal and giving it the 'first polish' before sharpening. "Sure, you know I've got my eyes on Her, but as a Woman, not a God."

I smiled slightly, watching him pass the blade over the stone a few times in nice even motions. "No secret there." I said, "But still, I should have just let her get away and make sure Lilly was alright."

"And miss a chance at getting information? No, that's not you." He lifted the blade, examined his work, and went back to grinding it, "One thing I've noticed about you, is you hate being in the dark about something."

Did I? His words made me think on all that had gone on since I'd known him. He had to nudge my foot with his boot to get my attention back as I got lost in my thoughts. "Yeah, sorry, I guess I am a little..."

"Obsessive." He offered, "But it's helped us out. A lot. I mean, you can make potions, because you wanted to learn how. We survived the war game, because you came up with a plan. Heck, I'm making this thing, because it isn't really a magic sword." He chuckled, examining his work, then showing me the mostly smooth flat of the blade.

This would be his second version of the 'Oblivion Cup' blade, hanging on the shop wall. The black surface of the blade still swirled with the red traces of power, absorbed from the relic Crozzo blade his father had. This one, instead of being mostly 'ko-steel', was instead mostly Welf's special alloy that he used in almost all our Familia weapons. The metal my fur had helped make, was instead swirled in from the spine of the blade. Three spirals of the black metal curled into the surface, seeming to drink in the light of the room.

"That's..." I started, "Wait, it's not a magic sword?"

"Well... Not yet?" He grinned, "Instead of a blade meant for destruction, I figured, Ganesha must have enemies right? God like him, should have something to protect himself with. Or who ever he lends this out to." He started smoothing out the other side of the blade now, the partially finished surface now face up and shining in the light of the room, "This, instead of starting out as a magic sword, will eat them instead."

I caught on, smiling, "So it can be used later, like a magic sword."

"Make the power fit the blade, not the blade fit the power." He replied, "Just like you taught me."

"I'll be sure to correct Lilly next time she calls you an 'anvil head'."

* * *

Welf had turned in for the night, the blade for Ganesha just needing final assembly. This left me alone to work, but...

It left me alone.

* * *

I had no idea how long I'd been curled up in the corner of the workshop, when Hestia sort of appeared in front of me. My eyes felt like I'd been crying. My body felt like the first day of 'training' with Ryuu. Both my fists were bloody, and there were several small piles of dust along the walls. Probably where I'd thrown things. Worst of it was, I didn't remember doing any of it. I'd watched Welf leave, made to pick up my jeweller's hammer, and then...

My Goddess was standing in front of me.

It might have been the lighting behind Her making Her body glow, but the sight of her made my already sore eyes hurt even more. For the first time, the sight of my Goddess brought me pain.

She knelt, dressed in her night gown, and hugged me tightly as I started to cry again. Even if I was a wreck, my arms around my knees, my tails at least knew what to do, returning the embrace. She even took the time to run a hand over each one, as if greeting them in turn, before putting a hand on my back again.

"I don't know what to do." I said between sniffles, "I can only distract myself for so long." She said nothing, but She leaned on me a little more, Her tiny body generating so much warmth, "I can't sleep, and almost every time I blink I see..." I looked at the alchemy bench, "And I can't bring myself to..."

Now She spoke, "I know." She said quietly, Her own voice tinted with sadness. "Just as your status echos what you've done, I feel an echo of what you do. All of you. You are my Children, and I can feel everything you do. When you fight, when you feel joy, pain, sadness, when you have a happy dream or the fear of a nightmare."

It was my turn to be silent. Her warmth was creeping into my body, the banked fire of the forge and cool night air had chilled me without my noticing it.

"Would you like to come to bed with me? I'm sure Haruhime won't mind, just for tonight."

"yes please." I mumbled to her.

* * *

Even with Her by my side, my dreams were dark. Nothing chased me, or hurt me, but it was like there was a dark formless chaos, just outside my field of view. Several times, I'd woken, covered in sweat and panting for air, but each time, Hestia calmed me back down, wiped my face with a cool cloth, and hugged me close again. It wasn't a restful sleep, but it was better than being curled up in a ball in the workshop until someone else found me.

Morning was just hinting at is arrival when I woke again, this time with Hestia behind me, hugging all my tails. She was snoring quietly too, but thankfully not drooling. Even with my mind clouded by sleep and darkness, I had to smile at just how familiar this feeling was. But, nature was calling, and I had work to do.

After business, I returned to my own room, to find Haruhime curled up with Wiene, the dragon girl tucked into my love's middle, much like she did with me. My first happy thought in four days brought on a little inspiration, and after very quietly getting dressed, I headed to the kitchen to find something quick for breakfast.

* * *

"There you..." Welf paused as he entered the workshop, looking around the room, "are... what happened?"

I hadn't bothered cleaning up yet. I had held on to that single happy thought and was currently wrestling with it, tapping my backup jeweller's hammer against my spare chisel, adding detail into Wiene's memory stone.

"I'll just watch." Welf said as I flicked an ear towards his voice, "You're really going all out on this one."

"I had a bad night." I said as I very carefully added individual scales to the little figurine, I'd already done well over a hundred, and had many more to go, each tap of the hammer filled with a thought about our newest Familia member. "But, Lady Hestia found me before it could get worse."

Wiene was many things. Her young age but rapidly growing mind notwithstanding. The last thing I needed to complete the picture of her in my mind, was an seemingly infinite wellspring of kindness. The picture she had given Fels, representing her hope for her 'cousins' joining her up on the surface, and filling in for me, to keep Haruhime from worrying about my absence. I'd have bet almost anything Wiene had even volunteered.

"Found Wiene and Ha-chan sleeping in my bed, after returning to my room. Their smiles were all I needed." I explained, tapping a little more, finally getting to the end of the tail.

I could see he wanted to make a joke about it, but he just smiled at me, "Good." He leaned a little closer to my work, but was mindful of not blocking my light, "I'm actually starting to get a little jealous, looking at this. Every scale, the claws, eyes, teeth... And all I got was a little hammer." He chuckled.

"Two little hammers." I said, a smile creeping onto my face. "I think, after morning practise, I'll work on..." I made a meaningful gesture towards the little hiding spot for the ring I was making.

"If you can keep this pace, you could finish it before practise." Welf said, "I'll work on my half before I get to finishing up the sword. Want to come with me to deliver it?"

I considered, giving my work one last look before putting my tools down, "Yes. I have to thank Him."

"That too, but I'll need some one to demonstrate this thing." He pointed his chin at the black blade on the wall. "I'll be happy to empty the magic out of that one."

"I'll have a request as well, for Ganesha. But that's something else entirely."

* * *

Haruhime didn't say anything about my absence, simply greeting me as if I had returned from shopping or something, giving me a hug and stepping to the side, waiting to fall in step beside me.

"Ready for some magic training?" I asked, our tails swishing against each other.

"You aren't going to spar with the others today?" She asked, following me as I turned towards the spare room Lilly and her did their stretching in.

"No..." When Fels had arrived, I had actually backed up, ready to flee. I didn't say it, but I knew I'd need something a little gentler than our usual sparring, to see if I could still fight. "Besides, not exploding when using magic is important too."

She giggled quietly, smiling up at me, "Exploding makes your tails hard to brush."

"We can do that later too."

After some stretching and light exercise, we stood facing each other. I was pleased to note that even with the weighted clothing Welf and I had made for Haruhime, she wasn't even sweating.

"So... How to start..." I thought out loud, "I mean... just as you taught me, magic is a personal thing. Would my way work for you?"

She thought about it a moment, then looked behind her at the two black tails, "Well... Our tails are personal too. Maybe it will work?"

She had a point, so I took the lead, "Well, the way I start, is with a deep breath. My magic is a little fire, always lit, always burning, but like Welf's forge, air makes it hotter."

She closed her eyes, and after a moment, she took a deep breath. Aside from doing wonderful things with her figure, her posture became more relaxed. She paused, and shifted her feet, getting into a basic stance.

"Here." I said, stepping just a little closer, taking her hand and putting it against my ribs just under my breasts, "I turn my magic into strength. Try and move me."

She shuffled her feet again, and we leaned against each other properly. Both her hands were braced against me, and I was matching her strength. She took another deep breath, and tried to push me.

The pressure against my ribs increased a little, then a little more. A third breath, and another posture change, and her face started to crinkle up with effort.

"I don't... think this is working." She said, letting out her breath and relaxing. "It doesn't feel quite right."

"You're stronger than I thought, though." I smiled, "Any ideas?"

She considered, smiling back at me, "Yes, I think so." She nodded, getting back into her stance, "Brace again?"

We arranged ourselves, and I waited. Once again, she started with a deep breath, and I could feel my tails tingle as a gentle, almost electric current went through her palms. "I feel something." I said, hoping to encourage her.

"For you, its a fire. For me, its a shape." She said, and I could feel the pressure against my ribs increase as she pushed. "It feels... Different, but..." The pressure increased again, much more than before she stopped the first time. I had to tense up a little more, my hands on her forearms to keep us steady. "If I make that shape look like me... then..."

She was glowing now. Again, not like the pure white of her own magic, but something a little darker. I was was sure that if it wasn't for my gift of being 'immovable' I'd be slowly sliding backwards across the floor. After a moment, the glow ceased, and she let out a long sigh.

"It was like I was holding in the energy I give to others with my spell." She said, shaking out her arms, "Its a little hard on my body though."

"You just need to work out more." I said rubbing my ribs, "You were doing well though. Maybe twice the strength you had before you tried again. She smiled up at me as I gave her ears a gentle pet, "So, your turn."

"Well, for me, it's a spell. I can't do anything without it really, except maybe... warm it up?"

* * *

When Lilly came to find us for lunch, I was laying down in the middle of the room, resting my head in Haruhime's lap. Following up on yesterdays experiment with Takemikazuchi, I tried to push my magic past my skin again.

But then I was at a loss on what to do. I was able to keep the effect up with my eyes open, so I could make myself glow. Radiate an aura. But I wasn't able to do anything with it. It tingled when Haruhime brushed her fingers through it, but I couldn't give her any of it, like her spell did.

So, I tried something else.

"Lilly is... not food?" She said as she looked at the two of us.

Around Haruhime and I, was a ghostly fox. Black with gold edges, its single tale connected to my five, it was at least four meters long, from nose to tail tip, and almost two meters tall at the shoulder. It was looking at Lilly like she was delicious, though it made no noise as it circled us. Almost all my concentration was maintaining the apparition, but since it was idle, it wasn't eating away at my magic like when I'd summoned a pack of them to attack the drake.

"Friend." I said, the fox looking down at me with its huge golden eyes, then back to Lilly. It stopped pacing and laid down, curling its body around the two of us.

"Everyone is wondering if you two went back to bed." Our supporter 'heehee'ed' behind her hand as Haruhime blushed. "But when Lilly didn't see you in your room, Lord Takemikazuchi said you'd be in here."

"Best supporter." I said slowly, the effort of thinking about the words making the fox surrounding us flicker slightly.

"Ko-san, you should relax, or you'll be tired later." Instead of petting my head, she reached out and pushed her hand into the ghostly fur of the fox, "If you don't get up I'll tickle you."

"Miss Kodori is ticklish?" Lilly asked.

"But... Lap pillow." I complained, the fox flickering again, then fading as I relaxed my effort and sat up. "And you already talked about my secret cookie boxes..." I pouted.

"Miss Kodori would make a good mom some day." Lilly said, "She makes the best cookies."

Both Haruhime and I blushed, giving each other a hug as we stood up. "Speaking of ticklish..." I said, my tails waving behind me.

"Uh oh..." Lilly said, backing up a step.

* * *

Notes!

Still more to write, but I'm started to get all kinds of ideas about the crossover to highschool DxD. I'm hoping that many of you (you wonderful readers you) will read that one, and maybe I'll get more readers for this one, when they get curious about Kodori's origins.

I've also got some side stories to do, before the crossing as well. Once I read the next book, and maybe wrap up things, I'll do those. :)

Until next time.


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 53

"This... You know, I have no words." Welf said as he stood beside me, looking up at I AM GANESHA. The two guards laughed a little awkwardly, and he looked at them, "We have something for Him."

On both our backs, were wrapped bundles. On mine, was the new blade, and on Welf's the old. We had both come dressed in casual clothing, but had our best salamander wool cloaks. A live demonstration would be rather hot, and even with my near immunity to fire, I wasn't sure I could take something THAT hot. That, and I liked my clothes.

"He did say something about that, didn't He?" One guard asked another, who shrugged, "Follow me." He turned and started towards the double doors at the groin of I AM GANESHA.

"What a silly building..." Welf muttered, "I mean..."

"I know." I replied, seeing the guard look a little depressed at our words, "But, there is a lot in here. It might look silly, but if I ever need a dentist, I know where I'm gonna go for it."

"True enough." He replied as he looked around, "Clinic, public workshops, library..."

"Lord Ganesha might be..." Our guard didn't finish that one, but continued, "But, he has his moments of clarity."

I knew better, but didn't say. "I'm curious, what sort of books can you find in that library?"

"Most everything." He replied, stopping at the front desk, "A moment." He turned to one of the people working there, a familiar face to me, it was the same man who helped me at the last monster festival. "Where is Lord Ganesha?"

"I think he might be in his study... If he even studies? I mean..." He grinned at me, "Had to call his office something right? We have a list of jobs for your Familia, if you'd like to pass the word on." To Welf he said, "Including another house building project."

"When we're not busy with our own home improvement, we'll see if we can do that." Welf said with a grin, "Man, feels good to be appreciated, eh sister?"

"Yeah." I smiled, "See? We don't just have to go to the dungeon to make a name for ourselves."

"Good luck with Lord Ganesha." The man behind the desk said as our guard led the way again.

"Right, as for the library. Most anything really. You obviously won't find tomes or dangerous information, but there is something under almost every topic you can think of." He led us up a few flights of stairs, down a short hallway, then up some more. If I had to guess, we were going to the top floor.

"I wonder if it has anything on old legends." I said, "Or alchemy."

"Sure, though some of our older books are... cryptic." He replied, scratching his chin, "Translations of translations and the like."

"What ya thinking sister? Something new, or rather, old, to show up poor Nazza?" Welf teased, "When she saw your potion pills, her tail was wagging back and forth like crazy."

"Actual enthusiasm? From Nazza? No!" I replied, acting shocked.

"Nazza..." Our guard looked thoughtful, "Chienthrope, shy about her arm?"

"That's the one." Welf replied as we finally finished going up the stairs, finding ourselves in front of another double door, this one in the shape of Ganesha's elephant mask. "Seriously?"

"I'm afraid so..." Our guard said, "I'll announce you, just a moment."

He was about to open the door with a cleverly disguised doorknob that was pretending to be a bit of the elephant's trunk, when the door was thrust open violently, splitting in the middle and nearly knocking the guard over.

"I AM GANESHA!" The God announced as he held both doors wide.

Our guard recovered quickly, picking up his dropped spear and looking first at us, then Ganesha. "My Lord, two guests that you've been expecting?"

"Ah yes! Ganesha has indeed been expecting you!" The tall muscular god posed himself with a textbook strongman stage flex. "I will talk to them, good child!" He said to the guard, "And have tea brought up!"

"Yes my Lord." The guard replied, giving Welf and I a very apologetic look.

Ganesha himself got behind Welf and I and put a hand on both our shoulders, nudging us into His study. "This way this way! We have much to talk about!"

His study was rather well appointed. The room itself was contained in the 'head' of the I AM GANEHSA building, the two 'eyes' were also windows, giving us a clear view of a good portion of the city. Mostly round, the walls were lined with bookshelves. Small trophies and many books lined these, and more than a few of the items caught my interest.

Like a tooth the size of my leg. That one had a story I was sure.

As the door shut behind us, our Host let our shoulders go, and stepped ahead of us, "Please, have a seat, anywhere you like." He motioned to the chairs in front of a wide desk, with all manner of trinkets on it. As well as a pair of couches that faced each other across a huge tree stump table.

Welf gave me a look, then nodded his head to the couches, so we sat there. Big fluffy things, done in a nice brown with just the right amount of padding. Perfect for napping, or reading. Ganesha waited until we had sat down before sitting across from us. "Does it get tiring?"

"The act? Yes." He said plainly. His normal voice much smoother, just right for a radio show. "But, acting like that helps keep people from suspecting you are smart enough to hide anything." He smiled, his mask catching a little light from the high quality lamps, "Master Welf, I am guessing you are bringing your payment, as promised?"

"We are." Welf said with a nod, "Sort of." He unhitched the bundle from his back, while I did the same.

"Sort of?" Ganesha asked, "Your reluctance to make magic sword is known throughout the city. Having descended before your bloodline was cursed, I can guess why. But..."

"Let me explain." Welf said, holding up a hand, "Though, you're right. I hate magic sword. Our two Familia keep a couple around, just for emergencies, in case we are about to get overwhelmed."

"A wise idea." Ganesha agreed.

"But, Kodori here, got me thinking. Maybe I'd been going about it all wrong? What if I could make a magic sword, that never broke?"

He took a moment to unwrap the first blade, the wide black blade soaking up light as the red traces of magic moved under the surface. "This was our first attempt to make such a thing. What you see there, is the fire from the only Crozzo blade to survive the elvish curse that destroyed all the others."

Ganesha's eyebrows shot up, "You mean..."

"We made a blade that eats other magic swords." Welf said with a smile, "And." He nudged me, and I unwrapped the second blade. "This is our second one."

Ganesha stood, and picked up the blade. With a proper steel cutting edge, it was a perfectly functional scimitar. Made for the taller man, it was just the right length, to both be balanced for a strong but 'non-adventurer' and be intimidating at the same time. The hilt was long enough to be held in both hands, with an elephant's head on the pommel. "These three swirls..." Ganesha eyed the black 'ko-steel' spirals that fed into the back of the blade, "Will they absorb other magic swords?"

"Yes." Welf said, "We figured, that being popular can be dangerous. But, your Familia has the best reputation."

"I see..." Ganesha took a few experimental swings, switching hands, then holding it in both. After living in this city for a year or so now, I could tell he actually knew what he was doing. "And one can release the energy back again..."

"Exactly. We even have a demonstration if you want..." Welf looked around, "But this place is a little too... papery."

Ganesha chuckled, before perking up and switching to his public persona, "Thank you Mister Welf! This is truly a wonderful blade!"

There was a knock on the door, and it was opened a moment later by a different person than before. I found I recognized her too, "My Lord, I've brought tea."

"Miss Shakti!" Ganesha greeted his captain, waving the sword around like a very tall child, "Look at this amazing sword! Swish! Swish!"

Dressed in the same, though much cleaner than the last I saw her, orange t-shirt with the missing shoulders, she deftly dodged the swings as she delivered the tea, "It certainly looks sharp." She said returning to a safe distance, then looking at me, "How is your pet? The needle rabbit?"

"Chime is just fine." I replied, getting into the act with Ganesha, and leaning over a little to dodge a swing that in reality, came no where close to me, "Hasn't eaten anyone's socks, and never gets underfoot."

"A smart critter then. Have you ever considered trying your hand at taming?" She asked, smiling slightly when I took a sip of the tea and perked up. It was really good chai.

"Well... Aside from dogs, I have no experience." I said honestly. Though, it wasn't like Chime really needed to be taught. Sneaky critter.

"A shame. But, if you ever wish to try, let me know." Then to Ganesha, "My Lord, please don't swing sharp objects around? You have far too many breakable things in here."

"OH! You're right Miss Shakti! I should stop Oops!" He managed to catch a lamp with a back swing, the dull spine of the blade sending it towards Welf, who caught it deftly, "Yes, I think I will put this away now!"

With a sigh, Shakti left. Ganesha waited for some unseen signal, then relaxed again. "You even have your captain in the dark?" I asked.

"Yes and no." He said, sitting back down, "She knows, but doesn't know who else knows. But, no one knows about our... Other friends. How is she doing?"

"Did you bring it?" Welf asked me, "I saw you put it in your pocket, but you never delivered it."

I thought for a moment, and realized he was right. I'd meant to give the little dragon statue to Hestia before we left to give Ganesha his sword. Fishing it out of my pocket, I put it on the table. "This is the first enchanting idea I put into practise. It's a memory stone." I explained, the masked God leaning over and picking it up carefully. "It gives you the feeling of being right next to that person... sort of."

"The detail is remarkable." He said after a moment, "But..." He paused, his eyebrows raising again, "I see... She does well then. Such... Innocence." He said with a smile, "I am some what envious." He put the little dragon back on the table, "To be able to hold such feelings, despite what has happened."

"She is a special one." Welf said while I nodded, "Its a little tiring though, ha ha! She's like me, when I first started at the forge, except, with everything!"

"That's good though!" Ganesha said with a grin, "It's my hope, along with the others who know, that they too will join us up here, with the rest of the Children."

"I'm curious though." I started, "From how Wiene describes her dreams... Is the dungeon some kind of..." I hunted for the word in the local language, but couldn't think of it. So I used the English one, "Purgatory?"

"I am not sure." Ganesha said after a moment of looking at me, his eyes hidden behind the lenses of the mask, "Not even Ouranos has told us his thoughts on this. But its an interesting theory."

"What was that word?" Welf asked.

"Purgatory." Ganesha said, "A place without the light of the Gods, where corrupt souls go to be cleansed and reborn anew." He rubbed his chin, "To be honest, I never thought of the dungeon like that. Though, I've also never been in the dungeon."

We nodded as one, then Welf shrugged, "Well, is there someplace better suited to demonstrate the sword?"

"Yes, though, please, enjoy your tea first. It feels good to be able to act as myself." Ganesha said with a sigh.

"I suppose I'll ask about your library then." I said, taking another sip of tea.

* * *

We had only a small group of Ganesha's Familia watching as Welf and I stood apart from each other in one of the big empty animal enclosures of the zoo. Being unable to use a weapon of any type, Welf held the prototype sword, Oblivion Cup, while I held the 'Mk. 1' blade, as yet unnamed.

Mostly unnamed, because I told Welf it wasn't his to name. Not because he has terrible naming sense. Honest.

And while I was being honest, I was a little nervous. I knew how hot things would get. I was protected, both with the salamander wool and my own immunity. But...

A hand on my shoulder snapped me out of my downward spiral of thinking, and I found clarity. Ganesha, as he walked by, gave me a token of encouragement, before passing by and sitting on the grass a safe distance away.

"I am Ganesha!" He said proudly, "Show me what this fancy sword does!"

Welf and I nodded to him, then to each other, "Ready sister?" He asked, raising the sword over his head, the black blade not even glinting in the sunlight of early afternoon.

Bracing my feet, I held the blade in front of me, one hand on the hilt, the other just past the three spirals. "Bring it." I said.

"Empty out! Oblivion Cup!" Welf shouted, swinging the blade down, and unleashing a torrent of flames.

"Take it in." I said, squinting my eyes and watching the stream of red and white fire race towards me, the air getting thinner as it devoured everything in its path. My heart started to speed up, and I had to bite my lip to keep the rising feeling of terror under control.

About a meter in front of me, as the salamander wool started to heat up, the flames simply stopped. Shimmering with heat, the air before me compressed down and was taken in by the blade. The blade itself started heating up too, my fingertips suddenly feeling like I'd just reached into the forge.

Then it was over. Welf stood across from me, sword still extended, but now, the black blade was all black, with nothing to be seen of the red traces of power it once held. The blade in my hands however, had one of the spirals glowing with the same red traces. Breathing a sigh of relief, I relaxed, shaking out my hand to try and cool it off.

Our audience... Of the dozen or so who were watching, most were slack jawed with what had just happened. They had just witnessed a magic sword get stopped cold. Ganesha Himself was clapping with delight at the show, though when I caught his eye he gave me a nod of approval. So, I walked towards them, carefully holding the blade. When I was only a pace away, I knelt and offered the blade across my palms.

"Lord Ganesha, for the service of helping my friends and Familia heal me, as well as the purchase of the Elixir that ultimately restored my body to allow me to stand with them again, Hestia Familia offers this sword to you as payment, as agreed by our Master Smith, and yourself, Lord Ganesha, God of the People." Much more formal than simply passing it across the table, the three of us agreed in His study that we should make a show of it.

The God stood, his shadow falling over me as he took the blade from my hands and held it. "I am GANESHA! And I really like this sword! I think we can call it even between our two Familia! Oh... I think I need a sheath for this... Did some one bring one?"

Formal mood broken by the fake idiocy of their God, the observers all sighed.

* * *

"Did you see the looks on their faces? I wish the rest of us were there to see it." Welf grinned, the original sword strapped to his back again."

I chuckled with him, his good mood keeping the dark thoughts away for the moment. "I did notice that the blast was weaker than when it went in." Over my shoulder, replacing the gifted sword was a leather sack, containing two well wrapped books.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Welf nodded, giving my shoulder a tap, "But it worked! I mean, nothing broke! Your idea to keep the magic contained is amazing."

"And your ability to actually make the things is even better." I said, "Maybe we can come up with something to replace the magic? A container or something... I'll have to draw it, I don't have the words." I kind of felt I was getting close to 'too advanced' with my idea, but a certain magical girl anime came to mind.

"I look forward to it." He replied, "How about you? Those are some heavy looking books."

"I'm hoping they have something for me to work with. I mean..." I sighed, not wanting to get too personal with the details, "And I have to keep it a secret from her."

"Don't worry sister. I'll take it to the grave, until you tell her at least." Welf said seriously, though his grin was still in place, "I'm done my part of the ring though. I should really treat that Asfi lady to a drink or something, enchanting isn't that hard when you know where to start."

"And have a sister with fur you can mix to make magical iron?"

"And have a sister with fur you can mix to make magical iron." He admitted. "And great ideas."

"Thanks." I said, returning the shoulder tap, "Go check on the project, I'm going to stop in at the Hostess. Unless you want tea or something."

"Nah." He brushed off my offer, "I've got some minor stuff to hammer out, and if I leave it too long work will stop." He held up a fist dramatically, "The trails of a smith are never done."

"Tell Ha-chan I'll be home soon, really this time. I'll have Ryuu walk me home, maybe have dinner with us." No more travelling alone for me, though I didn't say that.

"Extra salad then. Right." He turned at the next corner, leaving me on the main street just out of sight of the Hostess of Fertility.

As I covered the hundred meters towards the place I once? First? called home, I was wondering how Mia reacted to having another girl show up. I knew Ryuu would explain things clearly, though she might leave out a few of the... bloody details. But I couldn't just not show up and explain it myself.

And I needed to see the face of my former enemy.

"Welcome!" It was Syr who greeted me, making me realize it wasn't quite lunch time. "Um..."

"Not sorry." I said, being totally improper and giving the girl a hug, careful not to ruffle her uniform bonnet.

"It's okay." She replied, "But um... We've been a little worried." She returned my hug and nudged me away, "Not just you, but..."

I put a hand on her shoulder, "We've been doing some work." I put a little lean on the word 'work', "And it's kept us from being as social as we like. I'll be sure to tell Bell to visit."

She blushed a little, but nodded, giving me a smile, "Thank you, now shoo, go get lunch or something. I could hear your tummy rumble."

Giving in to her gentle push to get me out of the way of the door, I entered the Hostess proper, and felt a little surge of warm memories at all the scents coming out of the kitchen as it got ready for the lunch crowd. Like a proper customer, I found a table near the back wall, away from the windows and sat down, avoiding the gazes of the handful of patrons as I stepped around them.

Peeking her head out of the kitchen at the noise my chair made, I gave Chloe a little wave. Little triangle ears perking up, she turned back, said something I couldn't quite hear, and after a moment both her and Luniore stepped out, the latter drying her hands on her apron. "Nyah! You're okay!" Chloe said as she got closer to my table. Not even pretending to be proper, she leaned over and gave me a hug, rubbing her cheek against the side of my head.

Returning the hug, and telling my tails they could be social, but not 'enveloping' I replied, "More or less." I nudged her away gently and caught Luniore smiling, "Would you like one too?"

"If you don't mind dishwater." She replied, switching places with the cat girl, but refraining from giving me a cheek rub with her hug.

"Have I ever?" I asked, mock offended, "Lunch before business though."

Chloe winced, "Nya... Mia was a little... Well..."

"Yes." The voice of the proprietress said from the kitchen, "Mia still is." A pause, then much quieter, "Keep working you... Stir that a little more too."

The two girls and I shared a nervous laugh, "Yeah... I..." I faltered.

"Have lunch first." Luniore said with a smile, nudging Chloe, "Come on cat, take her order already."

"nyaaa." The black haired cat girl stuck her tongue out at her co-worker and looked to me, waiting for my order.

* * *

Belly full of well made sandwich and salad, it was Arnya who brought me a little pot of tea and a cup. She waited until after setting them down to give me a hug. "Ryuu hasn't said much about what happened." She started quietly, mindful of the lunch crowd that had come in part way through my meal. "But..." She paused as one of my tails flopped over her arm for attention.

"Maybe later." I said, "I still have to talk to Mia about it."

"Yeah..." She gave my tail a pat, though that only encouraged another to join, "Hey no fair!"

"How is she?" I asked, finally able to ask the question without needing to pull one of the girls aside.

"She's... Shaken. But handy in the kitchen, being so tall." She replied, using her tray to block the rest of my tails from latching on to her for attention. "But well..."

She looked across the room to the bar, Mama Mia's usual spot, where she could run the till and keep an eye out on everything that was going on. Being nearly two meters tall gave her what most would call, a 'commanding presence'. She finished cashing out a customer, and caught the two of us looking her way.

And glared.

For a half second.

"I'll just finish my tea then..." I said nervously.

"Back to work back to work..." Arnya said, vanishing from my side to return to filling drinks.

I held up my teacup meaningfully towards Mia, who nodded. Once. And went back to minding the bar.

Sighing, and trying to enjoy the last of my tea, I finally stood up and made my way over. Dutifully, I pulled out my money pouch, paid for my meal, and let Mia close the till before sitting myself back down on a bar stool. "Sorry." I said to her as she put a mug away under the bar top.

"Sorry? That's it?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"For a bunch of things." I continued, keeping my voice low, "For screwing up, nearly getting myself killed, worrying all of you, and dropping someone on your doorstep without actually being there to explain."

"Ryuu hasn't said much about it." Mama replied, "And while I respect that, your new arrival..."

So I told her. Most of the story about Ishtar, including my torture. The 'incident' in the room where only getting most of my ribs broken stopped me from killing a dozen people. The truth behind Ishtar getting sent back up. Haruhime. The resentment of the now homeless Berbera. And how they got their revenge on me for my involvement.

She put a mug down in front of me, and a clean cloth to wipe my eyes with.

I got my self under control, wiping my eyes and taking a sip of what was in the mug. Sweet and mild, I could still taste the alcohol, so I pushed it away. "No... I'm not taking that way out." I said quietly.

As always, Mia didn't judge, just took the mug away and put down another, the mild smell of milk coming from it. "Doesn't excuse what happened. But what about her?" I looked up at her as she pointed with her chin towards the kitchen.

"I... Made her an orphan, again." I said, "But... Leaving them without a path to follow is how this all happened. It was the only thing I could think of, past the obvious."

I took a sip of the milk, finding it warm and spiced with something that tasted like nutmeg. Mia 'hm'ed thoughtfully, and replied, "Well, I suppose I'll keep her around then. It will be nice to have some one else who can reach the top shelves around. After you left with Lady Hestia, I've had to put all the stools back in the kitchen."

"Thank you. Has someone come to..." I was about to continue, but Mia put a hand on my head, petting my ears a little roughly.

"Finn and a couple others from Loki came to talk with her. Hermes too." She replied, taking her hand off my head and giving my forehead a flick. "Next time though, ask first. I can't just pick up any old stray."

Rubbing the middle of my forehead, I replied, "If there was a stray you couldn't pick up, I'd be surprised."

"Do I have to get the ladle?"

"No Ma'am."

"Good." She huffed, satisfied, "Did you want to talk to her?"

I thought about it. It was my original plan, but now... "No. I want her to settle in first. If it's important, Loki or Hermes Familia will tell us."

"No problem." Mia said, putting a hand on my shoulder, "Go home, get some rest."

"Not yet." I said, smiling back at her, "I have to ask Ryuu to walk me home."

* * *

Side by side Ryuu and I walked. She wore her usual 'in disguise' flower shaped green cape, that covered everything but her calves and hands. She was armed too, though I knew that only because I saw her put her wooden blade under her cape.

"You look tired, sister." She said finally.

I didn't say anything, though one of my tails perched on her arm. After a moment of feeling her run her hand over the fur, I said, "I haven't even looked in a mirror since before..."

"I was the same, for a time." She admitted, dropping her arm and the tail that was on it, then raising it again to encourage another visitor. "The dreams too."

"I'm afraid to be alone." I replied, "I nearly wrecked the workshop a few minutes after Welf had left it. I couldn't sleep even with Ha-chan in my arms. Hestia herself could only keep the worst of it away."

"In a way, you're lucky." She said, running her fingers through another tail, not quite touching the skin under all the floof. "Mia could only give me a home and work to keep my mind off what had happened."

"It got easier, right?" I asked hopefully.

"After a time. Trust your friends, lean on them. They healed your body without complaint, your mind shouldn't be any different." She gave me a smile, touching my forearm.

"I only hope I have time to heal." I sighed, patting her hand once before we both dropped our arms, "There is something ominous about all this, and something else is going to happen."

"You deserve a rest." She urged, "You can't always be there for everyone."

I understood her meaning, but I couldn't just walk away. Even if I'd... removed the problem directly involving me, there was still Ikelos, the Xenos, and Wiene. "It's personal." I said, "They are being targeted, and they saved my life. I'd rather not have to avenge them. Done that once already this week." I tried to joke, but earned only a raised eyebrow.

"I understand." She said, as we got within sight of the white marble walls of my home, "But as you are now, just as I was, you are not ready for a fight. It took me four years to step back into the dungeon again."

"Three and a half." I said, "War game, remember?"

"Does that count?"

"Ask Apollo." I chuckled.

"Fair." She said with one of her small smiles.

"I'm curious. Sister. Do you still keep in touch with your Goddess?" I raised a hand, "I don't mean to pry, but..."

"I... Know She hasn't returned. And where She went after... But not if She's still there." She sighed, the sound of it almost heartbreaking, even in my current state of mind. "She was even worse than I was, when it happened."

I actually managed to beat my tails this time, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Would you like to send Her a gift? Something to remind Her you still care, and that someone cares for you?" I sighed as well, "I need to occupy myself, or I start thinking..."

"I... Yes. I would like that." She replied.

"You have to eat dinner with us though." I said seriously, "It's very important."

"Oh?"

"There will be extra salad. And we only have one tiny rabbit to eat the leftovers."

* * *

Before dinner, I managed to get into the workshop with Ryuu. I let her choose the shape, a palm sized oval shaped leaf that was from the same kind of tree that her sword was from. Mixing copper, some of my fur, then her hair, I melted the mixture into a small ingot, then worked on it. Welf, as usual, watched with interest as I used my bare hands to move the metal around.

"It's so..." He said, watching me stretch out the bar, "I mean..."

"Do you know how hot you can manage?" Ryuu asked, keeping her distance from the furnace.

"Drake fire, and molten stone is the hottest I've been hit with." I said, not thinking about the events, but instead adding little veins into the leaf with my fingernails. I didn't know what sort of scale they used to measure temperature here in this world. But I knew stone melted anywhere between 600 and 1200 Celsius. "And I've handled nearly molten iron, though that caused a few blisters." That was about 1500 Celsius.

Ryuu was a little shocked, but as she watched me put the half shaped leaf back into the forge, she shook her head at me. "You've overcome much since you arrived sister."

Welf and I shared a fist bump, "I have good friends to lean on."

"She still can't keep her eyebrows though." Welf said with a chuckle, rubbing his shoulder when I punched him for it, "Hey ow. Not my fault your eyes can't see the colours quite right."

"True. Something to do with being able to see in almost total darkness, means some other colours aren't quite like others see them." I pulled the leaf out again, "Now hush, I have to think."

"Is enchanting difficult?" Ryuu asked, though as I started to focus myself, I only half heard her.

As I added every detail, from the little veins to the saw blade edges, I thought about Ryuu and everything she meant to me. My first real teacher, even before I could learn the language. My first cooking tutor. Confidant. Person to lean on. Virtual saviour of my Familia during the war game. There when I needed her, and never feeling absent when I didn't. She had broken her retirement to help Hestia Familia, and continued to help us when ever she could. No questions, no complaints. In this world, she was my hero.

"You okay there sister?" Welf asked. "Your crying."

Blunt as always, he was right. "Lemme cool this off." I replied, examining my work then carefully dipping it in the water trough. I could feel the water sizzle around my hand, as well as the leaf, making me shiver a little. "I'm going to have to mix up more hand cream." I mumbled as I offered the leaf to Welf.

Taking it carefully, he did a little hot potato act before he could hold it properly. "Oh..." He said after a moment, looking away and scrubbing his face, "Yeah, something in my eye. But I think you got this one done just fine." He offered the leaf back to me.

"And by the time it gets to Her." I said, gently taking a soft wire brush to the surface of the leaf to polish it a little, "It will have turned green."

"Wonder if you could mix your fur with paint or something." Welf asked, taking his place by the forge now that I didn't need the fire anymore.

"I don't think that's a good idea." I said, wrapping up the leaf in a bit of orc leather, "It might try and peel off the walls to hug people."

Welf laughed, watching the bar of metal he had just put into the fire, "I'll be at dinner, just a little more to do for the pool, then we can lay in the pipes and put all the dirt someplace."

I handed the leaf to Ryuu, who smiled, accepted it, and put it under her cape someplace. "See you there then, I'm going to set something up on my alchemy table. Could you turn the flame off before you leave?"

"No sweat sister."

* * *

Dinner wasn't quite as lively as it used to be. Everyone was worried about the Xenos, and people were still sort of dancing on eggshells about what had happened to me. I understood, but it was still a little depressing. Ryuu, however, added her own excitement simply by being there. The orphans, when they weren't shovelling food into themselves (politely, as the Takemikazuchi Familia would accept nothing less than good table manners) they were either admiring her, or asking questions. The Takemikazuchi Familia itself was listening in as well, and Mikoto actually worked up the courage to ask for a lesson. The usually quiet Ryuu took it all in stride and didn't seem the least put out by all the attention.

It did me good to see her smile so much. Kind of how Lilly was, right after we pulled her out of Soma Familia.

"Ko-san..." Haruhime nudged me gently, though I almost lost what was on my fork anyhow.

"Ah, sorry Ha-chan." I replied, looking over to her after making sure I didn't accidentally get tomato into my shirt.

She lowered her voice a little more, "Are... You coming to bed tonight?"

I blinked at her, but couldn't help but smile. It was as close to 'demanding' as she got, and I wouldn't tell her, but I liked that side of her. "I might be a little late, but yes. I can't tell you why yet, but..." My tails swayed over to hers, and curled around them as they usually did when it wasn't convenient to hug.

She gave me her brightest smile, then returned to watching Ryuu, her tails replying to mine in kind. "We have to thank Aisha-san too." She said quietly.

"When we figure out how, yes. I don't think Aisha's one for dinners like this." What does one get for a tall athletic woman who already knows exactly what she wants, and how to go about getting it? "Maybe you can help me pick out some clothes for her, or design some armour. As little as she wears, she should at least protect herself."

She didn't reply, though her ears perked up and her tails tried to wag excitedly for a moment.

* * *

After seeing Ryuu off, and insisting that she didn't need to help with dishes, I went to find Hestia. Not a particularly difficult task, as She was a creature of habit, just like any mortal. Curled up in her favourite reading chair, she was idly petting Chime who was sitting her her hip as she leafed through a book. Chigusa was there too, on her favourite couch corner. She gave me a timid wave as I passed, then went right back to reading.

"Lady Hestia?" I said, kneeling in front of the chair. Not really out of formality, but she looked comfortable, and I didn't want to make her look up at me. Chime's ears perked up as I knelt, and the micro rabbit hopped off Her hip and into my arms. "Hello to you too." I put the bunny on my shoulder and she gave my neck a headbutt.

"Kodori? How are you feeling?" She looked into my eyes, and I had to force myself not to look away, "Did you want..."

"No, not tonight, thank you though." I mustered a smile, remembering yesterday, "I do need a little help with something though. A couple of things, actually..."

"Sure." She smiled, holding out her hand.

I took her hand and helped her to her feet as she uncurled from her chair. Unable to resist, I touched the back of her hand with my lips and stood, "My Goddess is kind." I said seriously.

"Oh stop it..." She huffed, taking her hand back, blushing a little.

I noticed that Chigusa was watching us as we left, though she tried to hide her eyes behind her bangs.

* * *

"Ohhhhhhhh." Hestia marvelled, looking at the two rings I had made and enchanted. "You're getting really good at this."

"Welf helped with one, since I can't really make a memory stone for myself." On the surface, they were nearly identical. I had very carefully braided two strands of Ha-steel, with one strand of Ko-steel. The mostly gold with threaded black rings were memory stones as well, the Ko-steel holding the enchantment. It didn't stop there however. The Ha-steel held its own enchantment, mostly for durability, but also a tracking element, so that we'd always know which way to go for a hug. Lastly however, I had carefully used the brightest bits of the jade block I had bought and set it on the face of the ring. Not traditional, but the softer stone let me polish it perfectly smooth, so I could never hurt someone with it, and have it disintegrate because of my curse.

"I can feel the magic you put into them. Have you asked yet?" Hestia asked, holding her hands close to each ring, but not touching them.

"No. There is something I have to look into first. That's the second thing I need help with, but after." I cleared my throat again, looking at the workshop door and making sure the lock was on. "Lady Hestia," I knelt as well, taking each ring and holding them, one in each hand, "I ask your blessing, for what I hope the upcoming union of myself, and another of your Familia, Haruhime. May I ask for a single drop of your blood, so that you, the Goddess of Family, Hearth, and Home, ensures the enchantment will never fade?"

It was something Asfi told me, and Nazza too. The blood of a God was powerful stuff. But, it wasn't something given lightly, and in most cases, was extremely illegal to use. One such use, was a potion that could make a persons 'status' appear on their back, without their God bringing it forth.

"Have you considered..." Hestia started, sounding unsure, "That she might say no?"

"That's part of the second thing." I replied, still holding my position.

"And if she does?"

"I will throw the rings into the fire, so that Your blessing cannot be used against You, or for any other purpose." I said seriously, though I felt my throat getting sore, and I could feel tears trying to well up.

"If she does say no, I will be surprised, and kind of disappointed." She said, picking up something from my workbench. I felt a little dampness on my fingertips as something was dribbled over first one ring, then the other. "I give you my blessing, and hope that her answer is yes."

I could feel the enchantments in the rings change. I could feel only the strengthening enchantment in the one ring, with my 'memory' in it. But on Haruhime's 'memory' it was almost as if she was in the room next to me, holding my fingertips and smiling her amazing smile. It was so intense I had to quickly stand and put her ring inside the special box I had made, before I burst into tears or ran to her. "Sorry... It... No, here, feel for yourself." I offered Hestia the other ring.

Only remembering that when She held a memory stone, the power in it was even stronger.

"Um..." I heard suddenly in my ear, "Kodori? Can... You let go please?" Hestia said, patting my back. "I mean... I like your hugs, but... Kinda can't move, and my legs are dangling..."

Coming back to my senses, I realized I was holding Hestia, with all my tails wrapped around the two of us, and that I was holding Her off the floor. "Oh... Sorry." I put her down carefully. "I guess it works?"

"I'll say..." She dusted herself off, and gently swatted my tails away as they tried to get another hug. "So..." She started as I put the second ring away, tucking them both into the hidden spot on my workbench. "What was the second thing?"

"I need help reading something." I replied, stepping over to my alchemy bench and putting my hand on the two stacked books Ganesha had lent me. "It's in hieroglyph, the God's script."

"Did you want me to read it?" She asked, looking at the two thick books, "I mean, I could but..."

"No. Just get me started, like you did the first time." I smiled.

"I'll do my best." She said with a smile.

* * *

Notes!

Epic side quest starts. I'm sure, that if you've been following along, you know where this is going.

As for 'the rest' of the story... That's next chapter. :) Soon I'll know where to take the rest of the story, and that will mean I can finish up things.

I do plan, even after I 'end' this story, to have some 'side stories', before I make the jump to Highschool DxD. And, I might come BACK to this world, after I conclude DxD.

Maybe. This is thinking a year ahead or more, so yeah... who knows.


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 54

I walked with Hestia back to the main building, my Goddess petting one of my tails idly, "I don't mean to sound..." She hesitated, tilting her head a little, "Now I don't have the word..."

I couldn't help but chuckle, "Just ask, I would only deny you an answer if I was sleeping, or had my mouth full."

"Manners are important." She said with a nod and a smile, "If you and Haruhime do get... and... you find a way..." She trailed off, her inexperience with intimacy, and her nature of being shy with such things making her blush as well.

"I'll know when I know." I said, "If it all works out, I'm sure I'll at least take a vacation." I closed the distance a little between us, and wrapped the rest of my tails around her far shoulder and hip, "You will always be my Goddess."

She leaned on me a little as we entered through the side door. "That means a lot, you know, with everything going on, its hard to keep in touch with you all."

"Your presence is all we desire. Though your hugs are welcome too." I said seriously, "Now, if you'll excuse me, Ha-chan was rather insistent I come to bed tonight."

Leaving Hestia with the blush that thought gave her, I walked past, towards the spiral stair that led up to the rooms. I spotted Wiene, peeking around the corner at me as I reached the top of the steps, her bright eyes blink-blinking at me as I spotted her. "Hide and seek?" I asked quietly.

She shook her head back and forth quickly, and walked towards me, "I have a question." She declared with her usual 'something important' voice. "What exactly, is family?"

"Walk with me, and yes, you may have a hug." I said with a smile, using the distraction my tails gave her to think on a good reply. "Did you want the simple answer? Or my answer?"

"What's the difference?" She asked, gathering up my tails carefully, mindful of my balance and her own strength, and hugging them all at once.

"The simple answer, is something you would find in a book. No extra information. But, my answer is a little different. And if you asked someone else, their answer might be different too." I replied, reaching over and patting her head, playing with her long silver-blue hair.

"Both!" She said with a smile.

"Well hm. The simple answer first then." I realized that the simple answer wouldn't really giver her any satisfaction, but I started anyhow, "Depending on where you start, family are the people who are related to you. Mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew, niece."

"Does that mean..." I shushed her with a nose boop, making her eyes cross.

"That's part of the second answer. Just wait." I said, stopping outside my door, "For example, I have no mother, or father. I don't know if I have a sister, or brother. An Aunt, is a sister to a mother or father, and an Uncle, is a brother. I don't know if I have those either."

"So... You're an orphan?"

"Yes." For all I knew, I did have family here in this world, but that would open far too many lines of questions. "Bell has no mother or father anymore, but has a grandfather."

"That's... A father to a mom or dad?"

"Smart girl, yes." She smiled as I pat her head again, "Now, if some one has a child, they would be called a 'son' or 'daughter'."

"I think I know the simple answer now." She said, "I asked Mikoto too... And Ouka."

"Did you ask them the second question?" She shook her head no, "Then, here's my answer. Family doesn't mean you must be related by blood. Bell and I are good friends, but we have shared many things. Joy, sadness, anger, success. So I call him Brother."

"Welf calls you sister. For the same reason?"

"Mostly. He isn't one for hugs, but that is his way of showing he cares." I explained.

"I remember the lesson on hugs." She said proudly, "Ouka gives headpats. And Mr. Takemikazuchi gives shoulder squeezes. Welf just gives me nose boops." She pouted.

"I'm guessing, that you are asking because you don't have a mother or father?" I knelt down to look at her better, though her smile surprised me.

"Miss Hestia said that she would be my mom. And Bell could be my dad." She took my moment of surprise to boop my nose. "You're it, next time we play."

"Hey no fair." I said, making her giggle, "But, now you have your own answer."

She nodded happily, and hugged me as I stood up, "Thank you big sister."

"No problem. Now, go see if Chigusa is still reading, and ask if she will read you a story. Quietly, but no sneaking up on her."

"Okay!" And she was off, taking the steps down two at a time.

"Ko-san..." I head from the door behind me, as it opened up a tiny bit, "Being a big sister again?"

I could only see part of her face as she peeked around the door, that and one of her ears. "It's my job." I said with a sigh.

She giggled quietly and moved away from the door. Entering, I found that most of the lights were either off or really low, and that our bed had been rolled up and put aside. In its place was a small pile of towels and a couple of thin cushions. Haruhime herself was wearing her sleeping robe and probably nothing else. "I have something special for you..." She said shyly, taking my hand and leading me towards the pile of towels.

* * *

Dimly, I heard someone knock at the bedroom door. If I had to guess, it was roughly two hours later, but at this point, I could hardly hold a thought in my head longer than a few seconds. Haruhime had helped me undress, as was our usual 'before fun' routine. But instead of letting me give her a hug and well... She had told me, very seriously, to lay down on my stomach get comfortable, and not to fall asleep.

What followed was probably the best back rub I could ever remember getting. And still getting, two hours later. Right now, she was very carefully walking on my back, her little feet working on my shoulder blades with just the right amount of pressure.

And there was that knock again.

"Ha-chan..." I mumbled, at least, I think I mumbled that, it might have sounded more like 'haaaa.'

"Who is it?" She called out, not stopping her little one-two quick step on my back.

"It's me... Is it okay if I come in? Are you umm... busy?" It sounded like Hestia.

"k." I said. I was naked, on a pile of towels, but I was pretty sure I couldn't have moved. All my muscles felt like happy liquid. Even my tails were flat on the floor, each one limp and unmoving, though very glossy.

Giggling, Haruhime answered, "Yes it's okay."

The door opened, and I heard a quiet laugh, "Oh, that... Is she purring?"

"am not." I tried to sound indignant.

"Yes." Haruhime replied, "I used to do this for Aisha, when she got back from the dungeon. She said I wasn't quite heavy enough though."

"Just perfect." I said from under her, one of my tails managing to raise itself up a tiny bit, before flopping back to the floor.

"Well, um..." Hestia started, the noise of ruffling paper following a moment later, "I brought you a Rosetta stone, like you asked."

"Best Goddess ever." I said, sighing as Haruhime stopped her light bouncing on my back and stepped off me. "aww..." I pouted.

"Shh. I'm not done." Haruhime said. More paper ruffling, "I'll just put this on your desk my love."

"Thank you." I considered moving, just so I could look at Hestia, but found myself just... unable to put the effort into it. "Have... thing, in pocket..." I mumbled, "Forgot."

"Belt pouch?" Haruhime asked.

"Ya."

"Oh... Is this a... It's Wiene isn't it?" Hestia asked, "I will put this with the others." There was a pause, "You know... since I'm here, would you like me to update your status?"

"If you would like to." Haruhime said, her voice smiling in my ears, "And I think Ko-san wouldn't be able to stop you anyhow."

"Only if you keep going..." I mumbled, feeling my alertness getting even more fuzzy, "You said no sleeping... But... so comfy."

"Oh dear..." Hestia said, her clothes ruffling as I heard Her kneel next to me. "Such a demanding Child you are."

"Best Goddess." I replied, feeling a drop of something on my back, and a warm finger trace its way down.

"Flattery will get you... A status update." She said with a laugh, "I'll just leave your paper here, now Haruhime?"

Another ruffle, the familiar sound of Haruhime taking off her simple kimono, and a quiet noise of something far off, almost like the echo of a bell.

"Oh!" Hestia said after a moment, "You've done it." Her tone became more excited with every word, "I'm so proud of you, Haruhime, you're level two now!"

While the two of them had a very small celebration, I debated on how I should react. On the one hand, I was one really good eye blink from sleeping. On the other, Haruhime had just levelled up, and she deserved a hug or something.

My golden tail decided for me, and started wagging back and forth excitedly. Being almost as long as my leg, 'wagging' was more like 'flailing'. "Ack!" Hestia said as it swished against her.

"Sorry..." I mumbled, "rest of me is stuck to the floor."

"It's okay Ko-san, and you, stop ruining my back rub." The two of them giggled as my errant tail slowed then flopped back to the floor. "That's better." There was a ruffle of paper, "Oh... I seem to have... Well, I suppose since these were yours..."

"Hm." Hestia started, "You better be careful Kodori. Make sure you keep her happy from now on, or she might beat you up."

"Mikoto would do it first." I said with a yawn, "And I'd let her."

Haruhime didn't comment, though I could hear a ruffle of fabric followed by the sounds of someone standing. "I'll let you get back to subduing her. We can talk more in the morning." Hestia said with a laugh, "Though, I think Chime could hold her in place right now."

The two of them giggled, and I heard the door shut. There was a ruffle of paper again, and then more fabric. A warm hand pressed itself against my back, just above my tails, sending a slow current up my spine. "Yes, we can talk about it tomorrow." She said, tracing circles on my back, "But if you can manage to roll over, I'll continue."

* * *

I crawled back to conscienceness slowly, my entire body telling me it didn't want to. For the first time since getting put back together, I'd managed to close my eyes, and sleep, and the rest of me wanted more of it.

But nature was also awake, and... I had the end of a tail in my mouth.

Haruhime made a content noise from in front of me. Her back to me and tucked into my middle, I was holding her like a teddy bear, the tips of her ears just in sight at the bottom of my vision. Carefully letting the tail go and tucking it under my chin to try and dry a little of the drool off it, I gave my love one last hug, then started to get up.

As broken as I had been, my internal clock was right on time. Dawn was just starting to creep its way over the high wall in the distance, and that meant it was almost time to train. Not to leave Haruhime without something to keep her back warm, I moved my pillow behind her and went to take care of my morning routine.

Afterwards, I decided I'd waited long enough.

And looked in the mirror.

Something my father taught me, long ago. The next time you see someone you've know for a long while, stop and take a good look at them. Not just a 'glance' over the 'face you've seen a thousand times' but a really good look. You might be surprised at all the little changes that you just never bothered to catch on to.

That's what I did now, to myself. Comparing myself to the young woman I saw in the mirror the first day at the Hostess of Fertility.

It was still me. Though my hair was still short, my ears not quite as fuzzy. My eyes were still the same bright gold, but a single good sleep wasn't enough to get rid of the slight darkness under them. My body had changed a little too. Gone was the soft edged athletic build from the first day. The soft edges were gone, and near constant activity had given me an almost aggressive look, even as relaxed as I was now. Even my tails, no longer a single one, no longer 'normal' length. Knowing I was thinking of them, they tried to encourage me to brush them. Even Haruhime's golden furred tail was as long as the others now.

"But." I said to myself quietly, splashing some cold water on my face, "I am still me."

Realizing I was alone, and starting to think gloomy thoughts again, I dried my face and returned to my room quickly. That in of itself was depressing, being afraid of being alone. Something I'd done for years before I arrived here. But, I suppose that was because I didn't have to be alone here. Opening my room door and sneaking back inside, I spotted Haruhime sitting up already, blinking sleepily at the still dim room.

Seeing her in her usual 'one nudge away from sleeping in' posture made me smile. Because I had someone who would be happy to make sure I wasn't alone.

"Good morning love." I whispered, kneeling in front of her and wrapping my arms around her, "Ready for another day?"

* * *

"I don't know..." Haruhime said from beside me. "It feels too... restless."

We were going through some slow tai-chi forms. The only difference, aside from her weighted suit being a little heavier now, was that we were putting effort into it. Not like we didn't always 'put effort in' but if someone were to try and interrupt our movement, they would find that we were putting a lot of strength into it.

"For me, it is like I am pushing the energy as close to under my skin as I can. It strengthens me, toughens me, makes me faster." I explained, doing a front kick at glacial speed.

"But... It wants out... Like an animal in a cage."

"Too much. Relax a little, let a little out with each breath." I heard her adjust her breathing, and I moved to stand in front of her, "Ready?"

"Yes."

And, I hit her.

Not hard, obviously. With what most would consider normal strength, I punched her in the belly. I was ready to stop my attack mid way, but I could see her tense her abdomen in preparation, and when my fist connected, it felt like I'd hit a block of stone.

"Ow." She said as I moved away.

"It certainly felt like it worked." I said, shaking out my hand, "Though, I know you've been doing extra sit ups when you think I'm not looking."

"I know I'm not a fighter, but... I don't want to be a liability in case a monster gets past you." She rubbed her middle a little, "But yes, it was like... It moved to where you were going to hit me."

"Let's try something a little harder then. I'm not going to hit you, but I want you to move your magic to where our bodies connect." I settled back into a fighting stance, both hands forward, "Just simple blocking for now, when you have that down, we'll add a little more force."

And so for the next hour, we 'sparred'. It was more of a half speed fight, as I made the motions of punching and kicking, with Haruhime blocking my strikes with her forearms just as Takemikazuchi had taught her. A few times we had to stop, as she lost her 'grip' on the magic inside of her, but each time her arms or legs stopped one of my slow motion strikes, I could feel a little energy, just under her skin. Maybe Hestia was right? She really would beat me up if I made her unhappy.

"What's so funny?" She asked, her forearm brushing aside my punch.

"Just thinking, that I'll have to try harder to keep you happy." I said with a chuckle, "You're doing really well so far. Better than me at this stage, though, you've had a while with your own magic."

We separated and bowed to each other, Haruhime undoing some of the straps that held her weighted training clothes on, "But, this is your magic... sort of? And I'm not sure you could make me any happier." She gave me one of her smiles, and I moved to help her wiggle out of the rest of her training clothes. "Except... maybe... stay safe?"

I nodded, giving her a quick hug and sitting down to do some stretching, "I have no plans to do something like that again. I will also follow my own advice."

"Good." She joined me for the stretching, "Um... Did you look at your status?"

"No." I felt my spine pop quietly, "After you *ahem* subdued me," She blushed as I waggled an eyebrow at her, "I had the best sleep I've had in a long while. And this morning, I'd just forgotten. Sleepy Ha-chan hugs are the best hugs."

She giggled and grabbed my forearms, helping me stretch forwards, "And what's a Rosetta stone?"

I had to be careful here, as 'ladylike' and 'proper' as she was, she was no fool, and I wanted to keep my project a secret, "It was a stone that had the same thing written on it, word for word, in three different languages. This stone helped people who understood two of the languages, to understand and translate the third, which was a 'dead' language, not spoken anymore, with no one who knew it still alive."

"Ohhh, you told me that Lady Hestia gave you a 'Rosetta stone' for Koine, the local language." She leaned forward as I leaned back, still holding forearms. "Oh... That's a little far..."

"Sorry." I eased up a little, "Yes, and a children's book. Very important. I needed something to translate against."

"But, why are you trying to learn Hieroglyph?" We stood, Haruhime putting her weighted clothes away neatly.

"Research. I've got an idea, but without a little more information," A lot more information... "It's just that, an idea. But, unless I have a God or Goddess around to read it, then I'll never get it done."

"You're always trying to learn something new, aren't you? I love that about you." She smiled again, the two of us leaving the exercise room and heading to the back exit of the mansion.

"Actually, if you want to help me learn even more, could you help me with Eastern?"

"Oh? Well... I suppose I could." She took hold of one of her tails, then the other when it got jealous, and pet the ends, "Lord Takemikazuchi is a much better teacher though."

"You're much nicer to look at." I replied, petting one of her ears, "Now, lets go see about those trees..."

* * *

The pool and all the involved steps in building it were just about done now. The pool itself was laid down, waterproofed, polished, and the deck around it was also laid out, putting a two meter smooth marble area around it for sunbathing. The watershed was also pretty much done. It just needed a roof, and the pipes. That last bit would need a city worker, to direct us on how to connect it to our main water pipes, and to turn off the pipe so when we added our own connection it didn't just flood the place. We had our permits however, and aside from setting a time to do it, we would have no problem.

Both Familia were working on the watershed roof as Haruhime and I entered the area, Bell giving us a wave and grinning.

"All it needs is water!" He said happily.

There were various grunts and cheers of approval, "And people to swim in it." I called back. "Hey Welf? You get those screens done for the pipes?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" He grinned back at me, "Haven't put them on yet, if you wanna do that."

"Sure! Then if anyone knows how to... well, not kill plants by trying to help the grow, we can try and revive those trees."

Ouka, surprisingly raised a hand, along with Asuka. "We'll help." They said in unison.

"Good." I nodded, feeling a little warm and fuzzy inside. Despite the delay of what happened to me, the project was almost done. "Love?" I looked to Haruhime, who was also smiling, "Help me with some of the tools?"

* * *

Less than an hour later, we were done with the pool. Welf had measured things exactly, and Haruhime and I clamped the ends on the intake pipe for the pool easily. The watershed roof was simple, made of wood and clay tile, waterproofed by something I'd mixed, and ventilated by a clever idea from Marius.

The trees, struggling to grow when we had moved in, didn't look much better. But, with the steady hands of Lilly, we cleared some of the soil around the roots and put down the proper soil that Marius and I bought. The others, not good with plants, so they claimed, were able to fill buckets of water to help the new soil settle so we could pack more of it on before replacing the grass around them.

That left us around lunch time, so we headed back to the house for a quick scrub before eating.

Or I tried to.

"Boop!" Wiene said as she appeared in front of me with her monster speed and poked my nose. "You're it, remember."

The others, just a little ahead of me, all turned, mumbling, "She's it?" "Uh oh..." "Ten Valis on the little one."

"But Wiene." I said mock serious, pretending to ignore the crowd and rubbing my poor nose, "We have to clean up for lunch."

"Twenty on the fox." "Lilly will take that bet."

"Does that mean you won't have lunch until everyone is clean?" Clever girl was exactly out of arms reach of me, she knew of my unbreakable grip, and how fast I could be.

"It does." I said, smiling, "It would be rude to keep them waiting."

"Soooooo." She took a half step away, before leaning forward a little, "I guess you better catch me?"

"I'll count to three." I replied, taking off my shoes, "One."

Everyone sort of moved to the side, the dragon girl giggling and turning around, "Yay!"

"Two."

And she was running.

"Three!" Then so was I.

* * *

"The Children seem to be in high spirits again." Takemikazuchi said quietly, sitting next to Hestia, sipping tea in the shade of the front entrance, a gentle breeze wafting by.

The wind brought with it the scent of the city, as always, but also the smells of nature, the Hearthstone Manor a small green oasis in the district it was in.

"Is this how parents feel, Take? Watching their Children be happy?" Hestia replied, sipping her tea as well.

"GET BACK HERE!" Kodori yelled from around the corner of the entrance, her rapid footfalls like drumbeats.

"I don't wanna!" Weien yelled back, her smaller feet tapping the ground even faster to make up for her shorter legs.

They two passed in front of the Gods, one, a black streak with silver-blue hair, laughing merrily, and a taller black streak, with four black and one gold tail streaming behind her.

As Hestia's hair settled back down from the sudden gale of wind, Takemikazuchi replied calmly, "Yes, high spirits indeed."

* * *

That inky black robe she was wearing was made of tough stuff. And forming pockets wasn't its only other trick either.

"No fair." Wiene pouted as I carried her over my shoulder like a sac, holding one end of the robe closed while the rest of her was contained inside. With only her arms and head able to move, she was unable to continue the game of tag.

"Do I have to tickle your feet again?" I asked, my tails helping to hold her up, so at least she wasn't upside-down. I made a show of getting ready to put my free hand into the end of the robe I was holding.

"no..." She mumbled back.

"Good." I smiled back over my shoulder and finished walking towards the bath room. "Though, I'm really hungry now... Maybe I'll just nibble a toe or something since you're here..."

"No! Help! Kodori is going to eat my toes!" She tried to struggle, but the magic cloth simply stretched and warped instead of giving.

Fresh out of the shower, Mikoto walked out of the bathroom, "Kodori-dono, are you really going to do such a thing?" She was still towelling off her hair as she gave me a disapproving look.

"Save me Miss Mikoto!" Wiene cried as I reached into the robe and made a show of trying to find a foot.

"Kodori-dono. I will make you a little extra for lunch, if you spare Wiene-chan." Mikoto said to me seriously, then to the flailing bundle over my shoulder she said, "But only if you are extra quiet during your reading lesson tonight."

Wiene stopped, and so did I, as the dragon girl mumbled, "Okay..."

"But you still need to get clean." Mikoto said firmly. Then to me, "Make sure to get behind her ears."

"Ears are tasty too..." I mumbled, making Wiene start struggling again, while Mikoto and I shared a smile and evil laugh.

* * *

I had the impression I might have taken the joke a little far when I actually did nip at one of Wiene's ears. For the rest of the day she was trying to hide, while giving me the evil eyes. Even as I started to work on one of the tomes I had been lent from Ganesha's personal library, I could see her out of the corner of my eye, peering at me from behind the doorway of our 'meeting room'.

While I worked, slowly, painstakingly comparing hieroglyphs with the 'Rosetta stone' Hestia had made for me, Chigusa was sitting on the other end of the couch, quietly reading her book. Every so often, I'd catch her looking at me as I paused, wrote something down, then look away when I stopped.

This went on for most of the late afternoon. So I decided to test her concentration. Owning a tail, or five, in my case, meant I couldn't sit like most people. Sounds silly, but when you have almost half of your total volume slowly weaving about behind you, its hard to find a chair that wont risk getting a tail sat on when you plunk yourself into it. This meant most of my tails were taking up the middle of the couch, where a third person might sit. Haruhime's tail was currently over my shoulder, giving me something to occupy my hand with when it wasn't writing.

So, I let one of my tails stretch out just a little more, and rest next to her hand.

That's all. Just one tail, casually flopping the very end of itself up and down lazily.

After another few minutes, I moved it so it actually brushed her hand. Just enough to be noticed, timed perfectly with my scribbling down another note. Instead of looking over at me, she instead looked at my tail, and pet the end of it, almost like she was saying hello to it silently.

And like that, I encouraged her to pay more attention to my tails, then to what I was doing. My notes were in my (admittedly) sloppy Koine, but since it was technically a secret project, I didn't want her to put together what I was up to.

Eventually however, I think she might have gotten too focused on my tails, as the one I'd been using to distract her made the others jealous of the attention she was giving it. Though, clever girl, Chigusa simply moved just a little closer to me, and let them perch on her. Even as she read her book, she randomly pet my tails when they would try and get her attention.

Except it worked too well eventually.

"Captain." Ouka called out quietly, mindful of 'reading time'.

"Hm?" I looked up from my work, blinking away a little eyestrain and squinting at him from across the room. "Bell is captain right now, but yes?"

"Have you seen Chigusa... Oh, never mind." He said as he got closer.

Eventually my tails had distracted her from her book to the point where she started yawning, and now, the quiet supporter was being held up by my tails as she napped on them.

"I'll just um... It can wait, unless you wanted me to take her someplace else?" He said quietly, scratching his head.

"No need. Though if you needed her for something you might want to wake her before dinner." I replied, closing the tome and tucking the notes I had made away, "It's about time I got up. I'm sure the workshop has something in it for me to work on."

"Chigusa mentioned a shield, before..." He stopped himself before he could go further.

"I remember." I said with a quiet sigh, "Something I've been wondering."

"Hm?" He very carefully gathered the supporter up, his much thicker body almost making her vanish in his arms.

"When are the two of you..." I gave him a meaningful look as I went silent.

"The fox is wise." He said with a smile, Chigusa sighing contently, her first noise for most of the afternoon. "We are... Waiting. There is too much going on."

"I know the feeling." I replied, tucking my work under my arm, "Just remember, tomorrow isn't a promise."

"It's not like we don't know how we feel." He shook his head, "But... We just aren't as *ahem* loud about it."

I could feel my ears get hot, and the feeling didn't stop until it sunk to my collarbones. He grinned at me, then turned and walked off, cradling Chigusa in his arms.

"I should invent soundproofing... Yes..." I mumbled to myself in English as I walked back to my room to put the tome away.

* * *

I always had someone around. Be it me holding Chime as I went between buildings, Chigusa on the couch, Welf in the workshop, Bell in the kitchen... I only realized I was doing it when I noticed I was waiting for one of the girls to get up to go to the bathroom near the end of dinner time. Haruhime's amazing back rub had only given me a good night's rest, but it was only enough to give me a little footing against the darkness at the edges of my vision.

Dinner was a little more animated as well, people were talking to me, asking questions, making small talk. Poor Wiene was still giving me grumpy looks, but I bribed her with a cookie to get her to smile at me again.

"I'm wondering." I started, "Is anyone up for a bit of a walk tomorrow? I've got some things I need to do at the tower."

"Oh? What's on your mind Kodori?" Asuka asked, offering Chime a leaf from her salad.

"Well, if Welf gives his approval, I think the pool is done."

"It is." He said confidently.

"That means a visit to the guild for a profession... ..." I sighed.

"Professional." Marius offered.

"Yes, a professional to get our water pipes hooked up." I said, giving the soldier a nod of thanks. "We have the permit, so we just need the person." There were some nods.

"But that's not the tower." Bell said.

"No. I also want to visit Lady Hephaestus, and maybe see if there's something on the job board to do." I said, mopping up the last of my plate with a bit of bread, watching the crowd for their reaction.

It wasn't a good reaction. To be expected, everyone there was trying to think of a way to say it. That they didn't think I was ready yet. They were probably right. But I had to do something, or I'd never get back to fighting form again. Welf saved them, with an expected deflection.

"Oh? Going to see Hephaestus? What for?" He asked, leaning forward.

"Just a few questions. But first... What do you think She would think, of her?" I looked at Weine, who paused in her cookie nibbling to look at me.

There was a moment of silence.

"Lady Hestia, you know Her best." Takemikazuchi said, "She is your friend, even before you descended."

"Well... She's a good person." Hestia said slowly, "And isn't one to just... jump to conclusions."

"Not an anvil head, like some one Lilly knows..." Lilly deftly snapped a thrown crouton out of the air as Welf stuck his tongue out at her.

"But... You can't just bring her with you though..." Bell said, breaking a cookie in half and offering it to the dragon girl.

"No, but I think we should invite Her over for tea. Lord Miach, and Lord Ganesha know. Hermes knows, but the rest of the Gods..." I looked over to Lilly, "We need people who won't bring the torches if Wiene and the Xenos are found out. And I think we can trust Lady Hephaestus."

There was a moment of silence, until Wiene spoke up, "Why am I the only one who can be seen? Why not one of the others?"

I smiled, while most of the others frowned, Wiene was smart, and asking the right questions. "Because you are already up here, but, Gods aren't allowed in the dungeon." I gave Hestia a look, "The guild would get mad, and charge us a fine."

Hestia pouted while the rest of the table nodded. "But... What if we could get another up here?" Wiene asked.

"Wiene, you are lucky to be up here. Had Bell not insisted, at best, we would have made sure you were able to recover, and left you down there." Mikoto said firmly, "We know now, we were wrong to think so, but then, we didn't know anything about you or the other Xenos."

"Wiene has a point though." I said, "If we could get other Gods to see what is going on... But, do we even know others? Aside from Loki, who are an exploring Familia..."

"Don't worry Wiene, we will figure things out, and one day, bring your cousins up to see the sunlight." Bell said, patting Wiene's hand.

"Can I have a hug?" She asked, wrapping her arms around Bell when he gave her one.

"Well, I do have to visit Hephaestus." Hestia said, "Maybe you and I can go tomorrow?"

I nodded to her, and Bell spoke up as he let Wiene go, "And after we look for a little work in the dungeon."

"Lilly would like help with inventory."

"I am at your service." Marius said.

"Yay! Lilly doesn't have to carry all the things!"

"Ouka, you wanted me to look at your spear?"

"Armour too, got a bit on the back that feels a little scratchy."

"Could you look at my gauntlets too?" Asuka asked.

"Gauntlets are Kodori's thing." Welf replied, giving me a grin.

"We can get Chigusa's shield done too." I replied.

"Thank you." The supporter replied quietly.

Before everything descended into chaos about tomorrow's preparation, I gave Haruhime's tails a little tug, made eye contact and raised an eyebrow. She looked at me, puzzled, then perked up, nodding.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat meaningfully, the rest of the table settling. "Haruhime has an announcement to make, before we all go our separate way for the last of the evening."

I gave her tails another hug with mine to encourage her as everyone looked her way. Standing carefully, she swept her gaze over everyone, then said, "Last night, Lady Hestia updated my status, and I am now level two."

There were a collection of cheers, applause and whistles, with most of Takemikazuchi Familia standing and clapping. Over the noise, she tried to say "Thank you for your support so far." But with her bowing to everyone, and all the noise, it was lost to them.

After a moment or two longer, everyone settled down, "That's amazing Miss Haruhime." Bell said with a smile, "Oh! Now everyone is level two or higher!"

"Except Wiene." I said, but smiled, "But that's okay, she's strong enough as she is."

"Oh... I guess so, but well... She is still a secret." Bell replied, putting a hand on Wiene's shoulder, "If all this works out, do you think she can adventure with us some day?"

"She is strong, certainly." Mikoto said, "But she is a gentle soul. And would need to learn to defend herself before we brought her into combat."

Haruhime spoke up, looking at Wiene who was starting to look a little down. "It's okay Wiene. We won't make you fight if you don't want to. Our two Familia support each other, no matter what they wish to do."

"Thank you." Wiene said, smiling at Haruhime, "I like my lessons with Mr. Takemikazuchi... But I don't want to hurt anyone..."

"Being an adventurer isn't all about fighting." Marius said, bringing everyone's attention to him. "Sure, we fight. But we also learn. Support. Plan. If all we did was fight, we'd just be soldiers. As an expert soldier, I'll tell you, its no fun."

There were a series of nods, the dragon girl perking up again. It made me smile to see everyone warmed up to her. Now if we could just get the rest of the city to care, even a fraction as much.

Haruhime's hand on my shoulder cut off my start into the gloom in my mind, and when I looked she smiled at me. "Only smiles tonight." She whispered to me.

"As you wish." I whispered back, smiling.

"I suppose all that's left is a gear check before bed then." Bell said, "And dishes. Wiene, could you help me dry?"

"Okay."

* * *

Notes

Okay, dialogue ran a little long... So I suppose NEXT episode is where the action starts back up. Writing all gloomy is starting to get me down too. :( But I literally did it to myself.

See you in five days. :)


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 55

The next morning found me a little less refreshed than I would have liked. A longer than intended after dinner session in the workshop, followed by dark dreams that didn't quite wake me up had left me a little groggy, but, I managed to pull myself out of bed all the same.

I could tell everyone had noticed, but they were all too polite to point it out. I considered taking a 'coffee pill', but while the effects were as intended, it tasted so vile I kind of regretted ever making them.

"Chigusa?" I called the supporter over before we set out.

"Kodori-san." She replied, stepping over and looking up at me.

"Welf and I finished your shield. If you'd come to the workshop, we can put the last touches on it." I said, "And I made some of that stuff to cast your face for a mask."

"Oh! Okay." She stepped away, spoke a moment to Ouka and Asuka, then returned to me and we headed to the workshop. "I don't mean to be..." She started as we were out of earshot of the rest.

"I'll know when we get down there." I replied with a sigh, "I have to shake this, or I'll be a slave to it forever." She flinched at my tone, but I tried to calm her with a brush from Haruhime's tail. "Sorry... I know everyone is dancing around the topic, and it's kind of made me ... not angry... but close."

She nodded, and gave my golden tail a pat, then a second one when it kind of insisted. "Kodori-san... You do so much for us, we would all like you to lean on us a little more." She paused, and started to go back to being shy, "I mean... If you would like to... We wouldn't mind..."

I stopped, just outside the workshop, turned, and bowed to her. "I'll be in your care, Chigusa-sempai." Technically, she was my senior, regardless of my level, she'd been an adventurer for at least a year longer than me. "If you would allow your kohai to support you as well."

She started to stammer a variety of apologies, 'it's not like that's', and 'you're two levels higher' all at once. But I put a hand on her shoulder and opened the door to the workshop.

"I understand, and thank you. Now lets not keep them all waiting."

* * *

We left Wiene at home with Asuka, who was going to wait for the plumber, or what ever they were called here. Hestia was still sleeping, the lazy Goddess that she was, but said she'd talk to Hephaestus later, before rolling over again. But aside from that, we all turned out for a proper trip to the dungeon. It felt nice to be in my armour again. Haruhime had cleaned it up for me without my noticing too, the only red on it now that of the scales themselves.

Marius and Chigusa were comparing shields. The Jr. version that Chigusa had wasn't covered in drake scale, but it was exactly the right size for her, and looked, as the name suggested, like a smaller version of Marius's. Complete with spikes at the bottom for bracing. It looked out of place on her, with her thin build, but she was level two, and seemed to have no problems carrying it on her arm.

"Okay, first stop for me. Bell? Scout the board, see if there is something there worth doing. Don't worry about splitting the group. Anyone want to help me with..." I made my voice ominous, "The administration."

Marius chuckled, then tried to look innocent when the others looked at him.

"Okay, Miss Kodori. Lilly? Could you go with her?"

"Lilly will go." She said, though I detected some strain in her voice.

"Thank you. We won't start without you." Bell said, waving to Lilly and I as he and the rest went ahead.

* * *

"So." I started, as Lilly and I waited in Eina's line. One of my tails beat me to putting a hand on Lilly's head to check if she had ears today. "You've been avoiding me."

I brushed my tail off her head and onto her shoulders, the supporter slouching a little as my hand ruffled her hair. "I... Feel like it was partly my fault." She said, without her usual mannerisms. "I know it's not. But..."

"You're right. It's not. It was supposed to be a simple trip to a few of the shops we always go to. It's not like we were expecting a trap of some kind." I stopped ruffling her hair gently, and leaned down to look at her, "If anything, it was my fault. I didn't remind you to bring your weapons. I didn't follow my own teachings that I've been drilling into everyone's head since I started training with you all." I poked her nose before she could respond, "And it nearly got me killed. But, I heard you did everything you could to put me together again."

It didn't seem to help her mood any, but I said it anyhow, "Best supporter."

"Next." Eina said, looking at the two of us and giving us her best smile. "It's good to see you on your feet again, Kodori. And hello Miss Lilly."

"It's good to be on my feet." I said with a smile that was only a little forced. "We have a few little bits of business today." I looked down at Lilly, "You have the paper?"

"Lilly has, the paper." She said, holding out a bit of paper for Eina, who took it and unfolded it.

"Lets see... Ah, the permit for altering the pipes. You need some one to go and do that for you? Today?"

"Yes. We've done all the measurements, and made all the pipes we need. Just need an actual expert to do it." I replied. "And, I'd also like to report that Haruhime is now level two."

Eina's face brightened, "That's excellent news." She made a note, "Tell her to come by soon and we can have a little meeting about it. Like I've done with all of you before."

"I'll do that." I nodded, "Oh, and lastly... This isn't actual business though." I put a little box on the desk between us. "Open it later."

Puzzled, she accepted the box, and put it inside her desk next to a little box that I assumed was her lunch or something. "Thank you." She paused, looking behind me at the line, "How are you feeling?" She asked quietly, "I visited, while you were..."

"I am fine." I poked my thumb into the centre of my chest, "But not sure." I tapped my forehead. "Everyone has already gone ahead into the tower to check for something to warm me back up again."

She nodded to me, wiping the concerned look off her face, and smiling her professional smile again. "Thank you for reporting in, and good luck."

We both thanked her, then left, letting the next in line go ahead. "Lilly likes her. She makes me wish she was Lilly's big sister."

"I thought I was your big sister." I pouted, though I couldn't help but smile a half second later.

"Miss Kodori is everyone's big sister."

"Okay, that's fair."

* * *

"Miss Kodori, Miss Lilly." Bell greeted us as he spotted us approaching the job board. "How did the meeting go?"

"Well, Eina knows we need someone to look at the water, and Ha-chan needs to visit her personally, to report." I replied, "So, find anything?"

"Some gathering missions." Bell started, "Hell hound pelts, moth wings, goblin teeth..."

"Nazza asked for that one I'm guessing?" I asked, getting a nervous chuckle from the rest of them.

"Yeah..." Bell replied, "A few others, minotaur horns, hard armoured shell, cloud fruit, fire bird feathers... The rest of the missions are deeper down, or back in the city."

"Lilly wouldn't mind camping with Mr Bell for more moth wings."

"Goblin teeth would be... Too simple." Mikoto said.

"I have no wish to fight fire birds again." Marius said, taking off his helmet and running a hand through his hair.

"Hard armoured aren't too hard, but still, group this size?" Welf added.

"Minotaur and hell hounds are around the same floors." Ouka said, "And since Kodori-dono insisted we all have salamander wool in our armour..."

We all looked at one another, most of us nodding, others shrugging. "Sounds like a plan." I said as all eyes fell to me.

* * *

I was a little nervous. Even more so than my first day, all those months ago. It was like the walls were closer than the last time I was here. Back in my old life, I'd been a tiny bit claustrophobic, but nothing like this. Haruhime, in her black Goliath skin robe was walking next to me, one of her tails curled around my arm. Not quite holding my hand, but it might as well have been.

Embarrassing, but I was thankful all the same.

Due to the size of the party, and the fact that the upper floors were a place for all the level one adventurers to work, we either waited for the rookie dungeoneers to finish their kills before we walked by, or just killed what ever dared to bother us. It was easy, and as safe as the dungeon would ever get.

Yet, I still couldn't make my legs move when there was a monster in the way. I was basically rear guard, though Marius was walking behind me, so I really wasn't even that.

"Remember back when we started, Miss Kodori?" Bell asked, letting Ouka and Mikoto lead while he moved back to chat with me. "How, before we met Lilly, we had such a hard time."

"I do remember. All those bite marks..." I chuckled, "If you were wondering Ha-chan, that's why I'm so good with first aid, and why my legs are so ticklish."

Haruhime's hood was up, so I could only tell she was blushing by how her tail twitched on my arm, "I was... curious about that, yes."

Bell was blushing too, his white hair making it look worse than it was. "Or later, when Miss Lilly joined. The frogs."

"Eww, yes, I remember that too."

"So does Lilly!" Lilly said from further up the line.

"It's been a long time since then." Bell said, looking a little wistful, "But we've both come far. And with everyone's help, we've become a good team too."

"We have." I agreed. "It might take a while, but I'm not going to retire yet. Too many things to do."

He nodded, and I noticed a few of the others looking back at me. "Good. But don't forget, we're a team. You taught us that. We lean on each other, so we can all return home safe."

I felt the urge to ruffle his hair, so I did, "We do have people waiting for us, and dinner. I am really looking forward to taco night."

Lilly 'tee-hee'ed' while the rest of the group made a variety of faces about Lilly's spicy cooking.

* * *

As we progressed, my anxiety got worse. Cold sweat, jumping at random noises, hiding behind Lilly of all people. The fifteenth floor was next, and I was basically being a piece of luggage in the party. No one mentioned it, and Bell was acting like a model captain too, so my 'absence' wasn't a problem. He was basically treating me like a wounded member, and not calling my name when it came time to act.

And I hated it.

Not that Bell was doing a wonderful job in my place. That made me proud. But the fact that I was simply... existing. Going to work, passing the time, then going home. Was that all I was? Again?

No.

I would not have it. I would not use this second life I'd been given, to go back to my old ways.

"Ko-san?"

"Miss Kodori is glowing again..."

Feet planted firmly, I focused everything inwards, looking inside the cage of my soul, and reaching a hand towards the lock.

If being 'rational' wasn't working. Then I would discard it and try something else.

"Bell." I said through my teeth, "Point me at something."

There was a pause, as my senses focused to a single point, my body practically vibrating in place while I waited. The moment stretched until it felt like a single thread holding me back. Then I felt a subtle quiver under my feet. "Tunnel to the left." Bell said.

* * *

I needed to know if I could fight. Calm or angry, it didn't matter, if I were to ever return to my normal self, I needed to overcome the darkness just outside of my vision, and fight. Behind me, I could hear the rest of them trying to keep up as I practically ran on all fours down the tunnel.

My vision was a hazy red, my tails were trailing behind me like streamers and the air rushing past my ears was practically howling. Through my hands and feet I could feel the heavy footsteps of something down the hall, and I was running towards it like a comet.

Minotaur. A group of three.

Screaming as I arrived, the first one turned towards me, starting to raise one of its huge fists.

And I destroyed it. Not even slowing down, I roared at it and slammed my fist into its gut at close to the speed of sound.

What followed was a blur of blood, screams, and totally reckless combat. My rational mind was almost unable to keep track of what was going on, as the beast behind the bars rampaged through the room. Other monsters, attracted by the noise, rushed towards me, but they too were caught up in the melee. Unable to stop myself now, my inner beast was pushing my aura outwards, the dripping black smoke extended outwards like a claw, and I swiped it towards another minotaur.

"DEVOUR!" I screamed, the beast simply falling to bits as the spectral claw became solid and shredded it with all the grace of a collection of sharpened crowbars.

Then something hit me. HARD. It slammed into my side like a wall, and I sprawled sideways. My tails, as well as my hands, lashed about and brought me back to my feet almost instantly, eyes searching for what ever it was that just hit me.

Then something else hit me. Water?

Cold water dripping down my face, the temperature shock confusing me right out of my rage, I blinked and sputtered, looking around.

Marius was standing in front of me, the dragon scale shield held in front of him at the ready, though his other hand was braced behind the shield and held no weapon. "Back with us?" He asked.

Still confused, I shook my head, grimacing as water got into my ears, and squeezed my eyes shut to clear them. "What..."

Around me, I could hear a collective sigh of relief. "Best use of my canteen yet." Welf said from behind me, "Good shot Lil'e."

"Ko-san?" Haruhime's voice made my knees wobble, the sudden adrenalin crash setting my body trembling. "Are you hurt? Lilly!"

There was movement around me, and three pairs of hands steadied me. I didn't shake them off, but it was something close as my hands reached out to grab on to something. I caught the edges of a familiar breastplate, and found myself looking into Bell's face.

"This time, we stopped you from doing something stupid. Sit down, sister, calm down. We'll clean up." His red eyes looked angry, but he helped Lilly and Haruhime fold my legs up properly and sit me down. "Miss Chigusa? Help Miss Lilly. Mikoto? Can you help Haruhime?"

So I sat, my body slowly balancing itself out again, the shakes slowing. Haruhime and Mikoto checked me over for wounds, but aside from a bit of water in my ears and a bruised shoulder, I didn't have anything but monster blood on me. I used that time to look around the room. My logical mind catching up while I did so. It reminded me of the half remembered fight with the Amazon Phryne. Claw marks along the walls. Craters in the floor. Broken stone everywhere. And shattered monsters.

"Kodori-dono." Mikoto called my attention back to the present. She waited until I focused on her, her face concerned. "If this is the only way you can fight, from here on, you should retire."

Haruhime made a distressed noise, but I put a hand on her shoulder, "The first step is always the hardest." I said, throat feeling dry, "Please, help me remember the path if I stray from it."

"So long as you understand." She smiled a warrior to warrior smile, then looked to Haruhime, "You were right."

Haruhime smiled her brilliant smile, and nodded, "If its Ko-san, I know all her weak spots."

"And secret cookie boxes." I added, reaching a hand out to Mikoto and standing up stiffly, "Yes, any fight that leaves me that out of control, and this wobbly after, is a terrible way to fight. Thank you." I said to Mikoto, "Marius!"

"Ma'am?" The soldier looked towards me from his spot in the middle of the room, watching over Lilly and Chigusa as they cleaned up the monsters.

"Thank you."

"Yes Ma'am."

"Urg... Okay, going to need a pill, and some more water." I said, reaching into my coat for the little bottle of mind pills.

* * *

"Mind mints." I said.

"What?" Marius asked from just behind me.

"That's what I'll call these things." It had taken three of the little blue 'potion pills' to clear the haze my rage had brought on, and the minty feeling they brought on, that wasn't so much a taste as a feeling, made me think up the name. "I'll just use that little brewing kit to make them into actual candy."

"I wonder what Ma'am Nazza will think of that." Marius asked.

"My money is on two tail wags and a pout that she didn't think of it first." I replied, getting a chuckle from Welf who was just ahead of me.

"Careful there sister. She might start charging us full price for potions again." He said.

"Hm, yeah, maybe I'll just... Na, I'll make them, and share the secret only if she keeps giving us a discount." I grinned.

"Are you sure you don't want to try being a merchant?" Marius asked.

"I'm a fox, not a wolf." I repeated.

* * *

As we got closer to the eighteenth, the monsters became more aggressive. I hadn't gotten over my fear, but what amounted to me having a temper tantrum had proven that I could still fight. I found myself able to stand firm and protect our supports properly.

It wasn't my usual place at the front, but it was a start.

Then we heard someone yelling.

"Trouble?" Ouka asked, "Bell-kun?"

"Let's go, if it's something we can help with, then we help." He replied, earning a grin and a nod from everyone. It was exactly the answer we expected of him.

What we found was a group of adventurers, running away from something. I even recognized a few of them, like the barkeep from the tavern on the eighteenth. When they spotted us, they changed direction and headed towards us.

"Its an invasion!" One said, his face bloody, and most of his armour only half put on, as if he were in a rush to leave.

"Invasion?" I asked.

"A whole bunch of monsters, all wearing armour, came up from the nineteenth and just started rampaging through the town. They were ridiculously strong too!" Another said. Mikoto was tending to what looked like a broken arm.

"Hold still." She said, "Armoured monsters?"

"Yes! There was huge lizard man, a gargoyle... even a few I don't even know the names of." The bartender said, recovering his breath. "We all got out as fast as we could once we saw how strong they were."

Our party shared a look. Xenos. But why would they be attacking? "Are there still people down there?"

"No, we all got out. But everything is flattened. Totally destroyed." The dwarf said, "Most of us are second tier adventurers. But we were completely overwhelmed."

There were about a dozen of them here, all wounded in some way. Some even had broken weapons, still clutched in one hand. I shook my head, this didn't make sense.

Then I felt my back heat up. Perking up, I noticed some of the others, Hestia Familia only, were perked up the same way. Hestia was touching our memory stones, and it felt completely different than usual. "Bell..." I started.

"I feel it too." He said, "Takemikazuchi Familia, Lilly, Haruhime, Welf, help them get back up, then get home quickly." The order got him a few troubled looked, but he shook his head, "Marius, you stay."

"Thank you, but..." The barkeeper started.

"We'll make sure they don't follow. Report to the guild as quickly as you can." Bell replied firmly, "If it's too much, we'll run too, but if they are as strong as you say, we can't have them come to where the new adventurers hunt."

"We'll warn the others on the way up as well." Ouka said, Chigusa nodding beside him. "You heard our captain. Lets go."

"Miss Kodori." Lilly said at my side, pressing something into my hand. "Lilly picked it up, just in case."

It was the little pyramid 'key'. "Thank you Lilly. Best supporter." I looked to Haruhime, gave her a nod and what I hoped was a good smile, "Be safe, see you soon."

She nodded back to me with that wonderful smile, then turned and started running with the others.

* * *

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" I asked Bell.

"If it's them, we have to help." He looked up at me, then to the others, "You understand, right?"

The three of us nodded. I still owed them a debt, though I'd never actually met one of them, at least while awake. Mikoto and Marius were both on board too. Thankfully the Goliath wasn't there, and we got to the eighteenth floor without incident.

And they were right. The place was in ruins. The town of Rivera that was built around the trunk of the great tree was little more than smoke and broken wood. From where we were at the entrance to the floor, we could see figures moving around amidst the ruin, roaring, smashing already broken structures, and generally being... monsters.

"Something is really wrong." Bell said, "It's them, for sure." He pointed at the lizardman, "That's Lido. The leader. That one is Gros," He pointed to what looked like a grey lizard with wings, "He's a gargoyle."

"It is them." Mikoto said, "But why?"

"I agree, they were too disciplined to do something this rash." Marius said, "And those are the motions of any of the monsters I've seen, not like a thinking person's at all."

"So." I started, "What's the plan? Just as you said, they look..." Even if I was in good shape, they looked really strong. "It's not like we can just... Oh, maybe we can." They looked at me, "If they are acting like monsters, then we should try and lure one someplace."

"Good idea." Bell said, "But we have to be careful." To punctuate his statement, a burst of flame erupted from someplace in the ruin, "Both Lido and the giant hell hound I told you about are there."

"Not a problem for me, though I'm tired of having short hair." I replied. "I'll be bait."

Bell nodded. "Marius? Do what you did with Miss Kodori a little while ago." Marius nodded, "Mikoto, Lido's legs work just like ours, be careful of his tail." When she nodded, Bell said, "We'll lure him away then try and get him back to his senses somehow."

* * *

I was starting to have second thoughts. Third and forth ones too. But as I watched from under a pile of bushes near the edge of town, my eyes tracked Lido. Up close he was an impressive monster. About two meters tall, muscled like a minotaur, and armoured like a proper adventurer. His mouth was filled with meat ripping teeth, and when he let out a blast of fire, it was enough to instantly blacken what ever it hit, be it wood or stone. His eyes however, were glowing red, the sign of an angry monster that you could find anywhere in the dungeon. Though, unlike any monster in the dungeon, Lido was also holding a massive cleaver like sword.

There were others around as well, from a giant... ape... thing...? that was mostly brown hair and slabs of metal armour, to a giant needle rabbit, who was probably Chime's mom or something.

Waiting until every one but Lido was looking elsewhere, I tried to get his attention with something shiny. Using the restored supporter's knife, I tried to catch the lizardman's eye. When he was looking my way, my tails started to shake the bush in what I hoped was a 'small food animal is hiding here' fashion.

Curious, Lido stomped over, his hunting sense probably telling him that if it WAS food, he had to try being quiet. With all the noise they were making, I was pretty sure what ever animal was still on this floor, was either deaf, or incredibly stupid.

As he got closer, I could hear him sniffing.

So, I gave a cloud fruit that I'd picked up a squeeze, breaking the skin and releasing a sweet smell into the air.

That got his attention, and he crossed the last two big steps quickly, the hand not holding the massive sword reaching for the bush I was under.

"Surprise!" I shouted, punching him in the nose as hard as I could from the awkward position, then turning and running down the hill behind me.

Roaring, Lido gave into his instinct and chased the fleeing 'prey'. Being the fleeing prey, I was shaking my hand out, and crushing more juice out of the fruit as I ran towards Bell's position. Even if it wasn't at full strength, it felt like I had punched the edge of a stone block. He was a tough monster, on par with the skull of a drake for sure. He wasn't as fast as me though, and I made sure to pace myself to keep just ahead of him. Near the bottom the the cliff, I ran towards the treeline, the heavy footfalls of the lizardman just behind me.

Then Marius stepped out from behind a tree that was thick enough to hide him, and with a solid 'thump' planted his shield into the ground and braced behind it. Unable to stop, Lido slammed into it, his entire body bouncing off it like a ball. Marius grunted as the lizardman toppled clumsily into a tree, then another, then finally, as he started to regain his balance, Mikoto popped out from another tree and used her sheathed sword to smash the back of Lido's leg, then again to the back of the lizardman's scaly head.

Stunned, off balance, and now with me, hopping up on his back and wrapping my arms around his arms and body as best as my much smaller frame would allow. Bell added the last touch by kicking the giant blade out of his hand, and then tackling the leg Mikoto had hit.

And finally, Lido fell over onto his stomach.

"Guys..." I said, as the lizardman started to try and shrug me off. "He's strong. Really strong."

"Bell?" The voice from under me was low, "Is... Grr... that..."

"Lido! What happend?" Bell asked frantically, "Your eyes? What..."

"No... Time." Lido growled again, and even with my unbreakable grip, I could feel my shoulders dangerously close to popping out of their sockets. "A man... Found us, before we could all move. Some taken. Othes killed. He..."

My tails felt something move under me, and suddenly something hit me from behind, flat across my back and shoulders. Dazed, I started to let go.

"A curse!" Lido yelled, Marius and Mikoto moving in to help me, but unable to stop him before he got a leg under him, "And now we avenge our fallen!"

His tail slammed into me again. He stood, upsetting my sense of balance, as a great clawed hand grabbed onto my shoulder and tried to pull me off of him.

"Let go!" Bell yelled as Lido roared, his other hand joining the first on my opposite shoulder.

"GO BACK! OUR... HOME!"

That was the last I heard before I let go, and got thrown.

* * *

"And Kodori gets a frequent flier mile." I mumbled to myself as I tried to sort myself out. I'd landed on a tree, someplace close to the outer wall of the eighteenth. Nothing felt broken, though there was probably a lump on my head, and my shoulders felt strained. My tails were tangled up with the tree and themselves as well. I could hear the sound of the rampaging monsters and the even fainter sound of running water.

"I think she landed over here somewhere." I heard Bell say.

"Up here." I called back. "What happened?" I carefully moved about, the leaves and upper branches of the tree groaning and snapping under my weight. "Hold on... I'm kind of tangled up here."

They waited as I tried to do a controlled fall through the branches. It worked, mostly, though my tails were covered in little twigs and I'd gathered a couple more bruises. "Kodori-dono? Are you hurt?" Mikoto asked, letting one of my tails visit and helping to pick the worst of the tree out of it.

"Nothing serious." I replied, "He was really strong. Couldn't break my grip, but the rest of me... Like the first time I tried it on you Bell."

"We only got away because he tried to hold back... A curse, he said?" Bell replied, nodding as he remembered.

"I'll have to thank Master Welf for the shield. The studs at the bottom are a brilliant idea." Marius said, inspecting the front of his shield.

"When you're king, you can make it the new standard." I replied. "So, now what? Lido mentioned... Home?" I reached into my coat and opened the little bottle of healing pills. I chewed one, and swallowed a second.

"Maybe that's where they were ambushed?" Marius said, "It would make sense, if this Ikelos Familia found them, and they were still getting ready to move..."

"But, that is two floors down, and we do not have everyone..." Mikoto added.

"We might have another option." I said, reaching into one of the pouches on my belt, "Best supporter that she is..." I held up the little pyramid, the faint magic inside it making my fingertips tingle. "If we can find the door, then maybe we can do our own ambush..."

"Do you remember where..." Bell shook his head, and looked at me, "Where she was headed, before you caught her?"

"If I can get a look around, I'm sure I could remember. Can't use the hill though." I pointed to the hill I'd used to spot the running Amazon. It had a bus sized hellhound on it, breathing fire into the sky. "Though if we just walked around the outer wall, I'm sure we'd find it all the same."

"I am concerned about what is happening back home as well." Mikoto said, "Lady Hestia's touch... Felt panicked."

"We will trust the others." Bell said, though his voice was just as concerned as Mikoto's. "We have to help the Xenos, since we are closest to them.

"Right. If this is a key, lets find the door."

* * *

Notes

And so we step into roughly the middle of book 10. Where the Xenos situation goes right down the crapper. I've had to change even more things around, allowing for the story I've altered from the original. But that's what makes it a fanfic, right?

Also, book 11 was awesome. And wow, I've got some interesting things to write on that one.

See you in 5 days. :)


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 56

Finding the door didn't take long. The 'key' seemed to have a range of effect, and as soon as we got close to it, the little pyramid started to hum. When we actually got to it, the hum cut off, all the runes on the stone glowed brightly for a moment, and a bit of the outer wall of floor eighteen just... vanished. Like some kind of illusion.

The four of us looked into the newly opened tunnel, noting that it wasn't lit at all, like the dungeon normally was.

"It looks just like the Xenos's cave. Normal stone, no glow from the walls, and no feeling of constantly being watched." Marius said, running his hand along the stone just inside the 'door'.

"Did we bring any lamps?" I asked.

The three shook their heads.

I took one of my tails and handed it to Bell, then started pacing. "We know this is a way into enemy territory." pace pace, "Lido tried to tell us that there is something 'back home'." pace pace, "But, not our home, right? His home. But what could be so important?" pace pace stop.

Bell was taking the opportunity to pat the end of my tail while I paced, "Have you thought of something?"

"Yes, but it's a terrible idea." I replied, my tail swishing out of his grasp only to be replaced by Haruhime's tail. "I have no problem in seeing in the dark, I'm wearing almost all black, and I can track by using my nose."

"Kodori-dono, that plan is terrible." Mikoto said with a frown.

"It's not 'can' it's 'must'." I replied, "You three know the way to their home. Even if it was only for a moment, Lido shrugged off a high powered curse to tell us that there was something important at their home." My tails switched again, and I looked at the fickle appendages critically, "And if there was a fight, you guys could probably find out where they were taken. If our sparring mach made our poor field look like a war zone, imagine what two groups of people fighting would look like."

"The three of us might have a hard time down there..." Marius said, "Not to sound negative, but we were all in pretty rough shape the first time."

The three of the nodded, but Bell answered, "We don't have Wiene. The dungeon seems to hate the Xenos. And the three of us can just run from the monsters. Miss Kodori is right, Lido did his best to tell us something, and we have to find out what."

"I still do not like it." Mikoto said, "But you are correct. Be careful, Kodori-dono."

"I have no intention of getting caught again. I will only find them and track their movements." I replied, putting my hood up and looking down the tunnel. "Be safe, and swift."

I listened to them start running, as I walked into the darkness, the 'door' behind me closing up again.

* * *

It was my first time inside a 'safe' area inside the dungeon. It honestly felt no different from a cave or mineshaft. Actually, no, there was one difference. It was clean.

No trace of animals, no insects or spiders, no dripping water. Even the air smelt clean. I was no expert, but I'd been in a few caves and even a mine, and each one of them, no matter how much use they were seeing, had nature slowly creeping into it. Dripping water from rain above ground, insects or small animals seeking shelter. Moss and fungus that could live in darkness. This place had none of these things.

Running my hand over the stone wall, I could feel the tool marks. It wasn't on par with say, Welf, who could make a stone sculpture with ease, but it was good work regardless. I had to wonder how long this all took.

But later. I had a job to do, and even though this was 'out side' of the dungeon, distractions could still get me in trouble, or worse.

Carefully, but as quickly as I dared, I followed the tunnel. Using my nose as much as possible, and my ears to feel the subtle air currents, I tried my best to actually find something to track. After what felt like hours of walking on what felt like a slow upward slope, my nose finally picked up a scent that wasn't stone.

Blood.

It was faint. But after all I'd been through, there was no way I could mistake that scent. I had no idea how old the scent was, but it was travelling on the faint draft of air I'd also been following. I took a slow deep breath, feeling my magic warming up as I did so, and made sure all my equipment was firmly in place.

It was a little while yet, before I heard the first signs of people. Laughter, cat calling, cheers. Someone was having a party by the sound of it.

Next, I could make out a faint light near the end of the tunnel. It was here I stopped, and did another check. This time though, it was of the mental map in my head. There were a few rooms behind me, dark and empty, as well as some other tunnels that led away from the draft of wind I'd been following. Even so, they would know the place better than I, so while I might get lucky, I doubted I could hide for long.

Fighting the urge to pace, I carefully crept closer and tried to listen in on the party.

"-think of the payday this will bring!" someone said, "I mean, what a haul!"

"Funny how these 'smart' monsters are actually easier to catch than real ones."

"Real ones don't care about moral, or seeing others get hurt." Another laughed, "See the look on their faces when Dix turned that big one to ash?"

"Thought it could block the hallway? Well, it did, until the boss just took that spear of his..."

"Wonder where he got that from? Meanest lookin' thing I've seen. Love to get my hands on it just to see what it can do."

"Not me! Heard that thing is cursed."

"Speaking of cursed, see how those monsters he hexed just ran off to the eighteenth? Wonder how long it will take for the surface to come down and wipe them out for us?"

"And while they are doing that, we bring our cargo up, and out of the city. Netting ourselves a big fat payday."

"Speaking of? Think our other team managed to get that one? The one that got away?"

"Dix did tell them to keep an eye out, in case they left the place undefended."

"Idiots, should have caught on that we were watching them. Not just with those fool Amazon."

As they laughed, I seethed. I should have assumed there were other watchers. Not just from Hermes and Fels, but enemies too. How else would they have known to set the trap for me? I was mentally kicking myself for it, but also trying to think about what to do about these jokers. From the sound of it, there were four of them. All men. I had made a vow never to go alone into the dungeon, and a promise not to do anything stupid, but with these four here, I could go no further. That also left me with the question of, if it did come to a fight, how much force should I use?

Then one of them made the choice for me.

"Gotta take a leak. Gimme that lamp?

"Yeah yeah, remember how to turn it on?"

"I'm not stupid."

"You look stupid."

"Why don't you go f-"

As they bantered, I backed up as quickly as I dared. Behind me there was a shallow curve in the tunnel, and so long as he didn't look up, I'd be hidden from the light, and his lamp. Quickly kicking off my boots, I left them a little further down the tunnel, and climbed my way to the ceiling, my toes and hands gripping the stone easily, letting me hang face down, keeping all my tails, the golden one especially, hidden from the oncoming light.

"Stupid bastard, ugly son of a goblin fucker..." He was swearing steadily as he approached, giving me something to focus on, other than the risk of what I was about to do.

"Why did the closest drain hole have to be all the way back at the fork... what the hell?"

Broad shouldered, armed with a sword and dagger and wearing a shirt of mismatched chain, plate and leather, he passed under me and spotted my boots, one of them standing up straight, the other on it's side. He put the lamp down, turned around, took in a breath, then saw me as I leaned down and closed my hands over his throat.

"Go to sleep. And I won't pop your head off." I whispered to him, even as he tried, and failed to pry my hands off his throat. Flailing about, my grip kept him in the centre of the tunnel, just out of arms reach of the walls.

He wasn't giving up though. As I let go of the ceiling with my feet, landing perfectly, and he tried to go for his sword, but my tails latched on to his arm. Squeezing a little harder and using my tails to stop his attempt for the dagger on his other hip, then him trying to punch me, I simply waited him out, as his face turned deep red, then purple. Until finally, he went limp, my outstretched arms suddenly holding up a bunch of dead weight.

Easing him to the floor, and wrinkling my nose as he pissed himself, I made sure he was breathing, undid his belt, took the three pouches that were on it off, then picked up the lantern. Thinking about the way I took, I remembered a fork in the path a little back the way I came. Running the timing in my head, I figured they might get suspicious if he took more than five minutes. Judging by how strong my victim was, I guessed a fairly experienced level two. If I went by that, the three of them shouldn't be a problem.

But, if I were wrong...

No, don't go there. Confidence!

Taking in a slow deep breath, I warmed up my magic, then stopped...

I had another option now.

I held out my hand, and my golden tail flopped itself onto my palm. Giving it a pat, I quickly turned off the lamp, then thought about cute foxes.

* * *

"Yip." Said a small black and gold fox, eyeing three men from just inside the tunnel entrance.

"What the hell? Wuzzat?

"It's a fox. But what's it doing down here? These tunnels are supposed to be sealed from the surface."

"Think it got in during a supply run or something?"

"I dunno..."

"Grrr." The fox backed up a little, the fur on its back bristling.

"Well, I am kinda hungry, wonder what fox tastes like."

* * *

I watched through the eyes of my little apparition. Haruhime's magic letting me not only extend the range of my magic, but giving it less of a ghostly appearance. The three of them, all dressed in the same sort of style of my first victim, though one of them was a dwarf, and another a cat person, they all stood.

I made another growling noise, the fox mimicking it, and had it retreat back into the tunnel, turning tail and vanishing from the light.

Along the wall, just out of immediate sight of the tunnel, was a thin trail of my 'aura'. Attached to my tails, then to the little fox, I waited until the three of them were just inside the tunnel, then had the little fox dance through their legs, just out side of the tunnel.

And fed as much of my magic through that trail of 'aura' as I could.

I felt my magic drain out of me quickly, but the reaction was priceless. Suddenly, the little fox was about the size of a school bus, and with its golden eyes now at eye level or higher, it glared at the three of them and growled. They didn't, to their credit, run in terror. They did however, back up into the tunnel and draw their weapons.

The cat person noticed me first, his ears, then head turning towards me as I charged down the tunnel, my boots hitting the stone the only sound I made.

Until I hit him in the face with my fist, a spray of blood and teeth erupting from his mouth as he flopped over the dwarf's shoulder. The human turned next, but I gave him a strong left hook to the kidney. With nothing but chain armour to soften the blow, he folded up like wet cardboard to the sucker punch, then hit the floor as I used the edge of my hand on the back of his skull. The dwarf tried a kick to my shin, but his ankle was much softer than my adamant shin guard.

Then, without my command, the fox apparition bit into the dwarf's shoulder, picked him up, and shook him back and forth, slamming him against the walls several times before dropping him at my feet, unconscious, like a present, its tail wagging back and forth happily.

"Good girl." I said to it, patting it, and by proxy, myself, on the nose, before cutting off the mana I was feeding it, and watching it vanish.

Huffing a couple of times to try and ease the sudden adrenalin crash, I ate a couple of mana mints to keep my reserves up. Then, as quickly as I could, I gathered the four men up, stripped them, then slapped all of their equipment against the walls. Swords, daggers, an axe, a spear, armour, helmets. All of it turned to dust as I used it as a 'weapon' against the wall. Stripping their belts of any pouches, I gathered up a passable supply of potions and tools, then used the belts to tie them up as awkwardly as I could, so that when they did wake up, they'd have a hard time undoing my work. I considered simply killing them. Feeling a bit of shame as I did so. But I didn't want anyone to know I was here, and if I did kill them, Ikelos, their patron God would know.

Then, as a final gift to them, I took the magic stones out of the lamps. Leaving them in total darkness.

* * *

Still following the scent of blood and the faint draft of air, I got a sense of just how... big these man made caverns were. I was no expert, but I'd see enough on TV or the like to know that digging out caverns like these took a lot of time. And making sure they didn't collapse, or flood, or any number of things took skill.

Marvelling this, as I quietly quick-stepped my way through yet another massive empty room, I stopped suddenly as my ears picked up something other than my own breathing. Someone was struggling. It was faint, but I could hear the sounds of distress from a little off my current path. Picking up my pace a little, I followed the noise.

"Can't have you leaving a trail for anyone to follow." the rough voice was followed by what sounded like the cracking of stone, and a shriek of pain.

"Dix is gonna be mad you're breaking the merchandise."

"It's a monster. It'll grow back." Said a third.

"How much farther to the main camp?" Asked a forth.

"Far enough. Not like we were expected to find this one."

"Think we have time for a little fun?" There was the sound of someone being slapped, followed by a grunt of pain.

"She certainly is pretty enough. And if she struggles too much, we could just break another leg or two."

"She's got seven more, after all, right?" They all laughed, the fifth voice, a woman by the pitch, wasn't sobbing, so much as growling.

I was almost there now too, peeking around a corner. Four men, armed with spears, swords, one with a bow and another with a mace. Much better armoured, or at least, not so poorly armoured, though they were all scruffy looking and dirty. They all had a lamp, though they were smaller, they were much better quality than the ones I'd rendered useless. They were all looking away from where I was, towards the fifth.

It was a drider. Half spider, half woman. Even through all the cuts and bruises, she was a very pretty creature. Though at the moment, she was trying to balance herself on seven legs, while the four adventurers tugged the ropes they were holding, pulling her roughly this way and that to keep her from standing up again.

"Come on, don't struggle." One said with a laugh. "Who wants to try and find where it is first?"

Unable to just watch anymore, I charged in, my magic igniting inside my chest, the words of my second spell on my lips. "I am the hand of my Goddess!" They all looked towards me as I said the first line, two of them securing their ropes around their waists, while the other two readied a spear and sword respectively. "I carry her hope!" I twisted out of the way of a spear thrust, planted my front foot and spun away from the sword, dropping my elbow to stop the spear man from slamming my ribs, "I deliver Her wrath!"

"That's the Fox! Kill her! Shoot her!" One said, my ears hearing the sound of creaking wood.

The swordsman managed to score a glancing hit against me, but my coat of drake scale deflected the blow. "NONE shall ignore her judgement!"

"SHIT! She's getting loose!" The drider was more or less on her feet now, her bound hands trying to take the mace from the man holding it.

I slipped another thrust from the spear man, the point going under my arm. Grabbing the shaft of the spear, my fingers curling over his, I twisted, putting him in the way of the archer, who shot him in the back of the head. The swordsman kicked me from the side, sending me into a painful roll. But, my tails and hands brought me to a quick stop, and I looked up at him. "And I pass it now!"

From my runner's crouch, I sprang forward, fist glowing with an acidic purple, I shouted, "GUILTY!"

To his credit, he tried to brace for it. But with a boom of displaced air, I covered the five meters almost instantly, my fist and arm passing through his chest almost like a blade. As I used my grip to stop about three meters behind him, I heard a scream. Looking, I saw that the man with the mace was now impaled by the two front legs of the drider.

"Behind you!" I shouted, seeing the archer pull back an arrow.

The archer managed to fire, but the spider woman stood tall, the arrow passing under her, then with what looked like pure contempt on her face, she slammed her abdomen down onto the archer. Stunned, the man stood no chance as she turned and impaled him as well, her chitin covered hands reaching down and clawing out his throat.

We both looked around at the four dead men, then at each other. I could tell she was sizing me up, but then I saw a spark of recognition in her eyes.

"It's you... The one we found." Her voice wasn't as pretty as the rest of her. A little rough, but certainly quite feminine. It reminded me of Aisha in a way. Checking herself over, her arms covering up her naked torso, she walked towards me as I shook my hand off, noting that my gauntlet was gone.

"I suppose it was a little overkill." I mumbled to myself, "Are you okay? Your leg?"

"It will grow back, in time." She said, "What... Are you doing here? I did not expect rescue, or to even see you or the others again." Her voice was a mix of sadness, and anger.

"First." I said, looking up at her and offering my still covered left hand, "Kodori, pleased to actually be awake to meet you."

Reluctantly, she reached out with her own left hand. I noted that it was covered in an almost gauntlet-like chitin, a natural glove of armour. We shook, and she replied, "Arachani. Chani, is what little Wiene called me." She had a good handshake, but covered herself back up again as soon as we let go.

"Let me find you a shirt or something, if you don't mind wearing something from a dead man." I looked around, noting that the only one with a still intact shirt, was the man with the arrow in the back of his head. "It's a bit bloody... But..."

"That's fine. I just..." She paused, my ears turning towards her as I undid the straps on the man's armour and tugged off his undershirt. "I don't like being touched, or exposed..." She huffed in irritation, "They stripped me of my armour too... Finding it was difficult, getting it to fit properly was even harder."

"Well, if I ever get the chance, I'll make you some. I'm not half bad at it either." I tugged off the man's shirt, wrinkling my nose at it, "Urg, you'd think they'd bathe or something..." I looked up at her, "Before you put this on, lower yourself a little, I'll check you for injuries."

* * *

She was probably the worst first aid patient I'd ever had. Not only was she shy, though I could understand that, considering what she had just gone through, but she was also very sensitive. It was like anywhere she had skin was either ticklish or... well, something else. But, after a couple of potions, a bandage to bind her breasts, and a shirt that smelled like week old socks, she was decent enough to relax a little. Her shattered leg was another thing however. I had no potions strong enough to grow back a limb, and while I might have been able to heal it if it were say, a severed finger held against a stump, the chitin was in little bits all over the place.

"Oh, here. Bell told me you eat magic stones?" I offered her the magic stones from the lamps, keeping only one of the small belt lamps for myself.

"Yes, though..."

"These are just from lamps, not from..." I sighed, unable to think of a more tactful way of saying it, "Any fallen. Those, if they are from the others, are in this pouch here." I offered her the pouch I'd filled with the magic stones I'd taken from the first four I'd fought.

She took the pouch after a moment of hesitation, then carefully opened it. "No... no... no..." She sighed a little in relief, "These are just from monsters." She dumped them onto her palm and showed me, "See? They are irregular, the swirls inside uneven and random."

Pausing in my looting, I looked at the stones. I'd honestly never really taken a close look before. Lilly and Bell were the ones who dealt with them before, as I couldn't use a knife to pull them out. "I didn't know that a stone from one of you, and from a normal monster would be different."

"Yes." She paused her explanation to pop one of them into her mouth, crunching down on it once then swallowing, "Ours... They tend to be more... gem like. The magic inside dancing gracefully."

"Like this one." I said, taking out a stone from one of the pouches. It was fairly large, about the size of a golf ball, though the top and bottom were pointed like quartz. Inside, the magic spiralled around itself slowly.

"Yes." She said, leaning down and over my shoulder.

Carefully, I used some of the leather cord from the biggest pouch, and tied it around the stone. Then, with another, I fashioned it into a necklace. As I worked, I heard a couple of 'tap taps' on my shoulder as something wet fell onto me. "Here." I said, turning and holding up the necklace, Tuck it under your shirt, keep it safe."

"Yes." She said, carefully wiping away her tears.

"They will know someone is down here." I said, as she touched the stone first to her forehead, then put it under her shirt. "When some one in a Familia dies, their God knows it."

We looked to the four dead bodies, Chani walking over to one of them and very deliberately poking one of her sharp legs through his chest. "Let who ever it is know it then." She said, doing the same to another.

"Bell, Marius, and Mikoto," I paused as she nodded, "Went to your old home. Lido resisted what ever it is that is making him act like a monster, just long enough to tell us that something is there still."

"We had almost finished packing up. Fels had found a possible spot for us, but..." She poked the third of the three that still had a chest to poke.

"The others went back to the surface to get help. I think they attacked my home too, to try and capture Wiene." I did one final check, then waved my hand for her to lower herself down again. "But until help arrives, we can't be caught. No matter how much we want to just..."

Carefully I put a belt around her 'hips' where her body attached to the spider part of her. "We can't do nothing." She didn't shout, but I could tell she wanted to.

"No, we can't be idle. Just not be caught." I took her hand and guided it to the pouches, "Healing potions, smoke bottles, mana potions." I had given her more than half of what the people were carrying when it came to tools and potions. "Are you venomous?"

"What?"

"Your bite."

"Oh, well yes, I am a spider, as much as a woman."

"Web spinning too?"

"Do some spiders not spin webs?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm not one of them."

"Good. Let's move someplace else, and we can make a plan." I very carefully gave her a pat on the side of her abdomen, where I knew she wasn't ticklish. "And can you use a bow?"

* * *

I had no idea how long we had until help arrived. Or how long it would take, if they even cared, for someone to look for the people I'd tied up or killed. But, after finding a place to hide, easy enough for two creatures who could see really well in the dark, and hang from the walls or ceiling, we made a plan.

First, we'd find out where the main camp was. She wasn't able to feel the air or track by scent, but she did know what way was up, and roughly how deep we were. I had her fill a couple of empty potion bottles with her venom, and coated the spear we'd taken, and arrows, with it too. By her own admission, her venom wasn't deadly, but it was a highly potent paralysing agent, even getting a little on my fingertip had it feeling a little numb, and I had a good Abnormal Resistance skill. She also made some rope with her webbing, not very thick, but after trying to break it myself, it really didn't need to be.

"You know, when we get out of this, I would love to chat with you about your silk." I had her slowly making another thin rope, and was wrapping my bare hand with it like a boxer's wrap. "I can only imagine how useful this stuff could be..."

"I am not a commodity." She said stiffly, "And I am almost out of silk."

"I didn't mean it like that." I clenched my fist a couple of times, "That's good, thank you." I said, wiggling my fingers, "I've known about you guys for a little while now, and have been thinking about 'how to bridge the gap' so to speak."

"Oh?" She rubbed her belly, frowning, and I offered her a bit of dried meat from my ration pouch, taking some for myself as well.

"Yes. As it stands, right now, it just isn't happening. Period. Full stop. No chance." I nibbled a bit before continuing. "But, there's a saying, 'you have to work, to eat'."

"So if we were useful in some way?"

"Yes. For as long as anyone can remember, 'monsters' are the enemy. But, from where I'm standing, and having met some of you, you aren't monsters, but 'people'. But, surface or underground, being a people needs a few things to qualify."

She raised an eyebrow at me, her pretty, sharp featured face not quite glaring at me. "Go on."

"First, is language. You have that. So long as you have the right mouth for it, you can talk, and talk with others." I made sure all my gear was where it was supposed to be, and stowed some of the little 'gifts' Chani and I had made for our mission. "Next, is culture. Art, music, science, agriculture. Ways to influence the world around you. Be it learning about it, recording it, or changing it."

"Until this happened, we had those things, though, Fels was the one giving us the tools to do it."

"And that's the last point. Trade. A way to show other 'people' that you can not just provide for yourself, but offer something as well." I held up my webbed hand, "Your silk and venom? Useful tools for the dungeon. I only know Lido and Chime, aside from you, so I don't really know what else the Xenos have to offer in that regard. Well, except maybe hell hound fur. Even without the pelt, its still fireproof."

Surprising me, she giggled, the first happy noise she'd made so far. "I don't think he'd let you shave him. Ever."

I pictured a 'hell poodle', and laughed quietly as well, "Okay, no. But you get the idea. If people up top, can see you for something other than 'monsters' then maybe... But right now..." I gave her side another pat, "Ready?"

"We can discuss this another time, yes. Let's find their base, and see if your plan works."

* * *

The first thing we had to do, was find it. As we got closer to the surface, by Chani's judgement we were getting close to the fifth floor or so, we started to see more signs of 'people'. Discarded tools, empty barrels that smelled like either water or potatoes, and other such things. There were still no people, but I was starting to detect them with my nose. Apparently not bathing wasn't just limited to the two patrols we'd dealt with.

We started to encounter patrols then as well. They were on alert too. None of the idle banter or distracted walking. Chani and I had to hide several times, clinging to the high ceilings until they passed, before descending and laying down a little spider web. This was to let Chani know when the patrols were on their way back, so that we had a little more time to hide, or, if we felt it possible, ambush them.

I also noticed the quality of equipment was really disorganized. Not that I expected the Ikelos Familia to be as organized as say, Loki, or Ganesha, but... It was like they were all... Workers. Workers working at a job they hated, but did it anyhow, because they had nothing else to really do. That isn't to say many of them didn't look strong. But they certainly didn't look... enthusiastic.

"We are getting close." I whispered into Chani's delicate looking elf ear as we clung to the ceiling again. "Once we find it, we start. Here." I offered her the last of my food, taking only a mouthful for myself, so my stomach wouldn't give me away for at least a hour or two. "You're going to need all the strength you can get for your part."

"My poor spinnerets..." She pouted.

"When this is over, I'll make it up to you." I gave myself one more check, to make sure everything was still where it was supposed to be.

"Nervous?"

"Terrified."

"Yet you are still doing this."

"I will cry later, when I have a shoulder to cry on."

I looked her in the eyes, and we nodded to each other, then descended once more.

* * *

Notes.

I think I'll pause this one here. Next chapter is going to be a mix of door kicking and mission impossible, and will bring us to the climax of 'book 10'.

See you in five days. :)


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 57

The area ahead sounded busy. As we proceeded, the tunnels and rooms were much better maintained. More lighting, less dirt, more signs of travel. This was both good and bad for the two of us. By Chani's guess, we were actually fairly close to the surface now, maybe around the third floor. That made me think that where we were heading was the main camp. But, with all the extra lighting, it was getting harder and harder to find spots to hide, especially with Chani being about as tall as a minotaur and nearly twice as wide.

"Okay." I whispered to her, "Be ready. I don't know what's in the next room, but it sounds like their main camp. Since the only way in that we can get to..." We looked down and over at the archway into the next room, "is too small for you to fit through easily, I'll go ahead, scout, and return."

"I will wait, and be ready." She replied, quietly getting the bow we'd taken ready.

* * *

We'd laid all kinds of web strands around the place on the way here. It wasn't much, but it did tell us a few things. Even with the 'sloppy' appearance of this Familia, they did maintain regular patrols. This worked in our favour for the most part, allowing us to time our moves. Waiting until about half way between two patrols, I quietly dropped from the ceiling and quick-stepped towards the room with all the noise.

Peering around the corner, my tails flat to the wall to keep them out of sight, I was able to see just how... vast... this operation really was.

First, the room was big. Like... Fit the entire bottom half of I AM GANESHA, twice, big. From one end to the other, there were neat piles of materials. Metal, brick, barrels...

And cages. Near the middle of the room, where ten meter tall pillars of stone supported the ceiling, were rows of cages. I couldn't count them all from where I was, but there were a lot. Near that, were meter tall, solid looking boxes. Smaller monster cages maybe?

I couldn't stay where I was long, so I took a chance, darting into the room and towards a neatly stacked heap of stone bricks.

"How long do you think Ganesha Familia will hold off on killing those monsters on the eighteenth?" I heard a voice ask, maybe two stacks of stone over from where I was.

"Who cares?" Another voice replied, "I mean, while they are occupied there, we can move our newest acquisitions up to street level, and then out of the city with the next caravan."

"Heard those bastards with Hermes outed one of our buyers."

"Bah, once we get some of these to Port Melen, it won't matter. Dix might be crazy, but he's got connections."

"HEY! Get back to work you slobs! These monsters aren't going to load themselves! We're expecting company any time now!" The third voice was harsh and deep, like someone who was used to shouting, all the time. I heard the sound of a metal bar being kicked, "Hear that? Once we get you to the surface, you'll never be seen again. I'm sure some idiot noble will be happy to buy you."

The two I was listening to grumbled, but started walking away.

I was still fairly close to the edge of the room, and if I remembered right, I had maybe another minute before a patrol would come in the way I'd entered. I moved one of my tails slowly, taking hold of a thread of silk that I'd tied there, and putting it in my mouth.

"I'm fine. Proceeding." I looped the thread over my ear quickly.

"Ten seconds."

Quickly tugging the thread off my tail and dropping it, I peeked around the stone pile then moved away from the door. Trying not to panic, I zig-zagged my way towards the cages.

That's when I smelled food. The air in this room wasn't moving much. Being so open made it almost impossible to find the draft we'd been following to get here. That meant I'd almost ran into a group of people sitting around what smelled like a passable stew. I was hiding behind one of the massive support pillars now too, giving me a better view of the room as well.

"You would think they'd have left more than one person at home." One of them said, stirring the pot.

"It's a good thing they didn't." Said another. "She wrecked poor Bob, and that shabby looking God that was there was something else."

"Too bad we didn't have time. That little Goddess had such a rack on her!"

I felt my blood starting to boil as I realized they who they were talking about. My golden tail wrapped itself around my leg and constricted hard enough to actually hurt, and it brought me a little clarity again. Clenching my teeth, I looked left, then right, then up, before climbing up the support pillar as fast as I could.

The light wasn't really able to reach the ceiling, but I kept my motions slow, so I wouldn't draw the attention of anyone who chanced to look up. Keeping an eye on the five around the stew pot, I did a quick look at how many people were actually in the room.

And I was suddenly feeling very alone. Almost thirty people. One, a big bald headed man with a black tattoo over his face, was overseeing the loading of one of the solid monster boxes. There were others loading up carts as well, but for the most part, there were quite a few just sitting down, weapons at hand. I even recognized a few of the patrol groups, just sitting and chatting amongst themselves. I couldn't make a mistake here.

Slowly, and hoping that the ceiling was just as sturdy as it looked, I moved myself over the cook pot. From this high, I'd have to make sure my aim was perfect. Pulling out a re-purposed potion bottle, I looked at the amber liquid inside. Chani's poison was a strong paralysing agent. Mixed with food, it might not work as fast, but...

I waited until it looked like enough of them were looking away, the one with the ladle especially, and I upended the bottle.

And sighed quietly as I scored a perfect hit, the one with the ladle not even noticing as he simply kept stirring, mixing in the venom.

I made my way to the pillar nearest to the monster cages, watching as the big man lifted the last crate/cage onto the cart. Then I heard a new voice.

"Gran! Are you still only loading those?" The voice came from a tall wide shouldered man with black hair and what looked like a pair of goggles on his head.

"Sorry brother." Gran grunted, securing the double stacked crates on the back of the cart with rope. "So how much longer do you think we have?"

"If they haven't found another of our entrances, we should have a little while yet. Even if they have, it won't matter." The man laughed, "We have all we need now. Once we get you out of the city..." I saw his head turn towards a cage, and heard a familiar cry of alarm.

It was Wiene. I knew that sad noise anywhere.

"Yes..." The man trailed off, getting closer to the cage and squatting down, "That stone on your head is worth at least three more floors of material. And the rest of your friends... That might let the next generation keep building." He laughed cruelly, his hand reaching into the cage and tugging back. "Nothing to say? Monster? Are you just going so sit there and cry? Pretending you're a real person?"

I couldn't see into the cage, as it was covered from the top, but I could make out the sound of Wiene crying as he pushed and pulled her into the bars over and over again. If I was angry before, I was furious now. It took everything I had just to stop myself from dropping down and letting my madness run wild.

Mikoto had a point. If that was the only way I could fight, then I would be doomed to an early death, or retirement, though I suppose death would mean an early retirement by default.

I shook my head once to clear it, taking a look around the room again, to make note of where people where. Gran and his brother were still talking, a patrol had changed, and a few more people had joined the others around the stew pot.

I looked back down at the black haired man as he stood up, spitting on Wiene. "Once the others are loaded onto the carts, started getting them up to the surface." He said to Gran, "Use the entrance near Soma Familia, it was clear as of the last patrol."

"Sure thing Dix." Gran said, "What about it?" He pointed to Wiene.

"We'll let it watch, and once all the other monsters are gone, I'll rip that stone off her head. Maybe I'll use it for spear practice first... But no killing... not until I have that stone..."

"SIR!" My head whipped around to the sudden shout, spotting a man standing at a much wider entrance to the room, "Reports from above! We have intruders coming in from one of the entrances! They passed the door!"

Dix's attitude went from 'playfully murderous' to 'outrage' like a switch being thrown. "What!? How did they do that without a key? That's how those doors were made!"

"Uh oh." A new voice said, laughing, "Maybe it was those Amazon? They did have a key, right?"

Black clothes and dark blue hair. That was probably Ikelos, if Bell's description of him was accurate. Dix swore, then, "Useless Amazon... Couldn't even throw the key away like I told them." He raged a moment more, then was suddenly ice calm, "Fine. Let's meet them. Who's here..." He looked around the room, then spotted the people eating, and a couple of the other smaller groups who were just chatting or playing cards on one of the stone piles, "You lot! Follow him up and take out the intruders!"

And just like that, the room started to empty out. If my guess was right, that would be either the Hestia/Takemikazuchi alliance, or maybe Hermes Familia. But if I had the key from the Amazon... Maybe Fel's had made a copy?

"Where are you going, Ikelos?" Dix asked as the blue haired God turned and made for the same far exit.

"I'm pretty sure I'd just get in the way if I stayed. Don't die now." the God showed no concern for Dix as he waved and kept walking.

"You, you and You! Get these waggons moving! Gran! Load up that last one. We'll come back for the rest after we clear out the vermin!" Dix shouted out to the few people who were left.

"SIR!" This one came from the other end, where I'd entered.

"WHAT FUCKING NOW?!" Dix screamed, back in angry mode again, his outburst making the newest messenger cringe.

"Many of the monsters from the Eighteenth are on their way here! Ganesha Familia has pushed some back, and the entrance at the eighteenth has been left open!"

To my surprise, Dix didn't yell, but instead started to laugh. Half insane by the sound of it, he just plunked himself down on a stack of metal picked up a long red bladed spear, and roared with laughter. "Let them come! I'll just kill them ALL for their troubles. Have the patrols fall back here, and when they arrive, we'll just slaughter the useless things!"

"Yes sir!"

The room of thirty or so was now down to five. Three waggoners, who were getting up onto their seats and getting ready to urge the bored looking horses onward, Gran, who had just exited a cage with a tied up bundle of green feathers over his shoulder, and Dix, who was quietly sitting on the stack of metal beams, the butt of his spear on the ground and leaning on his shoulder, and... a book in his hand.

A little, beaten up leather bound book. No bigger than your every day paperback. He was flipping through it like there was nothing wrong.

Giving the rest of the room one last look, I slowly moved along the ceiling until the support pillar was between me and Dix, as well as the three waggons. As quickly as I dared, I climbed down, my tails wrapping around my torso to keep my profile as small as possible. When I finally touched down, I took a deep breath, then peered around towards the cages. I could only see into three of them. One was empty, save for a scattering of green feathers and blood. The second, at first glance, held a very big snake, but after following the body with my eyes, I spotted a pale patch of skin and an arm. Covered in blood, dirt and missing patches of scales, I could see it was at least breathing, if nothing else. The third cage held what looked like a gold feathered version of the harpy. Equally beaten and missing many of her feathers, she was gagged as well.

I knew there was a fourth and fifth cage behind the pillar. One held Weine, and the other I couldn't see. Looking around for available cover, the only cage I could even attempt to get to was the one holding the snake.

Then I spotted Gran again, coming back towards the cages. Wordlessly, he unlocked the one holding the gold feathered girl, heaved her, struggling pitifully, to her feet, punched her in the gut once to knock the breath from her, then slung her over his shoulder like a sack.

Trying not to growl, I waited until he started turning, then slipped a little closer towards the middle cage.

Still unable to see either Wiene or Dix, I kept low to the ground, using the snake's large body to hide me as I got closer. Within arms reach of her, I reached through the bars and lightly brushed my silk clad hand against the pale skin of her arm. "lido sent me." I whispered.

There was hardly any reaction. I felt like I might be too late to help this one, but her hand twitched, slowly closing into a fist. Before she could, I placed two potions into her hand.

"Hey Brother?" There was a muffled grunt of pain as Gran called out from the waggons. "What about that one?"

"Which one?" His voice was calm again, and I could hear the quiet sound of paper as he closed the book.

"drink, quickly." I whispered to the snake lady. I took a good look at the bars of the cage, feeling a little panic as I realized they were adamant. Unless I had time, and was really determined, I couldn't break her out from this side.

I watched the arm slowly vanish into the coils as the conversation continued, "The big one. I mean, it's huge."

I heard the distinct metallic noise of fine steel being tapped against something, "Well, since we only have the three waggons. Footsteps, and the sound of the butt of the spear being tap-tapped against the stone, "I suppose we can just dispose of it. It's magic stone should be worth quite a lot."

The snake lady moved a little, and I saw part of her face peek out from the coils of her body. Her eyes were pleading, and I knew I had to make a choice now.

I popped up to my feet, planting them firmly and taking in a deep breath as Dix and Gran looked at me in surprise. Reaching into my coat, I took hold of two bottles and pushed the corks down, yelling at the top of my lungs.

"PLAN B!"

* * *

Smoke. Thick, dark, almost totally impenetrable smoke. The same stuff I used in the war game, in this nearly windless place, it started filling the room with its inky darkness very fast. The first bottle I flicked at Dix himself, my curse making the bottle, but not the smoke vanish instantly, the second I threw behind me for maximum coverage.

And the third, thrown by Chani, would obscure the entrance and give her the perfect cover to get to the ceiling.

Dix was no amateur, I could hear him back up away from me. Gran too, kept his cool, but the three waggon drivers, or more importantly, the horses, went nuts. That left me with just the two leaders to deal with. Using memory, and the feeling of the expanding smoke flowing through the fur of my tails, I darted around the cage towards where I knew Gran would be.

"Damn it!" He shouted as he turned towards me. "Brother!"

"Don't die." Dix said coldly, his footsteps retreating.

Gran's voice gave me the last hint I needed, and I aimed a punch towards it's source... Only to be blocked by a meaty forearm. He used my instant of surprise to try a stab at my ribs with a nasty looking knife, but I slipped the strike narrowly, the sound of the blade rasping over my scaled coat hurting my ears.

Then there were more noises. Far more than just myself and Chani could make. Shouts, growls, roars of pain and rage. The area outside the black smoke suddenly irrupted into chaos.

"KODORI!" It was Bell's voice.

"SECOND PILLAR!" I shouted back, blocking that knife again, though only just, Gran was very strong, and I could feel my feet sliding back along the floor as he tried to drive the point towards my face.

"Gonna gut you, Fox. Finish what those Amazons started." He taunted, pressing hard, my knees slowly bending against his strength.

I took in a shallow breath, the thick smoke swirling around the two of us drying out my throat. On his hip, I spotted the object I was looking for, and even as I was slowly pressed towards the floor, one of my tails flicked out between the two of us, the head of a small fox popping out of it and taking the keys in its mouth.

"You..." I grunted, "Talk..." I quickly reversed my grip, both my hands wrapping around his wrists, "Too..." I let out my breath, and became motionless. "Much."

"What?!" He tried to push, pull, and otherwise escape from my grip. But the status on my back made that impossible. "LET GO!" He tried to kick at me awkwardly, but he couldn't get enough power behind it to actually hurt me through my empowered toughness.

Then, with the ominous sound of a rusty gate opening, followed by the rasp of sand being poured over tile, an even darker shadow loomed behind Gran. He was helpless as the snake lady wrapped around him, and bit his shoulder.

Then I let go, picking up the keys with my little fox manifestation, and running towards the still screaming horses and the swearing drivers. Behind me, I could hear monsters and people fighting it out, screams and roars followed by the sounds of scattering stone and metal. But that wasn't my job right now. I nearly ran right into the side of the first waggon, bracing my hands against it so I didn't smash my face into it with all the dark smoke still obscuring my vision. It was the work of a moment to find the driver, grab him, and elbow him in the face until he stopped resisting. Feeling along the side of the waggon, I made it to the back and quickly tried the keys on the lock of the barred cage there. It opened on the second key, and I threw open the door and hopped inside.

Two feathered women, one with green the other with gold. Bound in rope and chain and gagged. They were just barely awake, but when I started to check their bonds, not caring about where I touched them in my haste, they started to struggle.

"Lido." I said to them, trying to fit a key into an metal shackle. "Bah, this is taking to long... Sorry." I took both of their wrists, and smashed the two metal shackles into each other. They made a distressed noise as the metal cut into their wrists, but then looked at me with wide eyes as the bonds disintegrated, being used as weapons against each other. "Next the collars." I told them, the two of them bracing against the rough movement as I dissolved the metal around their throats. "Here." I put my rookie supporter's knife into the hands of the green feathered one, "Cut the ropes and gags off, I can't. Drink these after." I put down two potions between them and ducked back off the waggon.

After dodging around a panicking horse, and feeling my way towards the second waggon, I started to smash the locks off them with my still armoured left hand. There were alarmed noises and squawks from inside, but I ignored them as one after the other I broke them open.

"So you're Bell." I heard Dix shout over the noise, followed by a blast of sound that came from the surface side archways.

"I will clear the smoke!" It was Fels, "His curse on the monsters drops his abilities too!"

The distinct sound of Bells daggers, the minotaur horn knife and Hestia dagger clashing against another weapon. "Meddling skeleton!" Dix shouted, followed by another blast of sound, and my smoke cloud suddenly thinning out around me.

I found myself suddenly looking into the eyes of a very small hell hound, and behind it, the waggon driver, who was about to stab at me with a spear.

"Burn that guy." I said to the hound, moving to the side so the spear missed me, and turning the hound around, and watching as it let out a small, but very focused blast of flame into the man's face. "Good critter." I said, putting the hound down on the floor to join the others I had already broken free.

"Miss Kodori!" I heard Fels call out, "Send them this way!"

"You heard him, go!" I shoo'ed the critters away, opening the last of the smaller cages with my fist and plucking out a needle rabbit who's bloody fur had settled into the shape of the cage. "Oh, Chime's mom." I said, putting her down and pushing the rectangle rabbit towards Fels. "Pet you later."

"The flesh may have rotted off my back, but I am still level four." I heard Fels taunt as I watched him throw someone across the room with another blast from his leather gloves. "I will cover this side! Help him!" Fels's hood turned towards me, then back to where I could see Bell and Dix fighting.

Pausing only to grab the still flaming face of the driver and slam him into the ground, I started running towards them.

It was like everything started to move in slow motion. Bell was pushed back by a vicious kick that slammed him into the support pillar. Dix backed up, slashing the cruel looking red spear head across the bars of Wiene's cage, once, twice.

Five steps.

Bell was recovering, still full of fight, but too slowly to reach Dix, who was now holding Wiene by the throat, ignoring the tiny hands as they pushed at his face to try and keep him away.

Four steps.

Bell and I were about the same distance from the two of them now.

Three steps.

"So you want to save her? How about now?"

Two steps.

Both Bell and I, without longer weapons, couldn't stop Dix, as he took hold of the Gem on Wiene's forehead, and pulled.

One step.

But it was too late. Wiene screamed in pain as the teardrop shaped gem was plucked from her forehead, taking with it a small spurt of blood and a little skin. Her tiny hands clapped themselves over the wound, even as Dix pocketed the gem and jumped away. I hop-stepped after him, while Bell went to Wiene.

"Oh look at that." Dix taunted as I threw a punch at him, "It's resisting." He easily slipped a second punch, and I could tell why Bell was having such a hard time with him. He was arrogant, but skilled. A category 'B' adventurer. "No good though, haha!" He finally looked at me, slipping another punch and swatting me with the shaft of his spear, "You're annoying." He said as I was swept aside and into a waggon.

The smoke all but gone now, I watched as Wiene started to change. The inky black robe she was still wearing started to expand, her back doubling, then tripling in size, until, with a sudden snap of fabric, two massive wings spread out from her back. She was crying, as Bell tried to hold her face and calm her down, but even as her arms and legs grew, and her face started to stretch and grow, her eyes were locked on Bell's.

"Quite the show huh?" Dix said, an instant before he kicked me.

Grunting in pain as I was caught off guard, the kick slammed me back into the waggon, and with the sound of splintering wood and a twist of vertigo, the waggon shattered and flipped over, burying me under it and a pile of broken cages.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" I heard Bell shout as I got my bearing again, followed by the clash of metal.

"Giving up on that monster so soon?" Dix taunted, a roar of some monstrous creature echoing through the air and hurting my ears.

Taking a deep breath, mostly to check if I'd broken any ribs, but also to heat up my magic, I opened the bottle of healing pills and emptied it into my mouth. Swallowing a couple, then clamping my jaw shut and holding the rest in my mouth, I stood up.

Boxes and bits of waggon exploded off of me, and I dashed towards Bell and Dix.

"Two on one? I don't mind." Dix laughed as he ducked under my charging punch, then blocked Bell's daggers. I could hear heavy footsteps rapidly moving away, "Shouldn't one of you go after her? If she gets to the surface, who knows what might happen?"

"Bell." I said through my teeth, standing between Dix and him. "Go."

"But..." Dix was nice enough, or confident enough, that he just let us decide.

"She's your daughter. You named her. You take care of her." I took another deep breath, feeling my magic get closer to the point of madness.

"I will." He said after a moment.

"Just you and me then?" Dix grinned at me as Bell started to dart off, pausing only to kick aside someone. "Sure you can do it? I'm level five you know."

Saying nothing, and focusing on him, I dashed in, hoping to get in too close for him to use his spear. He seemed surprised, but it was just an act as he moved the spear shaft back, and trying to get me to impale myself on the cruelly barbed edge. "Shame you don't have a weapon." he taunted, forcing me to dodge a punch, then dodge again as he thrust his spear at me. Slipping to the side, he missed, but he twisted the shaft and when he pulled the spear back I felt one of the barbs rip into my coat and cut into my side.

Twisting away, mostly to unjam the barb from my armour, but also to give me a little time to think, I swallowed another pill and glared at him. He just laughed, and started to go on the offensive. I knew how to fight a spear man. But Ouka was not a dirty fighter. He didn't use a spear that could cut both on the thrust and retract. Dix did however, and when ever I ducked or spun away, he would try and catch me on the return, kicking or punching to try and bracket me into getting caught. Twice more, that spear cut into me, once through the leg, a second time on my side, but each time, I simply let another healing pill slide down my throat, feeling the wounds close up.

"You know, if I wasn't holding down my curse on those monsters, I could have killed you easily by now." I narrowly missed having an ear clipped, "But it's only natural right? I mean, they are monsters. They shouldn't have reason."

I could feel my magic starting to work against my own reason now. But I managed to keep my focus, even though he managed to catch me again on the ribs, though only with the butt of the spear.

"Like you for example." He grinned, easily lifting a leg over my sweep kick, "I've heard all about you. Are you sure you aren't a monster? Like them?" He reversed a punch on me, catching me across the jaw and sending me into a sideways roll. "I wonder, actually, if my curse would work on you."

I swallowed another pill, and growled at him. That spear was too tricky, and with only one gauntlet, I couldn't use both arms to block properly.

"Though, by the look of it, you're about to lose control again, aren't you?" He laughed, blocking yet another of my punches, slashing my wrist with a quick swipe of his spear, then kicking me much how he kicked Bell, only this time, instead of the pillar, I smashed into a crate, shattering it and having a pile of random junk spill out around me.

Junk? No... Armour, weapons, a familiar pair of drake scale pants. And my Jitte!

Swallowing the last of the pills, and giving Dix a smile of my own, I picked up the Jitte with my silk wrapped right hand, and let out a slow breath. "You talk to much." I said to him, feeling my wounds healing as the pills slowly kicked in, "If you're going to fight me seriously, now's your last chance."

"Really? You pick up a metal rod, and suddenly you think you can win?" His eyes went wild, his mood shifted.

"I will not bend. I will not break." I chanted in English, centring my magic and then pushing it outwards towards my skin. I locked eyes with him, extended my left hand and made a 'come get it' motion. "I will be a wall, for the home my Goddess has made for me."

He attacked again, and in the background, I could hear the fighting change. Roars died down, though the sounds of battle continued. With the Jitte in my hand, I could use my armoured left hand to deflect the spear, then the Jitte to keep his dirty tricks from making contact. Back and forth we went, my constant fighting with so many different opponents, each with their own style, kept Dix from gaining the upper hand again. Though I knew it was a stalemate as it was. He had released his curse, and his stats had returned to level five. But his anger was making him predictable.

Then I felt something creeping in against my magic. Warm and familiar, it didn't intrude so much as envelop my faint aura of self enhancement. I eased back on my own magic to make room for this new presence, and grinned at Dix as I finally caught that damnable spearhead between the rod and fork of my Jitte. "Have you met my girlfriend?" He looked at me in puzzlement, trying to wrench the spear away but failing as my left hand closed on it as well.

Dropping the Jitte, I punched him square in the nose, sending him backwards but without his spear. Looking at him coldly as he recovered, and feeling seven tails,five of them mine, the others ghostly images, swishing behind me, I took the spear in both hands and snapped the shaft over my knee, tossing the two halves to either side.

"She's the most adorable golden haired fox you will ever meet." I continued, feeling Haruhime's magic take over, and begin to feed on my own, directing it, instead of fighting it.

"I suppose you're going to kill me now?" He stood, drawing a short sword from his hip.

"If you insist?" I grinned, picking up my Jitte again.

If he was annoying with the spear, he was even worse with the short blade. Avoiding my Jitte, he instead focused on my left side. My gauntlet was able to block the blade, but he used his other hand to punch, or tried to slide the blade off my gauntlet and into my face or under my coat. In response, I tightened my guard, and continued to chant, "We guard her gardens."

"With a forest of claws and teeth!" Haruhime said from behind me.

* * *

"Best girl." I said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

The room was mostly silent now. Dix lay on the floor in front of us, while the bodies of monsters and people lay scattered around the room.

"Finally." Dix said, coughing up a bit of blood. Our dual spell had wrecked havoc on him, clothes, flesh, his sword, a dagger, all lay broken on the ground in front of Haruhime and I. "My curse finally ends. I can finally sleep." His arm moved feebly, moving towards a pocket on his hip. "Daedalus's curse, to build Gnossis, to pass it on to the next... Ha..." He looked at me, coughed again, then smiled. It was then I noticed that the iris of his left eye was in the shape of a D. "Take the book. You'll understand if..."

He stopped suddenly, as an arrow suddenly sprouted from his chest. Turning quickly, and putting Haruhime behind me, I relaxed as I saw Chani, holding out the bow, the quiver at her hip empty. "I'm not sorry." She said with a huff.

Blinking, I looked to Dix, then Haruhime, then Chani. "Where did everyone else go?"

* * *

The answer, was 'up'. Already so close to the surface, many of the Xenos had rampaged through the room, and up towards the surface. By the time Dix has broken his spell, the fight had hit the streets.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue, love." I said as I ran, using my ears to feel for the current of air.

"Love?" Chani asked, her stride sounding a little odd with her one missing leg.

"Bell chased after Wiene-chan, while the others fought with Ikelos Familia." Haruhime replied, "I came down with the others, after we checked in at home. I was about to head up with the rest, but Bell told me you were still here."

"How is everyone?" I asked, "And yes, Love." I said to Chani.

"Lady Hestia, Lord Takemikazuchi and the orphans are all fine, if a little shaken. Asuka-san... She was hurt, but will recover." I grunted in reply, and she continued, "Everyone else went up with the Xenos, except me."

"I will make you the best cookies." I said, smiling, "And you didn't make me explode."

"Well, now that our magic is almost exactly the same..." She smiled up at me.

"Now we just have to deal with the situation up top... Chani? You might not want to be up there too, as much as the surface is where the Xenos want to be..."

We all stopped, the smell of fresh, if you counted the smell of brewing 'fresh', air wafting around us. "You're right... Tell the others I returned to our old home."

"Keep safe, and hope to see you soon." I replied, "Thank you."

"You saved me first. I'd have torn out my own stone, before letting them have their way with me." She grumbled, offering me her hand. We shook, and she turned, "Thank you, for saving me from that."

"Well." I said as she vanished into the darkness. "Someone must be holding the door open for us, lets hurry, shall we?"

"Yes." Haruhime replied simply, hugging me tightly once, then letting go to run beside me.

* * *

Notes.

This is ALMOST the end of 'book 10'. Next chapter will be 'cleanup' and 'fallout'. Then its into book 11, and all the scary crap that happens in it.

Until next time. :)


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 58

I wasn't sure what to expect, as I ran with Haruhime towards the surface. Too absorbed in helping the Xenos out of their cages, and fighting with Dix and his brother, I only had what little information Haruhime could supply.

Bell had passed her, chasing Wiene, and saying only that I needed help. Lilly, Takemikazuchi Familia, Welf, Marius and Mikoto basically did a fighting retreat as rearguard for the Xenos. She didn't know where Fels went, but she did know that there was something massive happening on street level.

"Massive?" I asked, stopping as cave walls changed suddenly to granite brick work. "Smells like Soma Familia territory..." I mumbled with a sniff.

"Yes, just as we were getting here, something exploded near Daedalus street." She replied, following me into what looked like a basement wine cellar, though most of the barrels were smashed open, and the floor had all kinds of random seeming tracks in the dirt. "What do we do now?"

"We..." I started, feeling the ground shake, followed by the far off BOOM of a magic blast. "We use the confusion to look natural. Maybe find Bell. Honestly..." I sighed, "I really just want to sit down."

"Have you slept since we went into the tower yesterday?" She asked, making me realize that I'd completely lost track of time. "I'm just glad you're safe." She said as I blinked at my realization.

Carefully climbing up a wrecked set of stairs, the sudden rampage of Xenos making it into more of a half collapsed ramp, I offered Haruhime a steadying hand up and looked out the similarly demolished front wall of the building. "Me too. Evening, good, gives us a little cover... No, have to find Bell and the rest." I slapped my cheeks to try and wake myself up, then looked at the ground just outside. "Biggest feet go that way... Love? Want to come with me?"

"Of course." She replied, prompting me to kneel so she could get on my back. She hugged me tightly, then contented herself to 'perch' on my back, my tails and hers wrapping around to hold her in place.

"Don't bite your tongue." I said as I got to open ground and looked up. The noise of the city was 'panicked'. I could hear normal people running around screaming. The sounds of the distant combat. Adventures shouting at each other. I knelt, took aim, then jumped with all my might.

"Maybe." Haruhime started, then stopped as I landed on a flat bit of roof, Soma's holdings visible from my new height. "I should learn to do this too." Another pause as I jumped again, glancing down at the wreckage only a large monster could make in a narrow alley. "As I can make myself stronger." Another jump, then a direction change. We were far from the main street, but we were now going parallel to it. "It seems quite fun."

"I'll introduce you." Again a jump, then another direction change. I could hear more shouting now. Magic and the clash of weapons. "To my teacher." I nearly lost my balance as I heard the familiar sound of Bell's firebolt. That electric sizzle was unmistakeable. "That's..."

"Bell." Haruhime finished for me. "Is he fighting?"

I turned again, this time running a little faster. Down below, I could hear people yelling, cursing. "No... He's defending Weine." I said, "She changed into a dragon..." I could feel the weight of the little stone from her forehead, secured in the pocket I'd put Dix's notebook.

"I saw... But... Can she change back?" Haruhime asked, her body twitching as Bell let out another firebolt.

"Damn you, Little Rookie!" Someone yelled below us, "Trying to take the monster for yourself!"

"Don't swear." Haruhime said into my ear.

I could hear a large body trampling through the streets. Roaring in agony, the noise stopped just as I got to the edge of the last rooftop. "No..." I wispered.

Bell was kneeling in front of the huge dragon body that was now Wiene. Her body and wings had been torn and blackened by many spells and blades. But that wasn't the worst of it. Sticking out from her back, just behind her left foreleg, was the snapped blade of a sword. Flopped over that, was the body of Gran, one hand holding the hilt of the broken blade.

"How did he..." I shook my head, my ears twitching as I heard a tiny 'snap', and watched as Bell took hold of the dragon's head and hugged it, as if trying to keep it from vanishing.

I knew that noise. We all did. Any adventurer knew the sound of a magic stone breaking. Be it an excessive use of force, or a deliberate one to kill a monster quickly, that sound was one we all knew. My eyes went blurry even before my mind could tell my what my heart already knew.

Except, Wiene didn't vanish.

Not really.

The huge dragon body began to dissolve, turning into the familiar black ash, but as it did, a light spread out from behind her. My tails all tingled as a huge working of magic happened close by, and my eyes pulled themselves away to spot the black robe of Fels. Standing there, where the dragon tail was slowly dissolving, his hands wove an arcane pattern in the air, the light getting brighter, until I could no longer look at it. Turning away, to look back at Bell, I saw the front of the dragon collapse in on itself, only to leave the naked form of a young girl with silver blue hair laying under a coating of black ash.

"I'm... exhausted." I heard Fels say, my legs finally moving, Haruhime hugging my shoulders tightly. "That's the only time I've ever gotten that spell to work."

I nearly flubbed the landing, the impact of me and Haruhime hitting the street putting a crater into the ground. "What..." I started, "But..."

"One success." Fels said, slowly walking towards me as I let Haruhime down, "In eight hundred years."

"You brought her back...?" I asked, hearing Bell and Haruhime gather up Wiene, "But..." I might have just been tired, but it seemed impossible.

"No time. I did my best, but the Xenos are scattered, and we have to get to ground. Her too." He motioned to Wiene.

"She is Familia." Bell said, looking at the dead body of Gran, and kicking him. "We should take her home."

"There will be questions. And even though she is part of your Familia, and the Guild knows, she can't be seen with you." Fels countered, holding up a hand in refusal when I offered him a mind potion. "She will be safest away from you for now."

I didn't like it, but I agreed with him. "Bell, its the safest way. Where is everyone else?"

"Mr. Fels was having them help hide the Xenos." Bell replied, reluctantly handing over Wiene, but not before hugging her limp body tightly first.

Fels nodded, "For now, keep hold of the occulus. I will contact you very soon." And without another word, he backed up a step, then vanished like smoke in the wind.

"FUCK!" Bell yelled into the air, Haruhime and I both jumping back a step from him.

Haruhime recovered first, patting his shoulder, "Bell-san, please... We have to get away for now."

"I..." Bell sighed, "Yes, I'm sure I upset a lot of people just now."

"I could hear them from the rooftops." I put a hand on his other shoulder, "Let's find the others, and head home."

* * *

"Lilly sees Miss Kodori!" I heard from the end of a side alley as Bell Haruhime and myself ran towards home. Skidding to a halt, the three of us backed up a little and waited at Lilly, Welf and Chigusa ran down the alleyway towards us.

"Miss Lilly, Mr Welf, Miss Chigusa." Bell greeted them, his foul mood not ruining his good manners at least. "Have you seen the others? We want to make sure everyone else is accounted for before we go home."

"Mikoto, Ouka and Maruis all headed home to make sure there was some one there to greet anyone else." Welf replied, hands on his knees and recovering from what looked like a long run. "But..."

We waited for him to continue, but it was Chigusa who spoke up, "Loki Familia." She started to shy away as Bell Haruhime and I looked at her, but she took a deep breath and soldiered on, "Loki Familia has been fighting a huge monster. A minotaur with black skin."

Lilly and Welf nodded, our little supporter speaking up next, "We were running from one of the hiding spots..." She looked around, trying to spot anyone other than us, "And ran into one of Loki Familia's support wizards. She told us Finn and his squad were fighting a black minotaur, and not having an easy time of it."

She had dropped her childish mannerisms to explain, and I could tell how serious she was, "Something that a half dozen level sixes can't beat?"

"Yeah, none of us saw it, but we were on the edge of what looked like the aftermath of the black Goliath battle." Welf said, shaking his head, "I could feel the force of the fight through my skin, it was so intense."

"Did Lido mention anyone like that?" I asked them.

"No. He did say that some Xenos didn't join with them, but he never mentioned something like that." Bell replied.

"Lilly? Have you dropped anything off at home?" I asked, kneeling in front of her.

"Lilly hasn't." She replied, "Did Miss Kodori need something?"

"My mask. Maybe I can gather a little more information from a distance." I replied, waiting as she reached into the pack and pulled out the black and red Kitsune mask.

"Lilly still thinks it looks scary." She said, "Though, the inside looks pretty."

I smiled as I took the mask, "Well... It is my face." I tucked it under my arm, "If it were gold and silver. Go on ahead, I'm going to the bell tower near our old home. I won't try and get any closer than that."

Bell nodded, remembering the tower that Nazza had tried to help us from, when Apollo was chasing us. "Don't be too late sister." he took hold of my forearm, still covered by Chani's webbing, "It's taco night."

Delaying my departure to give Haruhime a hug, Bell and Welf a fist bump, Chigusa a pat on the shoulder, and Lilly a head pat, I waved goodbye then jumped up to the rooftops.

* * *

I could hear the chaos around me, even without the mask on. I was much closer to the main street now, and the people were panicking. Monsters had been seen in the city, and that was supposed to be impossible.

The battle was still raging in the distance too, between Loki and the Black Minotaur. That was impressive, and, honestly, scary as hell. It had been almost a half hour since I hit street level with Haruhime, and anything that could survive that long against six level six adventurers...

I stood in the bell tower, looking towards the flashes of magic and sounds of heavy attacks, then put on the mask.

Smoke. Fire. Panicked people. Blood. Spilled food. Wind from the mountains. Ozone from ground level lightning magic. My tired mind filtered through all these things until finally I could hear the individual sounds of the combat itself.

Trying for more, I tried to push my magic out of my body, to add power to the 'ko-steel' of the mask. And it worked!

"Just what is this thing made of?" Some one asked, the voice gruff and deep.

"Ais! From the side! Tiona! Tione! Get behind it!" A younger voice, Finn.

There was a sudden ringing of metal on metal, and I had to stop feeding the mask magic, just to save my ears.

"So Ikelos." Hermes? "I guess that's it for you?"

"Pretty much. I only have two Familia members left. Everyone else is dead." Ikelos replied. I could almost hear the ruffle of fabric as I imagined him shrugging.

"A shame. Suppose your fun ends here then?" Hermes returned, "Maybe take a trip east?"

"Maybe. Just so long as it's fun right?"

"We understand each other there. I suppose with all the noise, you'll have no problem leaving."

I followed their conversation as I got closer. The heightened senses of the mask making up for my lack of vision, though, as I got close enough to hear Hermes's quiet chuckle, I switched the enchantment to allow me to see, my vision through the lenses washed in gold in black.

"Ah, Miss Kodori." Hermes greeted me. Over his shoulder, I could see the retreating back of Ikelos for just a moment, before he turned down an alleyway towards the main street. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Just letting him leave then?" I asked.

"He's harmless now." He replied, "And, I must say, that mask looks quite frightening."

He was smiling, but since my enchantment for the 'fear' effect of the mask was off... "It has its uses." I said.

"Shame about what happened tonight. The city is going to be such a mess for a while... And I heard your home was attacked while you were out?"

"News travels fast. Though, I suppose since you had people watching my home... Speaking of, if they were watching, why didn't they help?"

"Help? Why? They were only meant to watch you and your pet monster." He smiled, "I wanted to see what would happen, so I told them to just watch.

I sighed, feeling my anger bubble up, past my fatigue. "I'll remember that. You know, that 'pet' monster, is part of my Familia right?"

"I'd heard about that. What ever possessed Hestia to even try such a thing? The guild would have a field day if they knew..." Hermes replied sarcastically, shrugging his shoulders expansively.

"Because you simply wanted to 'watch', Wiene, was captured, tortured, and killed. Asuka, from Takemikazuchi Familia, was hurt. Takemikazuchi himself and my Goddess were put in danger." I could feel my logical mind telling me 'count to ten'.

"Very entertaining." Hermes replied, "It's been ages since I've seen Takemikazuchi fight. And she died? A shame..."

My tails were lashing back and forth now, every fibre in my body wanting to make Hermes into a God shaped tent peg. But still, I resisted, instead saying, "Fel's brought Wiene back to life. First time he managed to make that spell work in eight hundred years, he said." One of my tails lashed a little closer to Hermes, a small fox head appearing and stealing the dagger at his hip. "And the guild already knows."

"Oh? That's a surprise, but I suppose, that if Fels the Fool knows, Ouranos would know."

"Remember when I told you, that I would make you very very unhappy if one of my friends gets killed, right?" He didn't seem to notice that his dagger was gone, and my lashing tails had hidden it next to my Jitte behind my back.

"Yes." He grinned, that irritating shit eating grin, "What of it?"

"Good. Keep watch on the east wall." And I left, switching my mask back to the hyper sensitive mode to follow after Ikelos.

* * *

It was easy to follow Ikelos. After so much time underground, and likely without a shower, I could easily pick his scent out of the crowds of panicking people. He was also pretty much the only person around who wasn't in a hurry to get someplace.

That suited me just fine. I was really starting to feel tired. No sleep for over a day, several high energy spikes of activity, and fighting back the urge to run away every time something dangerous was about to happen.

But... Now I was angry. Not in a violent way, but more of a 'point to prove' way. As Ikelos got to the gate, and simply kept walking past the two Ganesha guards, I started to warm up my magic a little, taking the mask off and taking a couple of mind mints, before putting it back on, and also walking past the two guards unchallenged. Ikelos was a God, and I was, at the moment, in fairly high standing with the Ganesha Familia, and well known in the city.

That, and I could tell by the sudden racing heartbeats, that the guards were terrified of me.

* * *

I followed at what most would consider a 'respectful' distance. After leaving the city, I kept pace with Ikelos for maybe two kilometres, before He finally stopped, turned, and looked at me.

"Something to say, Fox?" He asked, hands in his pockets looking like he was simply on a morning stroll, and not exiled from the city. "I mean, now that I have only two living Familia left, there's really nothing more you could possibly need from me."

I watched him through gold tinted vision, stopping about two paces away, "Ikelos... God of nightmares. You have a brother, don't you? The name escapes me."

"Morpheus." He replied simply, "He's content to watch you children dream. So I left Him behind in Tenkai." He shrugged, "I've gotta say though, Dix was probably the most fun to be around, in the last... five? Six hundred years?" He laughed, a little bitterly, "Still, I'm surprised you knew."

"Back home, the tales and legends about the Gods are a little... easier to find. Though, now that I'm here, there are quite a few errors..." I replied, thinking on how Hephaestus is a girl, Loki is a girl, and Zeus and Hera actually got along... Sort of... "But, there is one thing common in all the stories." I reached behind me and took out Hermes's knife, "When the Gods started getting too rough, it was almost always a hero, who put them back in line."

He looked at me, then the knife, then back to me again, then burst out laughing. "Really? Revenge? Some sense of justice? You children... I'm a God! No mortal can hurt me!"

"Maybe." I took a step closer, switching the enchantment from vision to heightened senses, and more importantly, the menacing aura. I could hear Ikelos's heartbeat speed up slightly, and his left foot move back a little. "But you see... I pay attention." I slowly pushed my magic outward, feeding the energy into the mask, "Gods can't be hurt by us Children? Fine..." Another step, putting me within arms reach of Him, "But You can get sick. Drunk. Tired. Hungry. Stub Your toes. Feel emotion."

He tried to back up, but I put a hand on his shoulder. With my other hand, I held the knife, palm up and open, offering it to him. "And every time You update someone's status, You cut Yourself."

I simply held him in place, not with any force, but as my tails started to sway behind me, and the mask started to heat up on my head with the extra magic I was feeding it, I could hear His heart start hammering in his chest. He tried to swallow, but His mouth sounded like it was coated in sand. His breathing became shallow.

"You play with our lives. You watch and do nothing when misfortune comes our way. You feel pleasure watching us struggle. Use Your Familia and others as tools and pawns to further Your own goals." My aura started to boil and bleed, growling fox heads started to dance around my swaying tails, and Ikelos's heart sounded like thunder in my ears. "But as one of those pawns, as a child of this world, I judge You unworthy of staying here with us."

I could hear him blink, the magic fuelling my mask starting to burn the hair on my head, the air around us filling with the horrible smell. "Kill you? No." I leaned towards him, "There is only one way out of this for You."

My mask shattered. Even with my eyes closed I could 'see' the red of the metal heating up. But the sudden noise, finished the job for me. Opening my eyes, I watched Ikelos fall backwards, foaming at the mouth, bleeding from the nose, His face twisted in fear. His heart had destroyed itself, His lungs had seized up. His body had failed Him. He had literally died of Mortal terror.

And my world was filled with white, pure and beautiful, as Ikelos returned to Tenkai.

* * *

It was easy to scale the massive wall of Orario. Unbreakable grip, super strength, tails that could, when they payed attention to my commands, carry me up if I didn't feel like moving my arms. When I got to the top and landed on the walkway proper, I saw Hermes looking at me...

I felt tired.

Tired and bald. Again.

"Remember what I said Hermes." I said to him, "Oh, how much paperwork is it, when a God sends up another God?"

It took Him a while, but He finally managed to answer, "A lot, I'd imagine."

"Good. Because you lost your knife, over there." I made the appropriate 'over there' motion with my hand as he looked down at his empty sheath. "Now, with any respect that might be due, for your actions, or inaction. Go fuck yourself. Because yes, I do know how to hurt a God." I turned and took a step, then stopped, "And tell Asfi I figured out how to make that soap she uses, its a hit with everyone at home."

I could hear Him try and form a reply, but He said nothing as I hopped off the city side of the wall and made my way to street level, and home.

* * *

By the time I got home, I was pretty sure I'd scrubbed as much of the ash and metal slag off my head as I could without a mirror. I was tired. Bone tired. The sort of tired that encouraged a person to just pass out on the first flat surface they saw that was familiar enough to look safe.

And while I resisted the urge to pass out on Chigusa, when she greeted me at the door, I did give her a hug.

"Sorry." I said after letting her go and noticing I got soot on her. "Everyone else?"

She didn't even need to recover from my hug before she began helping me taking off my gear, "Living room, mostly. Lilly-chan and Marius are making dinner. Bell-san is trying to comfort Hestia-sama, and waiting for you before we start the meeting." She paused as she finally took a really good look at me. "What happened? Your hair? Again? And these cuts..."

"Dix had a spear... Was really nasty. And I used my own magic to power my mask. It worked... sorta..." Better than I expected, but I didn't say that.

"Poor Haru-chan." She replied, putting my shin and forearm guards into their storage box by the door. "She..." Chigusa paused as I raised an eyebrow that threatened to sprinkle soot into my eye at her. "Well... She is sad you never seem to be able to grow your hair."

I smiled, then gave the quiet supporter a gentle nudge so we could walk to the living room. "Me too. But since hair isn't alive, it isn't protected by my 'fireproof' ability. My ears are cold though..."

We walked in silence for a moment, entering the living room. Everyone was more or less looking fresh off the battlefield, though I did notice all the furniture was covered with towels or sheets. The atmosphere was gloomy too. A thick oppressive feeling, like the day we were trying to figure out what to do with Wiene...

Except, if how Hestia was crying quietly into Bell's shoulder was any clue, it was 'how to deal without Wiene'. Most eyes turned to Chigusa and I, and most of those eyes looked the same way I felt. Tired and frustrated.

"Are we going to meet before, or after dinner?" I asked, striding into the room and taking off my armoured coat. Putting it beside the couch Haruhime and I sat on, I lowered myself into the seat next to her. "Lady Hestia?"

Bell gave the Goddess a little shake, and she collected herself, sniffling once more then pushing herself off Bell. Bell had thankfully taken off his armour, though Hestia's normally pure white dress had some smudges on it from Bell's shirt. "Sorry... I felt it. When Wiene died. It was the same as when Bell's heart stopped, only worse."

"Bell-san, Ko-san and I watched Fels-san bring her back to life." Haruhime said, slipping her hand into mine, even though it was covered in soot and probably a little blood. "Is she still..."

"Yes. She is still part of our Familia." Hestia replied, "But it was still a shock... Feeling her die."

Takemikazuchi spoke up, as he entered the room with a tray of steaming stone cups, "We Gods bring you into our Familia, and so, we feel any death as truly as flesh and blood family." He passed out tea, smiling his calm smile, though he gave me a raised eyebrow at my current state.

I felt my back tingle, but accepted the tea and sighed quietly at the smell. "Fels thought it was wise to hide her, along with the other Xenos." I said, "In case someone who doesn't know decides to look into our involvement."

More than a few of us grumbled at that, "The little fireball's place is here." Welf said grumpily, scratching at a spot of dried blood on his arm, "So, who goes first?"

Bell, Welf and I looked at each other, and I stuck out my silk wrapped fist.

"Rock paper scissors."

"Damn, okay." Welf retracted his fist, both Bell and I having chose paper. He collected himself, sitting up properly on his favourite chair and leaning forward. "After the news from the eighteenth, we headed back up here with the refugees. No problems getting back up. They were hurt, but we had no trouble with the odd monster spawn."

"After getting up to the surface, we left them to report, and made best speed home." Welf stopped, sighed, then continued, "When we got here, Wiene was already gone. Asuka was hurt, though she had made a good showing for herself. Lord Takemikazuchi?"

"Since she is still resting..." The war god said from his chair, a comfortable, yet thread bare looking armchair from his old home, "I have only a mortal's strength, but I was able to keep them from harming her further, though, I could not protect Wiene as well as the orphans and Lady Hestia." It was a rare sight to see Takemikazuchi look troubled. "I had to choose."

"We understand, Takemikazuchi-sama." Mikoto said, the rest of us nodding.

"The guy Asuka beat up was taken by the guild when they came to connect the water pipes. But after waiting a couple of hours, that black owl showed up." Welf continued, reaching into a pocket and holding up a green sphere, about the size of a big marble though part of one side was smooth , "It dropped off this, as well as another one of those little pyramids. Fels told us that Bell's team found another one of these down below, and from there, we started to co-ordinate."

Bell nodded, and Welf made a 'go ahead' motion to the boy. "After we split up, we finished the trip to the eighteenth. and some of the other Xenos had gone crazy and attacked the town there. Just like the refugees said." He looked to Mikoto, then me, "We separated Lido from the rest, and brought him down long enough to get an answer from him. He said he'd been cursed, and their home raided. But before he gave into the curse again, he told us something was at the old home."

"Kodori-san suggested we spit up further." Mikoto gave me a 'you know what you did' look, "And Marius-san, Bell-dono and I made best speed to the entrance of their home on the twentieth floor." She paused to sip her tea, "The water was gone, and when we entered there were signs of a fierce battle."

Lilly and Marius entered the room then, Lilly sitting on the big man's shoulder, "So we searched." Marius said, "As quickly as we could, for anything that might be important."

Bell nodded, and made room for Lilly as she sat down. It was then I noticed the smell of food past the all too familiar smell of burnt Kodori. "Yes." Bell gave Lilly a head pat absently as the little supporter leaned on him a little. "Mr. Fels noticed the noise we were making. And called out through the stone." He pulled out a second green stone. It was slightly darker than the one Welf was holding. "He told us he sent extra help down to the eighteenth, and a spare key. Also, that he had contacted and the others, and given them a spare key as well."

"So we returned to the eighteenth. Meeting Ma'am Aisha and Miss Ryuu." Marius continued, "Ganesha Familia had arrived by then as well, and were doing their best to subdue the wild Xenos. I stayed behind with them, to defend and protect the wounded, while Bell, Mikoto and our two new helpers opened the gate again."

"It was like they could smell their friends." Bell picked up again, "As soon as the door was opened, and we started to push them in that direction, they simply stopped fighting Ganesha, and ran towards it." Bell looked to me, "We found a few dead Ikelos on the way, as we followed behind them."

"After I split from you." I started, "I followed the air currents upwards. I ran into a patrol and subdued them. Then later another, who had captured another Xenos." I held up my silk wrapped fist, "She and I killed those, and planned for what to do as we got closer to their main camp."

"She?" Lilly asked.

"Half spider, half woman, named Chani by Wiene." I said, "I faced down her four captors, she broke free on her own in the distraction. From there, after salvaging some gear for her, we kept travelling up. Together we made it to the main camp. It was slow going, since we didn't want to be detected. But when we got there, I slipped in, and was trying to figure out how to break some of the Xenos free, when Bell and the rest showed up from another entrance."

"After you sent me after Wiene, I met the others in passing." Bell started, looking to Haruhime and I, "I sent her down after you, since the other Xenos were now back to their normal selves, and there were no more enemies behind us."

"Thank you for that." I said.

"I chased after Wiene while the others went with Fels to hide the other Xenos. She was almost as fast, even as a full grown dragon. And I had to try and protect her, as well as keep up." He sighed, "I had to fight other adventurers to do it."

Hestia tried to comfort the boy, but he shook his head, "I protected her, until that man with the black tattoo on his face showed up. I don't know what was wrong with him, but he looked crazy, and his neck and arm were black with something..."

"Poison." I said, "One of the ones I freed was a snake lady... Lamia? From Eina's lessons, I know their poison can be fatal, so I left her to it, while I went to free more of the Xenos." I frowned.

"He did die, just after stabbing Wiene, and cracking her crystal." Bell said, looking at his hands, "She died in my arms... Even as a dragon, she was so gentle, only thinking of getting away so she didn't hurt anyone."

"Then Fels brought her back." I said, "And took her with him to hide with the others."

"Yes." Bell sighed recovering.

"While this was going on, Loki Familia had been fighting something." Welf spoke up, "Something big. One of the Loki supporters told us it was a minotaur with black skin, but wouldn't say more. And with the sounds that fight was making, we chose not to go looking."

"On our way back, Lilly gave me my mask, and I went to try and get any kind of information about it." I said, "The six aces were still fighting it, and while I could hear the fight, I didn't dare get closer." The others nodded, "But, I also heard Hermes and Ikelos, chatting near by as well."

With the two Gods in the room, and a bunch of young, but certainly not foolish, people in the room, I had to tell this one carefully. "Ikelos said he only had two Familia left. I'm guessing that's the one Asuka beat, and the one working at the Hostess."

"What of Ikelos?" Takemikazuchi asked, "We felt one of Us get sent back to Tenkai."

"Yes. Ikelos will no longer bother us, or the mortal world ever again." I said. "My mask couldn't handle the strain of me putting extra magic into it... That's why I'm bald, again." The war God had interrupted me at the perfect time, letting me skip past the middle bit of exactly how Ikelos left.

Silence filled the room, until my stomach growled like a pack of hungry foxes.

"I agree." Haruhime said, giving my side a poke, "We should wash up a little more then eat."

* * *

I washed up quickly, no more than a quick shower, and re-dressing in one of my house robes. My fist and forearm was still wrapped up in spider web, but at least it was mostly clean web now. Before I went to the dinner table though, I went to find Asuka.

I was told she was in the infirmary, so, telling Haruhime that yes, I would be taking a proper bath later, and letting her put on more hair grow cream, I'd be at the table soon. Now that I'd washed most of the burnt Kodori off me, I could smell Lilly's newest attempt at Taco night.

"Asuka?" I called out as I opened the infirmary door.

"Hm?" came the muffled reply. She was sitting up in one of the beds, looking out the window.

"Dinner time." I said, "Unless your nose is missing, I'm sure you can tell it's taco night."

"Haha." She said flatly, "I suppose you'd know about that one..." She turned to look at me, then flinched, "Your hair again... Haru-chan keeps saying she wished you would grow it out more."

"Second time I've heard that today." I replied, sitting on the bed next to her. At first glance, she was fine. Nothing missing, no bandages, no scars. Just a sad... lost look. I knew that look from the mirror. "And that was a terrible joke." I rubbed my nose.

"Sorry... Just..."

"You feel like you failed. Weine got taken away, Takemikazuchi had to step in."

She stopped in mid breath, and just said, "Hai."

"Well. Since you missed the meeting." my tails were slowly making their way over to her, moving in that slow 'asking for permission to visit' motion. "Wiene was a little beaten up, but she is fine. Fels and the other Xenos, as well as Wiene, were scattered across the city, but are, as far as we know, safe. Ikelos, and his Familia, are gone."

"Gone?"

"Back to Tenkai, and only two living members left, gone."

"Oh..." She fell silent, but reached out to one of my tails, the fuzzy appendage looping over her arm and hand. "It's like you have a bunch of cats attached to your butt." She mumbled.

I chuckled but otherwise ignored the comment, "So, going to come to dinner? Or do I have to carry you?" The other four tails waved a little closer, as threatening as they could get without growing teeth.

"You're not mad?"

"I'm too hungry, and tired, to be mad right now. And the others understand. And the help we were expecting to come to our rescue, if something like this happened, decided to nap. It's not your fault, and we will make sure it never happens again."

"Okay." She gave me a smile, her eyes brightening a little, and got a little closer, giving me a hug. "Let's go eat."

* * *

I tried very hard to enjoy dinner. It tasted amazing, but the gloom over the table kind of killed the mood. That, and I was tired. Really tired. For the most part, the conversation was limited to 'pass the cheese', 'thank you' and 'no Chime, you can't have a pepper'. Hestia seemed to be somewhat recovered though, and Marius had helped Lilly make a 'mild' version, so our Goddess wouldn't hurt herself.

Afterwards, most of us went to have a proper bath. Haruhime was her usual worried self when it came to cleaning me up, but that was one of the things I loved about her. She did make me promise to ask Nazza about a better hair grow cream, and to stop finding ways to burn my hair off. Being unable to resist her sad face, I promised without question, though I was sure I could figure out the hair cream myself.

Haruhime, the formerly weak and timid girl, also managed to all but carry me to bed. By then, I was fading in and out of conscienceness, so I only dimly remember her kissing me on the forehead and curling herself around my upper body so I could listen to her heartbeat, instead of the other way around.

* * *

"Hello." Said a smooth, deep voice. "No no, no need to get up. I'll just sit across from you."

I was sitting down, in the chair I'd made for Royman. The organic carvings of the arms, the nice spacious seat that fit my tails comfortably, and the perfect amount of padding under my rear making me feel at ease. If a bit puzzled.

Across from me, a similar chair rested. A grey and black blur later, and a semi familiar man was sitting in it. Dark brown skin, bald head, dark grey trench coat and small circle lens sunglasses.

The room itself seemed an infinite size, with only these two chairs and us in it. Shadowlessly lit with a soft white light that was easy on the eyes.

"Morpheus." I said. "Though you look..."

"This is your dream, thus, I look as you think I should." He made show of looking at his arms and hands, "An interesting world, you lived in."

"Depends on which side of the looking glass you started on." I replied, "But please, look no further than that. I want nothing but memories of my old home."

"A little late, but it isn't my nature to share secrets, only watch them." He replied with a smile, "And for you to remember them here, now, well, that would be my Brother's domain." He smiled, "Speaking of... No! Do not say His name here, though it might not matter right now, in the state you left Him."

I was about to say His name, but he had quite firmly stopped me, so instead, "That being said... Why are you here? I know why I'M here. I was tired as..." I looked back at my golden tail, taking hold of it and petting it. "But..."

"Well... That's the thing. He and I, by our nature, will always be opposites. Enemies, of a sort. But He is still my brother, and I love him. After so long, I've missed our conversations." He leaned forward, smile widening, "So, I have two things for you."

"Oh?" I leaned back a little, squinting at him warily. "My... Stance about you Deities are... somewhat mixed."

"So is what I have for you." He opened one hand, and of course, there was a red pill, "Heh, I wish I could keep you here, and watch this... movie? Hm. Anyhow." He looked to me again, "First a warning. Be very careful how you use your new knowledge about Us. You enacted retribution upon my brother, and rightly so! Being His only family, both here in Tenkai, and in the mortal realm, this is the only punishment you will receive." He closed his hand, then flicked the pill at me.

Finding myself unable to move, it pelted me in the forehead with a 'thunk'.

Then he opened his other hand, and there rested a blue pill. "But for returning Him home, to do all the paperwork He has piling up, and to keep me company again, I offer you a reward."

Looking at the pill, I tilted my head to the side, and asked, "Being the God of dreams... What could you even give me?"

He leaned back and laughed, long and loud. Finally, he recovered and said, "The Fox, that people call wise, asks Me this? I am the God of Dreams!"

I shrugged, "Not quite what I meant. You've seen into my mind. My dreams. You already know I have almost all I can dream of already." I tapped my chin, then scratched one of my ears, "But, if it is You offering..." I looked at him, a slow smile spreading over his face, "My Familia, and friends, the Xenos, Children of the dungeon. I don't suppose we could get a really good night's sleep? Maybe two?"

Again, the laugh, "Such a simple request. I see no problem in granting this. But is that really it? Such a simple thing?"

"You might think it a 'simple' thing. But again, you should know what we 'Children' go through... We've all had a hard couple of days, some of us longer, and a good sleep makes problems like those... feel more manageable."

"I suppose." This time he rubbed his chin, the blue pill vanishing. "And as a bonus... I'll see if I can ask a Friend of mine for a little help. I'm sure She'd find you all interesting enough to grace with Her presence."

"Thank you. Now, I don't suppose I could get back to my regular dream? I mean, You are welcome to visit, but..."

He chuckled, "As handsome as you've made me, yes, I agree, she's much easier on the eyes than I'll ever be. Sleep well. I mean it."

* * *

I woke slowly, my squinted eyes seeing it was my usual pre-dawn wake up time. My body felt relaxed and not at all sore from yesterday's stop-go activities, and I could feel the hair on my head move with the slight draft in the room. Curled into my middle, as usual, was Haruhime, who made the most adorable 'nom' noise as she tried to sleep-capture one of my tails.

Very carefully detaching myself from her, and putting my pillow in my place, I made my way to the bathroom. After, as I was washing my face and making sure my eyebrows were back where they should be, I saw a faint blue outline in the mirror. It was only for an instant, but it had burned an afterimage into my eyes.

Every time I blinked on the way back to my room, I saw the same faint blue lines. As my sleepy mind shook off the cobwebs, I recognized it as hieroglyph. A few more blinks, and I knew exactly where I'd seen it too.

Gathering up a 'one good blink from going back to sleep' Haruhime, and putting her in my lap while I sat at my reading desk, I opened up one of the books I'd borrowed from Ganesha. Haruhime went back to sleep in my arms, as I quietly flipped through the pages, blinking each time I turned a page, until the image matched the page. Only after I'd put a new book mark on the page did the blue after image in my eye stop appearing.

"Ha-chan?"

"mm... fuwafuwa..." one of her hands gently stroked my newly regrown hair. "Nemuidesu..."

I smiled, my tails wrapping around to my front and holding Haruhime close, my partner mumbling contentedly. Sliding out my 'Rosetta stone' from between the pages, and getting a pencil from the drawer, I started to translate the hieroglyph. I had dreamed something... But as with all dreams, I could only guess at what. It felt... important. Like... someone had told me something Earth shatteringly important.

* * *

Notes!

Can anyone guess who the 'She' Morpheus was referring to?

Anyhow. This will tie into a 'side story' that might happen next update. Or maybe after this arc. I'm not sure. The comments I'm getting are starting to sound a litttttttle impatient when it comes to a certain question. But Kodori has something she must figure out first, before all her doubts are gone. :)

Until next time.


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 59

Until Haruhime had started making real motions of waking up, I kept at my translating. The chapter header of this one, was 'Metamorphic concoctions, as done by'. Who they were done by, was written in something else all together, but ignoring that, the blue afterimage had guided me three pages past that. I had just finished translating the first line, when Haruhime made her first noise past 'nom' and 'don't wanna'.

"Ko-san... what are you doing?"

"Cuddling you so I can think better?"

"Silly..." A pause, "What time is it?"

By now, I had written the first line in English, and scribbled out the Kione translation, "Time to figure out what to do with the rest of the day."

One of her hands played with my slightly regrown hair, "Make a better hair cream." She pouted at me, "And... I want to practise with you... You had seven tails."

"And you helped me beat a level five." I very carefully captured the edge of one of her ears with my lips, "Have I told you recently that I love you?"

"Maybe." She replied, "But if you keep doing that, we'll be late for morning exercises."

"And I still have to put up some sound proofing..." I stood, my tails hugging her close, yet leaving my arms free, "I have a feeling the next few days are going to be... very busy."

"Yeah..."

* * *

We had hardly started our collective morning exercises when our first visitor arrived. Eina, looking like she had just had the best sleep of her life, but also looking like she was not going to like the rest of her day, arrived just as we were starting to pair up for a spar.

"Miss Eina." Bell greeted her as Ouka led her to us. "You're... awake very early." He looked in the direction of the not quite over the wall sun.

"Because of what happened yesterday." She gave us ALL that bone chilling 'get ready for a lecture' look. "People are in a panic. I was told to go home after midnight, even though there were still citizens in the guild lobby demanding an explanation."

I shivered, counting up the hours. She started just after sun up, when the early bird adventurers, like us, were about to enter the dungeon. That meant... A sixteen hour shift? At least? "Yet, here you are." I said, "It's that bad then?"

"Yes. Though, strangely, I feel like I slept twice as long as I did." She smiled slightly, then returned to giving us all the glare. "Royman has told me to keep quiet, but since I know you're all involved, I am going to tell you too." She sighed, "Royman, by order of Ouranos, is going to put a bounty on the Xenos who made it up here. A very large one. Loki Familia is setting up a base near the site of the crater near the Daedalus district, to try and root out, and destroy them. Ganesha Familia has returned from the eighteenth, to recover." She stopped and looked at all of us, "And... Hestia Familia is being talked about like a bunch of criminals."

Bell winced, Welf growled, and most of the rest of us made a variety of unhappy faces. I had figured Bell's actions would be seen as... Less than heroic, but criminal?

"A bounty? But Lord Ouranos..." Bell didn't even bother defending his actions, we all knew why, and agreed with him.

"Lilly can guess why." Our supporter started, all eyes turning to her. "Greed. A large bounty will draw all types. Who will only work together until the bounty is in sight."

"Loki Familia is going to be a problem too..." Ouka said, tapping the butt of his spear into the ground.

I took hold of my golden tail, "I hate politics." The fuzzy appendage struggled to get out of my grasp, but Haruhime's tails swatted me instead. "No fair."

"A large bounty will certainly bring out the worst in people." Marius said, leaning on his shield, "When ever a monster was spotted near Rakia borders, we had people tripping over themselves to catch it."

"And as strong as Lido and the other Xenos are." Asuka said, "And unless Loki Famlia gets involved, no one is going to tell them if they find them."

"It's given them time. But the next trick is how to get them out of hiding and back into the dungeon." I added, "Eina?"

"Yes?"

"We are going to help them. You know that, right?" Beside me, and all around, both Familia nodded in agreement.

"I'd expect no less of you all." She smiled, shaking her head, "But, please, try not to break too many rules?"

"We left her behind." Bell said, "I left her behind." He looked down at his hands, Lilly reaching up and patting his elbow, "And we do not leave Familia behind. We must apologize in advance, Miss Eina."

"You owe me dinner, Mr. Cranelle." She said firmly. "Stay safe, all of you."

"We will try." Bell replied, absently giving Lilly's shoulder a pat.

We all watched her leave, our favourite Guild employee waving to us as she closed the gate behind her. After she vanished, we all turned to face one another.

"Is there anything we can do? Right now? To help them?" Bell asked us, before all eyes turned to me a moment later.

"What?"

"The Fox is wise." Mikoto said.

"There are two foxes here." I replied, hiding behind Haruhime, who ears only came up to my chin.

"But Ko-san is older." Her ears flicked against my throat, tickling me, "And you are the captain."

"Bell is the captain." I said.

"Miss Kodori, since you've recovered from your injuries, I return your title of Captain." Bell said formally.

"Then my first order, is for some one to ruffle his hair for me." I said, smiling as Welf got him in a headlock and Lilly messed up his hair. "Okay fine. Let's see..."

And so our morning spar was replaced with trying to figure out exactly what we could do, against the odds before us.

* * *

"Whoa sister! You okay?" Welf said as I stumbled into the workshop's forge area.

"Ha-chan beat me up." I said, sitting down heavily and spreading out my scaled coat.

"Seriously?"

"She's determined to be 'useful'. And she's been taking extra lessons from Lord Takemikazuchi, as well as learning how to use my magic. Caught me off guard with a really good throw, and it went down hill from there."

Welf laughed at me as I made a show of rubbing my backside. "Speaking of, have you figured out your new magic? I mean, if Haruhime has yours, you have hers, right?"

"Sort of. Before, I couldn't push my magic out of my body. My little foxes," I flopped one of my tails onto the workbench my coat was on, and summoned a little fox, "Were the exception, but only if their tail stayed connected to my tail."

"Yip." Said the little fox, sitting properly for a half second, then scratching behind its ear with a hind paw, the double sensation making my own ear itch.

"Yeah, I remember. And I've seen you do bits of foxes too. Like just the mouth." He shivered, "Not just your hands and feet anymore."

"Well, now..." I gave the black and gold fox a mental nudge, and it hopped off the table and trotted over to Welf, sitting again. "I can move them around a little more." The ghostly fox then bit the edge of his pant leg, and started wrestling with it. "But that's more or less it."

"More or less?" He gently booped the mini fox's nose and it let go of his pant leg.

"Well, adding a little more power to it..." The fox started to grow, until it was about the size of a large house cat. "Or a little more." Now it was around the size of a hell hound. "The biggest I've tried was able to pick some one up like a chew toy."

"Yip." The fox agreed, though its voice was still tiny.

"Well..." Welf looked at the apparition, then made a face as its ghostly tongue licked him. "Hey I'm not food!"

"Thankfully, I can't taste that." I said with a laugh, cutting the magic off and watching as the fox faded away.

"Har har." Welf replied, "But... If you can project your magic now... Maybe..." He grinned, "Want to try enchanting something without any Ko-steel?"

"After I see if my coat is salvageable." I replied, holding it up, "Dix's spear went through it like paper, and left a lot of holes."

"Damn... oh, what's that?" Welf poked his finger at one of the holes, and Dix's notebook fell out of the pocket I had it in.

I picked up the worn leather bound notebook, the edges lined with many MANY little bookmarks and dogeared pages. "This, is Dix's notebook. After Haruhime and I beat the stuffing out of him, he said I should look at it. Then Chani shot him in the heart." I shrugged, "He was bleeding out, and I wasn't about to heal him, so I wasn't too upset about it."

"That's a little cold, sister." Welf said, giving me a sideways look, "But understandable. I only managed a glance into that big warehouse room, and I saw the cages..."

"Me too... I know 'monster fetish' is a dirty word in the streets, but..." I shook my head, "Never mind, not going there."

We both nodded then looked back to the notebook in my hand, "So, what's in it?" Welf asked.

"Dunno..." Picking a primitive stick-um at random, I carefully thumbed open the book. "Um..."

My golden tail was flicking against the back of my head repeatedly, until Welf distracted it with a hand. "That's... The dungeon, right? What's this around it?"

On the page was a diagram. At the top, looked to be 'ground level', with the bottom of Babel just visible. Under that, done in black, was a pyramid like drawing, done in lines. Representing floors, if I had to guess. Next to that, on either side, done in red was a mirror of those floors. There was a little note, done in a neat hand, that said 'Gnossis'.

"That's... Insane! Crazy..." I flipped back a page, squinting at the horrible writing and reading it aloud, "Gnossis, the mirror of the dungeon." I flipped back to the drawing, "That's what he meant."

"Is that... That is what he was doing? Building a dungeon, around the dungeon?" Welf scratched his head, "But... Why?"

"I can think of a thousand reasons. But... This would take hundreds of years." I leaned back in the chain, closing the book and shaking my head, "Daedalus... Just as crazy as the stories I've heard."

"You've heard of him? But you're not from around here." Welf took the book from my hand, cracking it open again, "That's always puzzled me. I don't mean to pry, sister, but..."

"The stories here, and where I'm from have... a lot in common. Some big differences, here and there, but..." I waved at the book, "For example, where I'm from, Daedalus was indeed a scholar, but not so much insane as... progressive." I leaned forward again, rubbing my temples, "Remember the war game? Icarus, was one of his students. Who made wings of wax, and flew too close to the sun, melting the wings and falling into the sea."

"That's the same story here." Welf nodded, "Holy... Reading the metals and other materials... No wonder they needed money so bad." He got a pencil and started writing down something, "Oh, I haven't seen this... Orichalcum... Wonder if Tsubaki knows it..."

"Astronomy, medicine, alchemy, Daedalus was seen as a madman, who couldn't contain his curiosity. A lot of his experiments, and the results, were seen as black magic, when it was really just science." I explained, turning back to my poor coat and laying it out again, "I think I should show that to Royman, or maybe ask to see Ouranos... I mean, He is supposed to oversee the entire dungeon, right?"

"What about Hermes?" Welf asked, "This looks like something he'd be interested in."

"Oh... Guess I forgot about that at the meeting." I began emptying the coat pockets, "Hermes was still watching our place while we went out, and did nothing to stop Ikelos Familia from kidnapping Wiene." Welf looked up from the book, looking at me like I'd grown a second head, "After finding that out, I want nothing to do with Him. Told Him to..." I looked back at my golden tail, "Yeah..."

"That..." Welf then proceeded to swear like a sailor going sober, until my golden tail swatted him. "Hey ow. No fair."

"Yeah... I plan on spreading that around to a few select people. Maybe after her year is up, we can get Aisha to join us." I grinned, "Keep Ha-chan from beating me up."

"She'd help her beat you up."

"That's okay too."

"Way too much woman for me." He chuckled, "Oh... Is that..." He noticed Wiene's prosperity stone, the viouvre tear, sitting in the pile I'd made.

"Yeah... Dix pulled it off her head. And she couldn't resist changing into a full dragon." I held it carefully between thumb and forefinger, "I have a few ideas for it, but... I almost want to throw it away."

"Like what? And no, please don't throw it away."

"Well, I could, very quietly, give it to Lady Hephaestus, to put against Lady Hestia's debt." I said, carefully putting the stone into a gem pouch. "And then not actually TELL Lady Hestia." I grinned, and we shared a laugh.

"I'd be okay with that plan." Welf said after a moment, "I mean... Yeah, thinking about it, I can see why you'd want to throw it away... Poor fireball..."

"Yeah... Anyhow, lets get some work done before lunch. Not every day we get to save a race of people."

We shared a fist bump, then got to work.

* * *

Welf begged off actually showing up for lunch, but I made sure he at least got some brought to him. Lilly, Mikoto, and Marius were all in the kitchen, putting together some care packages for the Xenos.

"A good field ration." Marius started, "Starts with size. An army runs on its stomach, but if it's carrying too much, it can't run at all." I heard him say as I entered the kitchen, "The less water, the better. If it needs water, then we use a cook pot. One person can carry ten people's water, while each person can carry their own food for ten days."

"Lilly thinks it tastes terrible." She offered me something that looked like a salad that had been compressed into a cookie. There was a Lilly sized nibble out of it, but I accepted it anyhow.

"She's right, this doesn't taste very good." I said, "I've had worse. But..."

"We used to eat almost nothing but rice, back at the orphanage." Mikoto said, "But, rice can go with anything."

"Salt won't save the taste on this." I replied, nibbling again, "What about dried meat?"

"Ouka and Asuka are working on that." Marius said, "Since our own supply for the dungeon was rather low to start..."

"Mister Bell and Lady Hestia went shopping." Lilly added, "Though... People on the street started to boo them as soon as they left."

"People's opinion can change quickly. He was fighting for a monster, or, in some people's eyes, for the monster's item." I said with a frown, "But, that won't stop him." I managed to finish the vegetable cookie, "Well, it tastes terrible, but sits well." I tried to think of what passed for 'rations' back home, but I'd never done any service in the military, and oatmeal was the food of choice fora boyscout breakfast. I had no clue how to make a 'calorie mate' or the like either. "When we know a little more about what they have, and what they eat... Keep it simple. They might not even have water, or a way to boil it if they do have it."

The three nodded at me, and I felt a little tap on the side of my foot. Looking down, I spotted Chime, who gave my foot a second headbutt.

"Oh... Did you want to try the vegetable cookie too?" I asked, picking up the micro rabbit and petting her, "If you like it, I'm sure at least one other Xenos will too."

"Ah good." Mikoto said, holding out a bit of green cookie, "We didn't manage a count of who made it out."

"I did see a very large needle rabbit." I said, watching Chime slowly devour the compressed salad. "Make a batch of these. Rabbit approved."

* * *

"Miss Kodori?" Bell entered the workshop, worry all over his face. "Oh? What are you making?"

I was currently mixing up the promised hair cream, but had a half dozen other potions brewing as well. "Mostly healing potions and the like. Our supply is low, the Xenos might have wounded, and they are always good to have around. Shopping trip not exactly what you planned?"

"No..." Bell sat down on the chair next to me after I gave it a pat. "You know how I've always wanted to be a hero. My grandfather told all kinds of stories to me, each one of them great in their own way."

"My dad did that too, mostly... Though once I knew how to read, I just read them myself."

"You had books? My little village wasn't very wealthy. Most of the paper went to other things, and books were expensive." Bell scratched the back of his head, then cleared his throat when I made a 'go ahead' motion, "So... How does a hero know what to do? I mean... You and I, our Familia, Takemikazuchi Familia. After the war game, and all of the things we've done so far. Everyone was happy with us. Two small Familia, doing well."

"Here's a saying from back where I'm from." I interrupted, "When I'm good, no one remembers. When I'm bad, no one forgets." I gave his shoulder a light punch, "I'll be the bad guy for the moment. People, when you get a bunch of them together, are like children. No matter how young or old they actually are."

He looked shocked, both my tone and words were cold, but I continued, "Think about it. We do well, everyone is happy. Do good deeds, help people build, be polite. You know, things a good person would do. Or even any decent person."

I gave the mixture I was working on a sniff, coughed, "Urg, hope this works..." I moved it over for Bell to sniff, and he covered his nose before it even got close to him, "Anyhow. Then you do something bad. Anything bad. Lie, cheat, steal, kick a puppy, whatever. All eyes are on you, so everyone sees it. Impressionable, like children. That, is where our two Familia are right now."

"But... Isn't a hero supposed to be loved by the people? Or even just liked?" Bell offered me a cloth to clean my hands.

"From a storybook? Sure." I sighed, "But no one realizes that a 'hero' is also a 'person'. Forget public opinion, Bell." I looked at him seriously, "The lesson here is, sometimes following the rules is the wrong thing to do."

"But..."

"Bell."

"Yes, Miss Kodori?"

"Did you do the right thing?"

"Yes."

"Do you regret helping the Xenos? Or saving Wiene?"

"No."

"If you knew that the people of the city would frown on you doing the right thing would make you unpopular, would you do it differently?"

"No."

"Even though you broke..." I was about to count out how many rules we had broken since Bell first showed me Wiene, but wow... "A lot of rules."

"No."

"Then, you're already a hero. Public opinion of that fact doesn't matter. So, how did shopping go anyhow?" I crossed my arms and looked at him until he nodded.

"We got everything... Though we had to visit the Hostess of Fertility, and ask Mama Mia for help with some of the food... No one would sell to Lady Hestia and I for a reasonable price." He paused, "Miss Aisha and Miss Ryuu were there too... They might come by later."

"Any noises from the occulus?" I could tell my tails were excited about seeing the two unofficial Familia members, but I tried not to show it on my face... Being a professional big sister is hard.

"No. Lady Hestia has it right now. She's... Been kind of upset about all of this. Even though Miss Wiene is okay now." He sighed, "I am too, honestly, but, you told me, not 'what if' but 'what now'."

"Good. I have to talk with Her later too. Oh... I was wondering, did you want to play a little joke on Lady Hestia?" I reached into the gem pouch I'd hung around my neck, tactfully not showing poor Bell any more than I had to. "Just a... very quiet thank you, that she doesn't need to know about."

* * *

"Mikoto?" I made sure to actually make a little nose while I approached her. I'd noticed that almost everyone was walking around armed. It didn't mean much to me, a bare hand fighter, but after the break in and kidnapping, as well as the city, literally overnight, turning a cold shoulder to us... Our laid back Familia wasn't taking any chances anymore.

It made me a little sad, really.

"Kodori-dono." She took her hand off the pommel of her katana, and went back to tending the soup pot. "I was just boiling down some more food, hoping to make it a little more... edible."

"Good idea." I stood beside her and observed. Smelled like boiled chicken bones and vegetables. "Marius and Lilly off to do something else?"

"Lilly-chan and Marius-san went to sort equipment, and see what needs replacing." She tested the soup, motioning for me to try as well. "A little longer?"

"Just a little. If they have water, they can add some to this and stretch it out a little more. If they have heat, and add rice... Hm, you're good at this." I smiled and resisted the mighty temptation to tell her she'd be a good wife some day. "Since you're Hestia Familia, I have to ask you something."

She looked at me weirdly. Understandable, since she was only with Hestia Familia for the year, to help us with the war game. We all knew and understood she'd switch back. "Something that only concerns Lady Hestia then?"

"Yes." I leaned a little closer, tugging the gem pouch from its hiding spot, "Wiene lost it, and changed into a dragon. But, I was thinking of putting it towards Lady Hestia's debt with Hephaestus."

She was silent, her eyes unfocused, "Kodori-dono... That is..."

"I know. I honestly kind of want to throw it away. But, since Welf and I don't know how to use it for making an item or something, it is only good to us for the money." I explained, "But, the catch is... I have to get all of us to agree. And... Not tell Lady Hestia."

"You would pay Her debt, but let Her keep working?"

"Helps get her out of the house, instead of sitting at home and snacking all day."

"True."

"Your answer?"

"I will keep it in strictest confidence."

"Good. Thank you."

"One point however..."

"Hm?"

"How will you ask Wiene-chan?"

"Directly. As soon as I can." I replied seriously. "We will rescue them."

"We must."

"Now I just have to ask Lilly... And Ha-chan..."

"Hime-chan would set herself on fire if you asked."

"I'm fireproof so others don't have to be." I replied, shocked, though we both laughed quietly.

"Lilly-chan... I'm not sure."

* * *

"Yes." Lilly replied, while Marius's eyes were (somehow, very politely) bugging out of his head.

"That... Was much easier than I thought it would be." I admitted.

"Me too." Marius said, "Ow."

Lilly kicked him in the shin, though by the look on her face it looked like it hurt her more than him. "Lilly thinks that it would be the best surprise. And... Lilly doesn't want to spend something that cost a friend her life, on herself."

"Best supporter." I said, patting her head, then just giving her a hug.

"Heehee." She replied, "Speaking of spending... Lilly found swimsuits for us."

"Oh?" I paused, squinting at her, "If you got me something a size too small, I will tickle you."

"Um..."

* * *

"Can you see still?" Haruhime asked me, as I sat in our 'magic training' room, a thin thread of magic stretching from me, out the door, down the hall, through the back door, and to the pool, which was now full of water. Haruhime herself was with the fox at the end of the thread, her soft featured face filling the mini-fox's field of view.

"Yes." I replied, the fox relaying the message, though it sounded like 'Yis'.

"Is it hard to maintain?" She asked, petting the ghostly fox on the back.

"The mouth isn't made for talking... Can you understand me?"

"Sort of. Like you are talking with your mouth full."

"As it is, I am not using any more magic, than what I used to make it. It is like... It is reserved for the fox, and I won't recover it until I dispel it." It really felt like losing a tail, except it was still attached.

"How about a second one?"

"Trying now."

It wasn't hard to make a second fox. I simply told one of my tails to let out a little more power, and there it was. The instant I did though, I was suddenly looking through two pairs of eyes, at two very different things.

"Are you okay? Your fox just fell over." Haruhime said worriedly.

"Too many eyes." I replied, though now both foxes were saying it. "Hold on..."

I closed the eyes of the fox at my feet, then opened the eyes of the one next to Haruhime. She was right, that fox had fallen over. "Oh! Better?" She asked, picking up the manifested critter.

"Just don't shake me? It feels like I am in three places at once. It's disorienting. Just hold that one there, talk about the weather or something. I'm going to send the second one to the front yard."

"Okay."

Again, my magic went into 'reserve' as the second fox trotted its way out the door, down the hall, through the living room, and past Chigusa, who was reading another book. I told the fox to hop onto the couch, and sit next to her.

"Kodori-san?" Chigusa asked.

"Yes."

"Yes what?" Haruhime asked.

"Sorry, trying to talk to Chigusa... This is hard."

"But you are talking to me."

In the magic room, I broke my meditative posture to give myself a facepalm.

* * *

"Miss Kodori?" It was late evening now, just before dinner. My magic reserves were almost gone, but not because I'd used them, but because I had all five tails controlling a separate fox. Haruhime was holding one in her lap and reading next to Chigusa, who also had one. Hestia had one in her room. Ouka had one at his feet, helping him stand guard at the front gate, Welf had the forth, who had to keep telling it to stop nibbling his pant leg when ever I took my attention away from it. And Bell was talking to the last one, who was playing with Chime.

It was tricky, but I managed to tell the other four to 'sleep' while Bell knelt down and scooped up both Chime and my fifth fox.

"Yes. I'm working on this new... trick of mine." I replied. "Just a moment..." I spoke through number four's mouth, "Welf, dinner is soon."

"Thank's sister. And you can't chew on my boot either."

Switching back, "Yes Bell?"

"You have a letter. Ouka tried to get the fox by him to wake up, but..."

"Have you ever tried to listen to a bunch of different conversations at once?"

"I have faith in you, Miss Kodori." Bell replied.

"Best little brother. So, letter?"

"Ganesha Familia sent it. It's a... well... Very obscure letter asking you to visit." He held up the letter to the fox, and I could make out a half dozen I AM GENESHA's written among the neat, otherwise normal, letters.

"I was planning on going soon anyhow. Tomorrow is a good a time as any."

"Heh..." He laughed nervously, "Good luck? Let me put you down... Play nice now." He told Chime and the fox.

"Thanks Bell. See you at dinner."

* * *

Another quiet dinner. It wasn't like I expected things to be festive, or even cheerful, but...

"How ready are we?" I asked, trying to get some kind of response from the table.

"Working on non-lethal magic sword is... surprisingly hard. But I haven't had any problems thinking of what to make." Welf replied after his mouthful. "So are these biscuits."

"Ration prep is going well, if a little plain." Marius said, "We have enough hard rations for weeks, suitable for us, or most Xenos."

"We still haven't heard from them." Hestia said quietly, the little green sphere sitting on a stand next to her plate.

"We have some armour and weapon repairs to do." Bell said, "I've been helping Lilly and Marius with that. What happened to your other gauntlet, Miss Kodori?"

I had been thinking about how exactly to answer this, and not sound like a bully, or a straight up murderer. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of a better way to say it than, "I used two of my spells, and cut through someone with my fist."

There was a moment of stunned silence, "But, you've done that before..." Ouka said, scratching his head.

"Not like this." I replied, "When I was rescuing Chani, I wasn't paying attention to levels. Or subduing my opponent. I very deliberately killed someone, who on a normal day couldn't have hurt me, with what was basically maximum force."

And so my effort to bring the mood up failed.

So I abandoned the idea, and told them about Hermes. More or less word for word what I had told Welf. Takemikazuchi, in a rare case of 'not calm', actually had the start of an angry look on his face, right out of a Japanese novel of an Oni. He managed to tone it down to 'perturbed', but the instant of menace from him actually caused Chime to hide behind Marius's mug. Hestia was more vocal about it, not quite swearing in that 'innocent Goddess' way she had.

The rest of the table waited respectfully for Her to finish before a nervously laughing Bell put a hand on her arm and said, "Why would He do that? He's helped us before, but..."

"Fun." Lilly said. "Lilly thinks Hermes just wants to have fun, and doesn't care about the details."

"Or the victims." Ouka growled, looking to Asuka, who was quietly studying her soup in what was either anger or shame.

"Even knowing this, what can we do?" Mikoto asked.

"A few things come to mind." I said, "And I plan on doing a few of them as soon as possible."

"I can't wait to hear the list." Welf said, already knowing at least one of the things I was going to do.

"First, is tell a few people close to us. Aisha, for one, rather, especially." I said, putting my hand over Haruhime's, "She's a good friend, has helped us all out in the past, and the sooner she knows, the sooner she can protect herself from 'having an accident' that gets her killed 'for the greater good'."

There were a few nods, a couple of mug taps, and Haruhime gave me her smile. "But also, a few other people, Ryuu, the girls at the Hostess of Fertility as well. Eina, since she is head of her department, and a trusted friend."

"What about other Gods?" Hestia asked, "Would that be wise?"

"If you don't tell Lady Hephaestus, I will, sister." Welf offered. "I'd have no problem bearing that news."

"Thank you." I said to him, "Though I might have to chat with her soon anyhow." Welf smiled and nodded, "Ganesha as well I think. If I haven't mentioned, He's actually quite smart, and hides behind the 'mask' only so others think He's simple. I'm going to need to visit Him soon too."

"Anyone else?" Bell asked, "I mean... Maybe Nazza should know?"

"Anyone we know, who might be used as a potential pawn against us. As captain, I declare Hermes untrustworthy. Suspect everything he does, and keep alert for double talk."

"What about Asfi?" Haruhime asked, looking up at me, "I know she is His captain, but..."

"I hope that one day, there will be an order Hermes gives, and she refuses. But, even though we cannot trust Him, our two Familia must also keep up our own moral code." I grinned, "So, if he asks one of us to do something, be polite when you tell him to jump off the wall."

* * *

Notes!

A little gloom and doom here, but to be expected? More excitement planned for the next chapter, I think? Maybe? And Kodori's epic side quest continues in the background. :)


	61. Chapter 61

Before I begin...

I think, maybe, there are three more chapters of 'book' left. Just a rough guess on my part, depending on what happens. (The voices in my head you see...)

After that, there will be a couple of side stories, that may run a few chapters in of themselves.

Then The crossover happens. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time, but, when it does, I'll probably mark this story as 'complete' and if Kodori does return, It will be under a new title.

* * *

Chapter 60

After dinner and dishes, I went back to translating that book. When Ganesha had lent them to me, He had said, 'If I have a book on what you are looking for, it would be in one of these.' Knowing He only acted like a simpleton, I took His word for it, and got to work. As I translated more of the chapter I had marked out, I was referring less and less to the 'Rosetta Stone' Hestia had made for me, but there were a few things that I didn't understand, even though I'd translated it.

These I marked down as I found them. Some of the things I did know however, sounded... Complicated. I would have to ask Nazza for the right equipment, or have it custom made.

"Kodori-san?" Chigusa whispered from the other side of the couch.

"Hm?" I didn't look up, though my ears turned towards her, my eyes locked on a line of hieroglyph, my pencil scratching down the translation.

"Um... What are you working on?"

As soon as I finished the line, I looked over to her, her eyes glancing at my work and the page, then back to me. "Something..." I thought of the words I could use, "To help remove doubt, from something very important."

My trip into the dungeon, and sneaking around alone, then managing to... sort of... succeed on rescuing Wiene and the other Xenos, had made most of doubts I had vanish. Now however, there was another thing creeping around my every waking thought. And that was when to ask Haruhime... But to do that...

"Kodori-san... You're face is red." Chigusa said.

Taking a deep breath, I smiled, "It is a bit of a personal matter." I swished a tail at her. She didn't reply, but nodded, reached out for my tails, and let them arrange themselves for her to lean on.

* * *

"Lady Hestia?" I tapped on Her bedroom door, one of the books and my notes under my arm.

"Come in, Kodori." She said quietly. "It's never locked."

Entering, I closed the door behind me. Seeing she was alone, I locked the door, "I have a few questions..."

"Something important?" She was dressed in her nightgown, the magic stone lamp next to Her bed the only light in the room, and She had a thin book in her hand. "Let me just mark this..."

She put a thin metal bookmark between the pages. Welf had probably beaten a bit of copper paper thin and given it to Her. A good use of an otherwise useless bit of scrap metal. "Yes. I've made progress... And I think I might be ready to start soon... But..." She gave the side of the bed a pat, and I sat down next to Her, opening the tome and putting it between us. "I've translated these words here... But I don't know the meaning."

"Hm..." She looked at the book, wiggling a little closer and taking hold of a couple of my tails as they went to visit. "Let me see..." I pointed to one word, "Oh. Ichor. It's another word used for our blood."

I put a hand to my face and sighed, "Well, crap." My tail swatted the back of my head, "Ow." Hestia giggled and gave the golden fur a pat, "How about this one?"

"Aspect." A pause as she touched a finger to the page to read the rest of the line, "In this context, is means the Ichor, must have the right Aspect, to work with what you are making." Another pause, "And you need... Three different Aspects. Though they don't have to be exact, just related."

"Aha." I smiled, and moved my tails out of the way to give Her a hug. "Almost there then... Kinda..."

"I am a little worried though." Hestia said, petting my ears, "We don't just give our blood away... Especially to Children not in our Familia."

"That's fine." I replied, tucking my notes away and putting the book aside, "Ask Marius, I'm good at making deals."

"Be careful, Kodori." She said, poking my nose, "Debts are something we Gods are good at remembering."

"Even the books back home mentioned that. I have no intention of trying to be unfair, or making demands I can't pay back." It took a moment, but I managed to tell my tails to let Her go so I could stand, "And I would never betray you, my Goddess."

"Good." She smiled, "Now, get some sleep." She sighed, picking up the little dragon memory stone from her nightstand, "We all need to be well rested when the call happens."

"Yes. We will bring her back, safe, to her home, where she belongs." I replied seriously, "Where her Family is."

* * *

"Ko-san..." Haruhime called out from the bed as I entered the room.

"Just a moment Love." I put the books down on my reading desk, then got myself ready for bed. "I've got a question for you." I started after I'd stripped everything off and stretched my arms over my head.

"Yes." She said without hesitation.

If I'd been facing her, I'd probably have given everything away, but instead I turned slowly and held out the little gem bag. "Did someone tell you what I had planned for this?"

"Hm? What... No? What's that?"

Carefully I pulled out the brilliant little tear shaped gem. "You and Wiene are the only ones I have left to ask." I let her hold the stone, watching as the moonlight refracted off the stone and lights danced over her face, "Considering why I have it, I was half tempted to throw it away. Or smash it and hope never to hold another. But, I also thought about putting it towards Lady Hestia's debt with Hephaestus."

She looked up at me from the stone, "But... Why ask all of us?" She handed it back to me, and I put it back in the bag.

"Because I'm not going to tell Lady Hestia. Don't want her to go back to staying home all day and eating snacks." I smiled, putting the bag on our tea table, next to my still unread status update.

"Ko-san is mean." She lightly swatted my shoulder with a tail, "But yes. I agree."

"Thank you. Just have to ask Wiene now. All the more reason to try extra hard when we move next."

"Yes." She smiled and tugged at my arm, cuddling up close. "Is it difficult? Being captain? Planning... to fight friends?"

"Mikoto says it best. It's not can, it's must. Yes, it's difficult, but the end result... That's what needs to happen, so, we must make it happen." I played with her ears, carefully scratching the thin furry skin, "And while we are probably going to be fighting Loki Familia, and probably others... We don't have to beat them, just accomplish our goals."

She made an affirmative noise, pressing her back into me and reaching up to take hold of my arm. "But we all have to come home at the end of the day. Right? We have to win, promise?"

"Yes. I promise."

* * *

Aisha and Ryuu were standing in front of me as I opened the gate. The lovely Amazon was yawning in the most unladylike fashion, while Ryuu was her usual quiet self, dressed in her green flower shaped cloak. "I dunno how you guys can be so... Awake at this hour." Aisha said, scrubbing her forearm over her eyes, "You and Ears here... And the rest..."

"Ryuu and I clasped forearms and nodded in greeting, then I said to Aisha, "I have something that will wake you up. Tastes horrible, but it's like getting a good night sleep in about five seconds."

"If you have something like that, why don't you sell it?" Aisha asked, following me as I walked back to the training yard, where everyone was already pairing up. "It seems the entire city is talking about how in debt you guys are."

"It tastes REALLY bad." I replied, "But I'm glad you two are here."

"We were worried, after what happened two days ago." Ryuu said, looking up to Aisha, who nodded, "We met on the way here."

"Well... Let me give you the short version." And so, I told them both what our two Familia had done, doing my best to tell it all in the right order, from the point where Bell, myself, Marius and Mikoto had split up after running into the refugees from the eighteenth, to my getting home last, after talking with Hermes. "Speaking of Hermes..."

"Actually, yeah, speaking of Him." Aisha interrupted, "What did you say to him? I mean... After He sent Ikelos back up, He's told us to stay away from you and your Familia."

"Well..." I took a breath, "When our home emptied out, save for Asuka, Lady Hestia, Lord Takemikazuchi and Wiene, Hermes did nothing to stop Ikelos Familia from coming in, attacking and wounding Asuka, forcing Lord Takemikazuchi to defend himself and the orphans, and kidnapping Wiene. He had a watcher in place, and could have helped. But by his own words, he 'wanted to see what would happen'."

Ryuu looked shocked, but Aisha... Her face went white, then red, and she was halfway turned around before I grabbed her wrist.

"Wait the rest of your year, Aisha." I said, "Just be aware, that is the God you work for."

For a moment, I thought she might actually try and take a swing at me, to force me to let her go, but with an effort, she calmed herself, "Yeah... Urg, it's like Ishtar, except He's trying to fuck me from behind..."

I snerked, while Ryuu sighed and shook her head. "Something like that. Anyhow..." I looked over to the others, who were diligently sparring, Haruhime and Asuka were practising with Takemikazuchi, "Ha-chan!" I called over, waving when she looked up at me. "Aisha, for helping keep her, and my home safe while I was hurt, then, while she was hurt, we thought we might do something special for you."

She raised an eyebrow at me, "Oh?"

"Remember, you'd have to ask her for that." I said to the Amazon, adding in an eyebrow waggle, "Love?" I started as Haruhime stopped next to me, "Want to pester Welf, and help him get Aisha measured? I'll be out a good part of the day, so if you could get started on that?"

"Oh! Yes, I'd like that." Haruhime, as usual, was unreserved when she gave Aisha a hug, "Ko-san and I thought you might like a new set of armour."

"Really? Well, I won't say no to that offer." Aisha grinned, "And I might just ask for a little extra."

Again, Ryuu sighed and shook her head, but Haruhime didn't seem to catch the double meaning.

"Would you like me to join you, sister?" Ryuu asked. "I will have to tell the others about Hermes, as well."

"I was planning on doing that, yes. And please, your company would bring comfort. The city seems to not like my Familia much right now." I replied, giving Haruhime a hug, then Aisha. "Have fun you two."

* * *

"Sometimes, I don't like having sensitive ears." I said as we got to the main street, fairly close to the Hostess of Fertility. "I mean, it's nice when someone knows how to treat them..."

This got a rare laugh from Ryuu, who replied, "I hear them too, sister. I'm curious, just how much debt is it?"

"You've seen Bell's dagger? The Hestia Knife?" She nodded, "Hephaestus Herself made that. For all intents and purposes, that dagger is alive, and blessed with Falna."

"Oh... That almost sounds like... well, almost like cheating." Ryuu smiled, "Lady Hestia is a truly wonderful Goddess, to care so much for her Children."

"She is. Have I ever told you, what the Gods are like where I'm from?"

"No."

"Gone." I said simply, "Footnotes in the history books. Many of the 'greater' Gods have more about them. Loki, Thor, Odin, Zeus, Hera... But the lesser Gods and Goddesses? The only thing I knew about Lady Hestia before I arrived, was 'Goddess of the Hearth'." I didn't add 'Greek', because I had no idea if that even mattered here in this world. "All that's left of them, are groups of people who, at best, follow the books they supposedly wrote."

"It sounds like a cold place, your home." She said, a little sadly.

"Former home." I corrected, "Would you like to tell the girls? Or should I?" I asked, looking at the Hostess of Fertility sign and glancing into the window. Despite all the chaos out in the streets, where people (mostly civilians) were hurrying from place to place with that frantic 'look over shoulder' mannerism, the popular restaurant remained at its usual level of custom.

Then again, it was no secret that almost all the waitresses were all very capable, if retired, adventerers.

"Welc..." Again, I greeted Syr with a hug, figuring myself (mostly) exempt from the 'hands off the girls' policy. "I'm glad you're safe, Kodori." She said after returning my hug, "Is Bell okay? The... Well..."

"He had some interesting questions, but yes, I think he's fine." I put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Listen, I have something to say to all of you, so if you think Mia won't mind you coming inside for a moment?"

Syr looked to Ryuu, then me, and nodded, and the three of us went inside. "I will tell Mama and Syr." Ryuu said, "Get everyone else into the kitchen."

"Thank you." I said, "Hello Mia." I said as she looked up from her usual spot at the register.

"Good morning Kodori." She said gruffly, "Trouble out in the city... Word is your Familia has a hand in it."

I didn't comment, the patrons all glancing at me as Mia asked, "At best I might know a little more than most, but first I have to chat with the others, very important." I glanced over to Ryuu, who nodded, her and Syr standing opposite Mia.

"Nya?" Arnya sort of appeared next to me as I turned to look for her and Chloe, the hand not holding her empty tray reaching for my tails, "So many choices..." She said, laughing as I shivered at the sudden contact, "Still not used to it?"

"I have simply accepted that I will never be used to it." the other four tails, not getting any attention from Arnya, mobbed her, looping over her arms and back, "And that while I'm not the jealous type, my tails are."

"Ack! Chloe! Help!" Arnya was lifted off the floor and carried by my tails as I made my way to the kitchen. Chloe was there, taking a turn at dish duty, while in a rare case of being awake early, Lunoire was drying and putting them away.

"Nope." Chloe said, half turning and looking at me and the tangled cat girl. "I've learned my lesson, so should you."

"But they are so soft!" Arnya complained.

"Ha-chan takes good care of them." I said, telling my tails to put her down, "Where's... The new girl?"

There was a pause, then Chloe spoke up, "I'll go get her."

I took a deep breath, and tried my best to not think of what had happened before. Chloe returned with the Amazon a moment later, the taller woman spotting me, and instantly trying to hide behind the black haired cat girl. I'd have found it more amusing, the Amazon just a little taller than me, trying to hide behind someone who just barely came up to my shoulder, but the truly terrified look on her face made me feel like a bully.

"No, you're not in trouble." I said to her, "And I consider everything between us settled. Especially here, at my family's home." I offered my hand to her, "Please."

Chloe, Arnya, and Luniore looked at her, and gave the Amazon the smile that every customer of the Hostess loved to see, even if it was the last thing they saw before getting thrown across the street. Stepping out from behind Chloe, she took my hand and shook, "Sharay." She said, "Formerly of Ishtar, and I suppose Ikelos now."

"Kodori, formerly of the Hostess, now with Hestia Familia." We shook, and I let her hand go, "Now, please, relax." I sighed, "Let me tell you what happened..."

So I went over the story, from the eighteenth, editing out a little to keep the Xenos at least a little secret. Then I got to the part with Hermes, "So, from now on, my Familia and I will simply stone wall Hermes. He was in a position to help, and didn't, simply to amuse himself."

"Um..." Sharay raised a hand, "I've told them... About what we were doing down there."

"Yeah... It was hard to believe at first, but..." Lunoire said, "But after what happened two days ago? With all these supposed monsters getting to street level then not actually acting like monsters?"

Both cat girls nodded, "If they were actual monsters, they'd go crazy. But, even though we've had adventurers come in, saying they found them, none of them have seen anyone get hurt, just pushed away." Arnya said, "Not like any monsters I've fought."

"Did Hermes really do that? Let your home get raided, and let your Gods fend for themselves?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, he did. So now, I get to make sure everyone I care about knows it. Just in case He tries to 'amuse' Himself with someone I care about."

"Kodori!" Mia called from the front, "Let them get back to work!"

All my tails went flagpole straight at Mia's tone, "Yes Ma'am!" Even the new girl laughed, "Be good, Sharay. If you ever want to go back to adventuring, I can recommend you to a couple of Famila."

"Thank you." She replied, bustling back to the kitchen. "Must stir the soup..." She mumbled.

"Be good. I'll come in soon." I gathered the rest of them up for a hug, then left the kitchen.

"Done keeping them from their jobs?" Mia grumbled at me, though she was smiling, "So that's how it is, with Hermes?" She continued when I got to the bar.

"That's how it is." I replied.

"I'll be sure to remember that. Now, you have places to be, don't you? With the city like it is, you should get your errands done as quickly as possible, until this all dies down." Mia lectured, making Ryuu smile, "Make sure to come by for a big dinner when you do what you have to do."

"I'll be sure to bring everyone. Be ready for that." I grinned, leaning over the bar and giving the wide shouldered woman a quick hug, which she returned, then quickly shoo'ed me away with her cleaning cloth. "Sister?"

"I should get to work too." Ryuu said, "Else Mia might give my room away."

"That would be terrible." I said, shocked, "Though if she does, I'd gladly steal you away to my home. Lots of space there."

"Don't you dare." Mia grumbled.

"Then don't give her room away?" I replied helpfully, backing away as Mia reached for her ladle. "Right, places to be."

Pausing only to give Syr another hug, I made my way to the next destination.

* * *

Again I did my best to ignore the stares and muttered words, but it was kind of irritating. I suppose, with all the Gods and Familia, it was like some giant school ground, where popularity decided the people's attitude towards you. But this was kind of silly.

As I got closer to the Guild building, the crowd of non adventurers started to thicken. Citizens were milling about near the Guild, most looking panicked, others looking hopeless, and others still, looking at me, and other adventurers, with something close to hate.

As if they blamed us for letting the monsters, the Xenos, get to street level.

If they only knew.

Thankfully, no one was dumb enough to hurl anything other than the occasional insult towards an adventurer. I mean, sure, most of us adventurer types were basically good people. But the tension in the air was setting even my teeth on edge.

"You!" Someone said as I got within a few paces of the Guild building's main doors, "You're with that Hestia Familia!"

I took hold of my golden tail before it could swat me, "Well crap..." I mumbled, "Yes, what of it?" I kept my tone neutral. The man pointing his finger at me looked like one of the merchants along the main street.

"You're part of what happened! Explain yourself! Why did you let monsters into the city? What are we supposed to do if the city isn't safe!?"

"We didn't 'let' anything into the city." I explained, "We might be strong, but we have limits too." I tried to keep walking, but there were a dozen people around me now, starting to clamour for my attention, and apology. "And so long as you don't go near any place Ganesha and Loki have blocked off, you'll be fine."

"What if you're wrong!"

"Yeah! My shop was destroyed last night!"

"Then it proves I'm just as mortal as the rest of you. I'm only a servant of a Goddess, not a Goddess myself." I started to walk forward, using my strength to wade past the people, my tails making sure no one actually fell, but otherwise just tuning the civilians out and making my way into the building.

It was even worse inside. Except the front desk was taking the brunt of the citizen's panic. I suppose, with them being the 'governing body' for the city, it would be natural, but even with all five of the front desk spots filled, Eina her four assistants couldn't keep up. Continuing my 'wading' I made my way to the front desk, brushing off all the dirty looks it got me, and stood in front of Eina. She tried to give me her best smile, but it came off as more plastic than anything else.

"I'm sorry, but the dungeon is closed." She said, "And as you can see, we're having a bit of a crisis."

"I need to speak to Royman." I said, "I know the way, if he's in."

"Go ahead." She replied, her smile trying very hard to stay, though I did notice her hand touching the small silver bunny token I'd made her.

"Wish me luck, and stay strong." I put my hand on hers a moment, then walked around the desk, sighing as the yelling only got louder as I left.

* * *

I half expected Royman to throw me out. Figuratively, at least. Instead, he said, "Good. Saves me having to send a messenger." The once obese elf was now just a little overweight now, his clothes fit him better, and as he got up from behind his desk, I noticed a certain ease of motion. He did however, look bone tired. And while his cloths fit better, they looked slept in.

Closing the door behind me, and finding the lock, I replied with as much sincerity as I could, "I'm really sorry for the mess. It's not all our fault, but still..."

"Oh I'm aware." He replied, pulling something from a drawer, "But once again, you and your two Familia are right in the centre."

"It's Hermes." I replied.

"Talk on the way. This way please." He revealed the object in his hand, a long, complex looking skeleton key. This he slid into a well hidden slot next to a bookshelf.

"And I didn't dress up at all..." I mumbled, looking down at myself, wearing my 'out shopping' kimono, shin guards and one gauntlet. I was also carrying a satchel, with all the things I needed for the people I had to visit. I listened to what sounded like clockwork for a moment, before the bookshelf slid backwards, then to the side, revealing a well lit staircase that went down far enough that I couldn't make out the bottom from where I was. "I still think it's odd, the God of the Sky living underground."

"A sad necessity, I'm afraid, you'll see when we arrive." I let him lead the way, the clockwork 'tick tick'ing behind me, and the passage closing behind us as we reached about the tenth step down.

"Half minute timer?"

"Indeed."

"Good work, that. Love to meet the craftsman."

"Sadly, he's been dead for about... six hundred years?"

"Damn." I managed to catch my tail before it swatted me, only for the other four to do it instead.

"You were saying, about Lord Hermes?" Tired or not, Royman was tactfully not commenting on my rebellious anatomy.

"The eighteenth floor. Ishtar Familia and Ishtar's attempt to take over Freya's spot. And us just happening to be there when the Xenos hit street level. He's been involved, directly, every time."

"Really?"

"He said so himself. That smug bastard." Haruhime's tail did not swat me this time. "He came to us right after delivering an item, the Killing Stone, to Ishtar. Ishtar would have used this to sacrifice Haruhime, now of my Familia, for power, to give to her elite squad, the Berbera." He nodded, rubbing his chin, "Hermes knew I'd been seeing her, and the her and my Familia were friends. And, that we would find some way to rescue her."

"I've only seen her from my window." He said, looking sideways at me, "And while I find it unusual, you two make a good pair."

"Thank you."

"So, he deliberately set it up so you and your Familia would be involved..." He shook his head, "Go on."

"As you should know, Hermes had lookouts around the Hestia home." He nodded, "When we left, to go to the dungeon, leaving Wiene behind with Asuka, from Takemikazuchi Familia, a group from Ikelos took advantage of our reduced numbers, and raided our home." I growled quietly, "Asuka was hurt, Lady Hestia was threatened, Lord Takemikazuchi had to step in personally, and Wiene was kidnapped and taken to the Ikelos hide out."

"And Lord Hermes's watchers?"

"Were told to 'just watch'." I said.

"Troubling..." He looked deep in thought. Unhappy too, "Almost there. Now, please be on your best behaviour? Please? Lord Ouranos is literally the pillar of our city."

We had been descending all this time, and I could feel the weight of the city above us. If I had to guess, we were under the tower, around maybe the second level of the dungeon, but, obviously outside of it. "I understand."

"Thank you." The stairs ended, the grey stone of the walls and floor featureless save for a metal door that looked to be made of adamant. Royman took out a second key, this one smaller, but no less complex than the one he used to open the bookcase. With a grunt, he turned the key, then pushed open the heavy door. "Lord Ouranos!" He called into the chamber beyond, his voice echoing oddly to my ears.

"Royman." Deep and commanding was the reply.

"Kodori, of Hestia Familia is here." He called back, stepping into the chamber and making room for me to pass him.

It was... A massive... ... I wasn't sure. To my eyes, which were able to see, despite the lack of magic stone lamps, the grey stone chamber was really big. If I had to guess, this was the foundation of Babel itself. In the middle, like some sort of Aztec pyramid, was a platform. Atop it, surrounded by four tall torches, actual wooden torches, burning actual pine wood and pitch, was a very big stone chair.

And, sitting in that massive stone chair, was a severe looking man. White hair, intense blue eyes I could see from where I was, and wearing a plain set of robes.

"Royman, you are dismissed." He said, his voice clear and booming. "Thank you."

I could see the poor Guildmaster was sweating, just being in His presence. But he still gave me a look, and said, "Best behaviour. Please."

"Thank you for bringing me. Get a nap, you look tired." I replied quietly.

"Approach." Ouranos said.

While I knew, here in the mortal realm, Gods and Goddesses were only as strong as the Familia around them, the tone of Ouranos's voice told me that even if He was just as weak as a mortal, He was in charge. So, I stepped further into the gloom of the room, trying to place the architecture, and the type of stone used in the walls and floor, and to see to the top of the chamber itself. But I couldn't. This place felt truly alien, even in this world I was in.

"I've been wanting to meet you, for a while now, Lord Ouranos." I said as I got to the foot of the steps leading to his chair. If I had to guess, Ouranos himself was a giant of a Man. Two and a half meters tall at least. "But as I'm sure you've heard, my Familia and I have been very busy." I looked up at him from the bottom of stairs that looked like a giant had designed them.

"Yes, I have heard. From many sources." He lifted a hand off one of the stone arms of the throne, "You may come closer."

I started up the steps, my eyes never leaving his face, "I have a lot of questions, about this city, and the Gods, and even the dungeon itself. But I have too much to do to ask them all right now."

"Indeed. For someone who is much like the Xenos, I would expect you would have many questions. But you are correct. There are others matters to deal with first." He looked me over, "I kind of expected you to be taller." He said, "From what I hear of you, the Demon Fox, giant slayer, creator of a flying machine, and a master tactician..."

"And almost able to put my hand into molten iron without harm, and can stand in front of a drake's fire breath." I said, "Though, the molten iron gives me a few blisters, and my hair always burns off." I replied, "And taller? I'm almost the tallest person I know!" I sighed, "Sorry, now that I'm here, I'm trying to figure out where to begin."

"Then I will start." He said, blue eyes narrowing at me, "The Xenos are a problem. It is too soon for them to be known, yet, forces have pushed ahead, and now, there is no clear way to resolve this situation."

I nodded, "Actually. Before that. Here. As the one who keeps the dungeon in check." I opened my satchel and took out Dix's notebook, "Started by the mad inventor Daedalus, and worked on with every generation..." I opened the book to the page with the diagram of 'Gnossis', and offered him the book. "I picked this up from Dix, of the Ikelos Familia."

He looked at the page, thumbed back, scanned the page, thumbed forward, then frowned. "I had... no idea..." He continued for a moment longer, "I will have to look into this further..."

"There is a lot to look into. I've been through some of it, this 'mirror' to the dungeon. It's huge... But now it's just empty space. I know they have finished at least to the eighteenth floor. Though they might have dug as far as the twentieth."

"I remember Daedalus..." Ouranos said, tilting his head back and looking up at the ceiling. "More than once, I considered having him executed. But, he helped build this city."

"Once the Xenos have been put back into the dungeon, we can talk more about that?" I asked hopefully. "Good thinking, about the bounty, by the way."

"It buys time. Though it pains me to have to do it. I must balance the two, else the position of the Guild may falter." He tilted his head forward again, looking at me, "Many have called you wise. What would you do, in this situation?"

"If I thought it would work, I'd call off Loki Familia."

"Hm, yes. But, they were the ones to face the Black Minotaur. Hermes has told me a little about it, and that Loki Familia have taken a hit to their pride, for letting it get away. Even though they managed to cut off one of its arms, and wound it most grievously." He frowned.

"Having only met the Xenos in passing, or being passed out, I haven't had a chance to ask much about them. But, I can guess that this Black Minotaur is somewhat of a wild card, even among the Xenos." I replied, "And I'd guess it's also the biggest reason why the people are so upset."

"Yes. Most of the sightings have been smaller Xenos. More afraid of the people, than the people. I have still not heard from Fels, so I have been relying on Royman, and Hermes."

"I'll be honest, Hermes is on my black list. He's been the instigator of almost every problem my Familia has been involved in. Including letting Wiene get kidnapped."

"Yes. He has told me you and He are... At odds."

I nodded, and pulled my mind back to the original question. "So, Loki will do as Loki will do. We, my Familia and I, know of a few of these locations, where Ikelos Familia has entrances to their dungeon. While it would be tricky, any one of these places could be a path home for them."

"But?" The corners of Ouranos's mouth turned up very slightly, his long square face seeming to resist the motion.

"But. Hermes knows them too, as He's been watching us. Stands to reason Loki might as well." I started to pace, that same one two turn that I did at home. "There are probably a few more we haven't found yet."

"This book may have the locations."

"Possibly. I've only show a little of that book to a couple of people in my Familia. And haven't had time to go over it myself." I admitted, "It's clear, that we have to get them back to the dungeon, off street level, so the people can stop panicking."

"Yes. The Guild is for that purpose. Though, this situation has proven that my position is... not as prepared for this as I thought."

"Perhaps, you should start a Familia. I just happen to know a bunch of good natured people who know the dungeon really well, and are looking for a place in the world." I smiled, half joking. "Though... That's not as crazy as it sounds."

"Something to consider." Ouranos said, "Though, if they were found out, my position would be... worthless. Even more than it is now."

"I understand your position of wanting to rule, without taking a hand in things. But that is precisely why you are having so much trouble now." I said, "I get, that the Guild must be neutral. That it is simply here as the glue that keeps the city together. But, if it weren't for what you do, here in this room..."

"The fox is wise, as much as it pains me that you are correct." He said, "Once this situation is resolved, we will talk more about this. Let it be known however, that while I support the Xenos, too heavy a hand on your part, in returning them to the dungeon, will not be able to save you or your Familia from the will of the people."

I felt a little chill down my back. While Ouranos was the ruler of the city, He was also a puppet of it. If the people, and other Familia, spoke loud enough, my Familia, as well as Takemikazuchi and his Familia, could end up exiled from the city. Or worse. "We will do our best."

"If I uncover anything from the book, I will send a message."

"Do not trust Hermes to deliver it." I said firmly.

"No. I will not. He and I will have a long talk about this."

"Good... Now, how to I get out of here?"

"Royman has told me that the bookshelf opens from this side, if you know the method."

"Thank you."

The bookshelf did in fact open up from the secret passage side. It took a moment to figure out what gear to slide out of place to get the mechanism to release, but it was no problem for someone who could more or less put together a small car engine.

"Ah, expected you would figure that out easily enough." Royman said, not looking up from what ever bit of paperwork he was writing on. "As your first time visiting Him, what was your impression?"

"Aside from being... Very tall. I think He needs more sleep." I was half joking, and the smile on my face told Royman so. "But seriously? Ruling a city like this just by 'existing'... Not the best idea. He and I will chat about that later, provided I survive, and my Familia doesn't get exiled."

"I'm impressed. And a little envious, honestly." He sighed, "Though, I suppose I've earned His... No, scorn is too strong a word..."

"From what I hear." I cleared my throat politely, "You were a money loving, poor excuse for a boss, who liked to belittle people for all the wrong reasons." He looked at me sharply, but then looked away, "But, from what I hear now, you've certainly improved. People have good things to say about you now."

"It's true. My only motivation was either money, or showing off that I had money. But, after a certain fox said it to my face, without any regard about the position I held, I've realized I was not as... important as I thought I was."

"A good humbling can be a great learning experience." I said, "Considering I've nearly been killed... ... Oh that's a depressing thought..." I shook my head, "Anyhow. I've actually got a question for you before I go."

We shared a laugh, and he motioned to the 'guest' chair. Though I declined it, I fished about in my satchel for the book I was going to return to Ganesha. "I understand, you're a man of learning. Do you have any idea what this is?"

I pulled out a note, the one about the hieroglyph and what looked like a signature. "Well, this is hieroglyph, the Gods language."

"Metamorphic concoctions, as done by." I said, "I translated that, but this here? A signature?"

He looked at the scribble, then to me, then back. "If I had to guess, and this is just a guess. I think, that's Amazon. Their writing, the old style, looks kind of like... tangled threads. Not quite elegant, like knot work, but certainly complex." He leaned back, "Interesting topic, and you translated it?"

"Special project." I said with a smile, "I'll have to ask an Amazon about it then." Considering what I was trying to do, it would make sense that an Amazon would have thought of this first.

"Glad to have helped. Please, don't wreck the city." He said as I turned to leave.

"We'll help rebuild it when this is over." I said.

* * *

The next stop, after I had waded through the still panicking citizens in the Guild hall, was Ganesha. I had questions, and a book to return. It was strange, walking through the city in such a state. Adventurers were giving me a wary look, or flinging insults at my back. The regular people were fearfully going about their business, or had their windows and doors shut and barred. Not like that would help if a really determined monster wanted in. Even a goblin pack could wreck a house... Though a normal person could kill a goblin with a sharp enough weapon.

"Well well." A half familiar voice said from behind me. "How does it feel, Fox, to be the one people hate?"

Turning slowly, trying to remember where I'd heard that voice, I found myself face to face with the dark skinned, glasses wearing Zanis, of Soma Familia. "Oh. That's who it was." He frowned at me easy reply, and probably my lack of memory. "Honestly? It's like any other day, with less people smiling at me." Not quite true, but it was all I was going to give him for a reply. "Can I help you at all? Or are you just happy you aren't getting all the glares anymore?"

"Hah. I was simply wondering, what it felt like to fall from prominence, like you have. But you don't even care, do you?" He adjusted his faded green coat in what might have been a dignified manner, if it wasn't for how grubby it looked, "I was assuming you'd be out this way like the rest of the scavengers, looking for the monsters."

"Taking a day off." I said easily, though my ears perked a little at the mention of monsters, "Why? Are you going to join one of the parties? Some of those monsters are pretty tough. Sure you're up to it?"

While he fumed at me, I took note of where I was. Off the main street, a few streets down, near the place I usually got my boxers. "Yes, I am up to it. I haven't been idle since I lost my position as captain. That bastard Chandra won't be laughing much longer when I take it back from him."

"Zanis!" Someone, a rough looking man wearing what looked like a fur coat with a bad shave, "Come on! Pretty sure its down this way, through that old cellar!"

"Hmph, I hope you and your Familia rot, Fox." Zanis said as he turned away to follow the ruffian.

"Die in a fire, Zanis." I replied cheerfully. I waited until he was out of sight, before I took out a bit of paper and wrote down the exact address.

* * *

Oddly, there wasn't a door guard at I AM GANESHA. Well, actually, considering the state of the city, not that odd. They probably had every available guard out, trying to keep the people from outright rioting. It made my next potential meeting a little harder however, as I (probably) couldn't just walk up to Ganesha's office and knock.

I soon, found out why there was no guard outside. Being 'the Familia of the people' with all of the public services they offered... Well, all those people were inside. It wasn't as bad as the Guild, but there were quite a few citizens sitting out in the main lobby. Wounded. I had no idea it was so bad. The guards, standing just inside the door, moved to either side of me as the smell of 'pain' washed over me, making me dizzy, and bringing on a flash of what had happened in that warehouse.

"Ma'am? Are you well?" A hand touched my back, another my shoulder, and helped me find balance. "Oh, Miss Kodori."

I reached out a hand and put it on his shoulder, looking at them both, "Yes, sorry. So many wounded?"

"Yes. The fight between Loki Familia, and the monster. A good portion of the Daedalus maze is basically a crater now. With all that entails for the people living there." One replied, as the two stepped back to their posts at either side of the door. "What business do you have here today?"

"I've come to return something to Lord Ganesha, from his personal library." I said, tapping my satchel, the tome inside making a dull thumping noise. "And if I'm lucky, a cup of tea. I am a fan of Chai, though I don't know how to make it myself."

The two nodded, though the other replied, "I am surprised you know the name, it is not a common drink in the city." He looked thoughtful, "I'll see about getting you the recipe, on your way out. Lord Ganesha should be at the zoo."

"I know the way, thank you." I was about to turn, then stopped, "Oh, here. A donation." I took a potion bottle from inside my kimono top, "There should be enough in here for about twenty people. Minor wounds and pain only." I still had another, actual potion tucked away, but I figured my 'potion pills' would do better here, among all he wounded.

"Pills? How..." The guard I handed it to squinted at the bottle, holding it to the nearest magic stone lamp.

"Get me that recipe, and I'll give you mine." I gave them a fist-in-palm salute, then made my way to the zoo.

* * *

Notes!

Story... more story... setting up for yet more story...

See you in five days. :)


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter 61

The smell of blood, sweat and fear thinned out as I made my way past the various sections of the I AM GANESHA main floor. What ever stigma my Familia had gathered from Bell protecting Wiene, or the rumours (fact really...) of our debt, hadn't touched the dozen or so Ganesha Familia I passed in the halls.

Or, it had, but they didn't seem to care. Though, in all fairness, Takemikazuchi and Hestia Familia both, had helped pick up a little of the slack the Ganesha Familia left when doing city based guild missions.

That made me want to hug my tails. It felt almost like I had a big brother in the room.

The zoo was much how I'd seen it last. A truly titanic open field with large, strongly barred cages. Just as noisy too, but it wasn't the excited noises of animals being fed, or 'trained', it was the noise of animals wanting out. They could smell the fear in the city, just like I could.

From where I was standing, at the top of the stairs leading down to the main walkway, I scanned the paths for the tallest person, no, second tallest person I knew. It didn't take long to spot Him, standing more or less near the middle of the zoo itself, and talking to Shakti, his captain, and ace tamer.

And while He was dressed in what looked like twenty kilograms of gold jewellery, complete with gold trimmed elephant mask, a gold chain necklace that would have done Mr. T proud and totally impractical gold trimmed gauntlets, he was doing none of the funny poses and showboating that followed His usual conversations.

The two, as far as I could see, were also alone. Aside from the monsters, growling and pacing in their cages, I couldn't spot a single person, other than the two of them.

As I got closer, navigating the hedges and keeping out of claw/tail/long neck reach of the cages, I started picking up bits of their conversation.

"You know, Shakti, I didn't want to take you off active duty. I wanted to give you time to think, and recover." Ganesha said, "Not as a punishment."

"I understand, my Lord, but... To keep such a secret. From the Familia, from me?" She replied, not angrily, but... her disappointment was clear.

"But you know why I have hid this from you." It was strange to hear the usually excited God sigh like he had just heard his favourite pet had died. "What we, Ouranos, Hermes, and now Hestia and Takemikazuchi are trying to do... Erasing a thousand years of 'truth' must be done carefully."

Feeling guilty about eavesdropping, I stepped around the last hedge, "The only way to do it, without all the secrecy, is through force of arms." I said, "And that only leaves the bitterness of the loser, and the fragile dominance of the victor." The two turned to me, surprised, Shakti's hand going to a long coiled whip at her hip, "Sorry to drop by unannounced." I gave them both a fist-in-palm bow, "Lord Ganesha, Ma'am Shakti. Namaste." I used the Indian greeting, wondering if they'd know.

"Ah. Miss Kodori." Ganesha, for a half second, started to slip into his exuberant persona, but stopped himself, "No, it is of no concern. Though, actually, this is an opportunity." He put a hand lightly on Shakti's shoulder, "Shakti, Kodori could answer many of your questions, about the Xenos. She has... Had, two living with her for a little while now."

Shakti looked surprised, both at the greeting, and the news of my two guests, "Truly? But... That..."

"Let's find a place to sit." I suggested, "Being an outsider to the city, I have none of the thousand years of 'truth' behind my view on the Xenos." The three of us walked a little further into the zoo, finding a stone bench. I motioned for the two of them to sit, and continued, "I've seen, and read about similar problems before. And I was able to at least turn my Familia from the idea of 'all are evil'. It only took about... three days. Yeah, three days for Wiene to convince everyone in my home that she was worth a chance to get to know."

"Then the second Xenos?" Shakti asked, running a hand through her dark blue hair, making her garnet earrings glitter in the overcast light of the early afternoon. "Wait, the needle rabbit?"

"Yes. That was their test to me. You may have heard I stayed behind as rear guard, and went missing for a week. I was actually in the care of the Xenos. Chime, was chosen to come with me to the surface, to see if I, and my Familia, could be trusted." I smiled, "If I had been almost anyone else, I'd probably have shoo'ed it away, or killed it out of hand. Though, to be fair, if it had been an actual monster, it would have stayed far away from me."

"True. Your name, as well as Bell Cranell, are on the list of adventurers to watch." Ganesha said, His mouth curling into a smile under the mask, "There is even a modest betting pool on how many times you will get your hair burned off, between the last Gods Meet, and the next one."

I scrubbed a hand through my hair, the length just long enough to cover my fingers, "Seriously?" He nodded, laughing that familiar laugh. "Anything for fun... Though at least it's not like Hermes..."

"Has the Traveller been causing trouble for you?" Ganesha asked.

"Part of why I'm here." I said, reaching into my satchel and removing the old book, "I'm still working with the other one, but this one doesn't have what I need." Ganesha accepted the book, while Shakti raised an eyebrow.

"That is from your personal library?" She asked the masked God. "I cannot read the title."

"Alchemical theory. By Vulcan." I said, "I may want to borrow that again, as I am a fairly proficient smith. But for now, it is safer with you."

"You lent her a book..." Shakti was in shock, but Ganesha reached out and gave her shoulder a pat. The effect was much like it had been for me, and her composure returned instantly, "Lord Vulcan is considered the creator of alchemy. That book could be beyond value..."

"If you can read hieroglyph." I said with a smile, "But no, the other one I still need."

"Ishtar was quite upset when she found her brother had given me that book." Ganesha said with a laugh. "I take it you found what you are looking for in it?"

"Demosthenes compendium." I said, again making Shakti's eyes go wide. Poor girl. "Yes I did. He wasn't shy about where He got his sources from either. There is what might be an Amazon signature next to the chapter I need... Which makes sense, considering..."

"Well, I know what we will be betting on next about you." Ganesha said with a laugh, though Shakti seemed to have no idea. "Keep the book until you are done."

"Many thanks." I said, "So the next thing... Hermes... I think I'll sit down for this one too."

My satchel was almost empty at this point, so I put it under my knees as I knelt, formal Japanese style, in front of the two. For the next, maybe half hour, I went over everything I knew, and had Hermes and Asfi admit to, things He had done to my Familia. I finished up with, "So I'm making sure everyone I care about knows it too, in case he tries to get them involved."

"That is... Troubling indeed, Miss Kodori." Ganesha said, the lenses of his mask, and the frown on his face giving the impression of a slow anger. "It is rare for Him to bother so much for a single thing. I suspect there is something else driving Him, and not just His usual urges to create mischief."

"At this point, I don't care." I said flatly.

"A fair point of view, Miss Kodori. I will cation my Familia, and my Friends to be more wary of him." He sighed deeply, seeming to deflate somewhat, "This entire situation is very close to the worst case that could have happened."

It was Shakti's turn to comfort her God, patting his bicep, about the only thing not covered by gold or brightly coloured cloth. "Speaking of." I started, "Ma'am Shakti, you've said I should try my hand at taming. Since you're here, could you show me how it's done?"

Ganesha smiled and stood, "What a wonderful idea!" I could tell He was gearing up for His other 'persona'. "I should go back to my duty as God of the People! This is a dark time for the city, and I must help those in need." In full swing now, he started to flex, "For I... AM... GANEHSA!"

"If you can answer some of my other questions about the Xenos. I'd be happy to." She looked to Ganesha, and sighed, "Don't over do it, my Lord."

"Of course not, Lady Shakti." He said, perfectly serious again, "Be well, and careful, Miss Kodori."

"You as well, Lord Ganesha." I said, bowing to him from my kneeling position, my head almost touching the stone pathway. I wasn't much for formality, but I really did respect Ganesha.

Shakti and I waited until He had closed the big double doors to the main building. Then I stood, motioned with my hand, and said, "Lead the way. We can start with something simple, I hope? And you had questions?"

For the next hour or so, I tried my best to learn how to basically make a wild animal submit to me. The concept was simple. You simply forced the animal, in my case, a Hard Armoured, to realize it stood no chance against you. One of the big problems here, was that a dungeon monster was basically a rabid beast. Almost no reason, almost no instinct for 'pack leader'.

If it were a dog, I'd have been able to at least make it understand I was 'alpha' and I wouldn't put up with it trying to bite me. But near the end of the hour, the Hard Armoured simply passed out, still growling at me.

"Well, you're certainly a skilled handler." Shakti admitted, "Most trainers, when they start, kill their first few monsters. You hardly left a mark on it. And you yourself are unharmed."

"I have a good grip." I said with a smile, dusting myself off, "Back home, my sister had dogs. Different sizes, as the years went by, but she was good at training them." I considered what I'd learned, and sighed, "If I wasn't dealing with what amounted to a... um... water sick... feral..."

"Rabid." She said, "Yes. It is similar, but that is more or less what we have to break first."

We left the cage, Shakti locking up behind me, "Any more questions for me then? Looks like it might rain, and I have other places to visit..."

"Do you think they have a chance? Of being accepted?" She asked.

"Right now? No. Some day? Yes." I said with a grin, "Small doses. That's the only way to do it."

"It's like we are the animals, in this case." She sighed, "Please, come by again. I think you show promise, and wouldn't mind teaching you more."

"I just might. Though I'd have more confidence in my learning, if I could tame my tails." I looked behind me, the slow constant motion of my tails freezing, "Yes, I'm talking about you." I said to them.

This had the desired effect of drawing out a laugh from Shakti, who gave me a small bow, "Good luck in what you are about to do. I will help if I can."

"Thank you for the offer." I replied, bowing as well.

* * *

"This... Is actually quite tasteful." I said to myself as I stopped in front of what people on the street had told me was Loki Familia's home, the Twilight Manor. European cathedral style, it had several tall towers, with a sort of overlapping support structure. Looking left and right, I noticed I could actually see the property lines of their home. Not a large plot, but they had certainly put a lot of work into it.

"Eh? The Demon Fox?" The voice was sort of familiar. Gruff and deep. Drawing my attention away from the centre tower, by far the tallest of the many that were part of the manor, I spotted... It was kind of like seeing a short wall of armour with a beard. Thick plates of armour, and what looked like a shield that was more than a meter wide on his back, his brown hair was covered by a spiked helmet that encapsulated almost his entire head, leaving only his eyes, mouth and beard exposed. "Considerin' what that Bell kid did, this is probably the last place I'd think to find you."

Searching my memory for a name, I recalled a serious dwarf about to party it up at the Hostess. "You would be... Gareth? We met at the Hostess, and again before the Black Goliath, right?"

"I am. You've certainly come a long way, from bein' a serving girl." He said, not unkindly, but a little impatiently, "Place doesn't usually need a guard, but I asked you a question."

"Actually, this is personal business, with Lady Loki." I said, "Nothing to do with what happened." He grunted and shrugged, "What did happen? I mean, I've only heard a little, but..."

"Hmph, no harm in telling you I guess." He got a bit closer, giving me a once over and taking off his helmet, "I've been at this a while, even before I joined, I've been fighting beasts. But I've never ever, EVER, fought anything so... stubborn. Smart, strong, tougher than anything I've ever met."

"Heard you wounded it though." I fished.

"Yea. All of us managed to make a single opening, and caught it just above the elbow. But it kept fighting! Never seen anything like it. It was like, it just wanted to fight." He used his free hand to scratch his beard, "Thing is though, he didn't lose. There was a little lapse in the fight, you know, where everyone takes a breath." I nodded, "And he just... Left. 'You aren't the fight I'm looking for'. It said."

I blinked at him for a moment. "It spoke?" It wasn't so much a bluff, as me changing the question on the fly. 'It said that?'

"Don't play dumb." He said, again, not unkindly. "We know you and yours are involved in this mess. Finn told us about what you said, even though you didn't outright admit it."

I shrugged, but remained silent.

"But yes, that's what it said. Tired, hurt, and with even Riviera out of magic, we had to let it go."

"Tunnels under Daedalus street..." I thought out loud, "Bad place for a group fight."

"You have the ken of it." He said, "Finn told us to let it go. It won't get far, and with one arm and the beating we laid into it? I wouldn't be surprised if there's a crystal down in those tunnels someplace."

"One can hope..." I mumbled. "Any luck with the rest that got out?"

"No. They went to ground, and we've been trying to keep a watch on the places Finn found out about from that new lass at the Hostess. Your doing there right?"

"She surrendered." I shrugged, "Mia will keep her in line."

"Easy on the eyes too."

"Solid seven out of ten at least."

"Just a seven? Really?"

One of my tails decided to get adventurous, and tried to visit the dwarf, "I've already got a ten at home. I'm a little biased about tails. And she tried to kill me."

He held out a hand and let my tail perch on it a moment, before shoo'ing it away, "Ah right, fair enough." He 'ahem'ed' politely, "Anyhow, let who ever is inside know I let you by, Loki should be... someplace in there. Chasing a skirt or something, probably."

"Thank you." I said as he plopped his helmet back on.

"Don't die." He said with a chuckle, "And don't let Loki get away with anything. You'd only encourage her."

I listened to him clank his way down the street and around the corner before turning back to the manor. "Well, lets hope this goes well then..." I mumbled to myself as I walked up to the door and opened it.

Inside was almost plain compared to the outside. Brick and stone, wood and glass. Like they ran out of budget after doing the exterior. Not to say it was cheap. The design was simple, functional, and clean. But it didn't feel... Lived in. Like someone had said 'put a room here, and here and over there, and use whatever, and paint it all the same.'

"Can I help you?" A new voice, from a short elven girl, asked me as I closed the main door behind me. She seemed vaguely familiar too, but I couldn't place where. "Do you have an invitation, miss Fox?"

"I passed Gareth out front, told him I have business with Lady Loki." I said, looking her over a little better. Bright blond hair, deep blue eyes, adorable face that was trying so hard to be serious, it was having a negative effect, wearing a simple white shirt, pink dress, and red half cape. She made all the 'little sister' buttons in my head go off, even as her ears twitched in annoyance. "Sorry, I know I've seen you before... but..."

"You were still in shock, when Lady Riviera healed you. The little rookie was fighting a minotaur." She said. "My name is Lefiya." She said.

Of the few places in my memory that were unclear, since receiving Falna and becoming an adventurer, that was one of them. "Kodori." I replied, "I kind of remember meeting you... You were watching the fight... No, watching Ais watch the fight." one of my tails swayed around, and I held it on reflex, playing with the fur thoughtfully, "Yes, that's right. Pleased to actually meet you." I said finally.

"At least you're looking better." She replied, though her near white face was starting to blush a little, "If you really want to see Ma'am Loki, just head to the centre tower. Just don't let her get away with anything."

"That's the second time someone's said that to me, and I've only met two of Loki Familia today." I said, "How bad can it be?"

Now she really was blushing, probably remembering something... It made me think of the time I surprised Chigusa and hugged her like a teddy bear, and turned her into a stuttering idiot. "Just be careful!" She finally blurted out, walking away in a huff.

"O... kay?" I said to her retreating back, turning, and looking down the main hall and what I hoped, was the direction of the main tower.

I remained unchallenged by anyone else on my little exploration of the halls. More than once however, I did get lost, taking a set of steps up, turning a corner, and finding myself back where I started. I suppose with all the overlapping supports for the many towers it was bound to happen, but...

"Oho..." A little chill went up my back as I felt an aura of ... not evil... but really close. A moment later, my golden tail had a hand brush through it, while another very firmly cupped my left butt cheek.

While my spine locked up and I made a rather embarrassing noise, my black tails encircled the offender and lifted who ever it was off the ground. "huff..." I looked behind me at the single hand and most of a leg peeking out of the loops of black and gold fur. "Is that you, Lady Loki?"

"mnyes" The hand gave me a thumbs up.

"Oh good. Is there a place we can have a chat?"

The hand pointed to my left, down a hallway that looked like it didn't go anywhere. "dat way." Mumbled the voice. "leggo?"

Starting down that hallway, one I'd passed at least twice, but since it seemed to go in the wrong direction, I hadn't bothered with it. "I'd like to, but sometimes my tails need a little convincing. Rebel... doesn't follow commands... umm..."

"ebel'ous" I felt Her struggle under the tails, a mouth making an appearance, "Rebellious. Phew."

"Thank you. This it?" I stopped in front of a modest double door.

"Ya." She said after wiggling a little more, one of Her squinted red eyes peeking out, "Second thought, just carry me. A few stairs to climb."

"Sure." At my agreement, my tails decided to shift around a little more, cradling Loki like they would Haruhime. "This is a really interesting building, you have here." Opening up the doors, I found they lead to a neat, tile and stone staircase, going both up and down. Figuring Loki was like just about any other God or Goddess, I started heading up.

"Ooo, soft." She commented, about to reach for my rear again, but being stopped by a tail, "Protective bunch you have back here."

"Twisted someone's head off once." I commented, smiling out of sight as Loki gulped.

"Yeaaaah... I kind of got really really drunk the night I designed this place."

"Let me guess? First really good haul from the dungeon, big party, needed a bigger home for the Familia?"

"That's right! Well, except it was really REALLY good haul. And I think half the city got involved with that party." Loki giggled lustfully, "Such a good party... Pretending to be a lightweight can create so many little opportunities."

"I suppose we were lucky. That stupid war game had its perks in the end." I said, my borrowed tail not punishing me this time. "I'm curious about something."

"Just one thing? How dull." Loki ran her fingers lightly through the fur on one of my tails, "Now I want a Renard in my Familia... not even my cat folk have such nice tails."

"Well, one thing to start." I laughed, "You missed a bunch of them a little while after the war game. Tried to take me East."

"Oooo Story time! But, since I'm being treated to such a nice seat, I'll let you go first."

Nodding to myself, understanding how my upcoming exchange with Loki would go, I asked, "Current thoughts on what's going on? With all the trouble in the city?"

"Pfft, trying to fish for information?"

"If anything, I've got more than you. Just curious. Wow this is a lot of steps."

"Honestly?" I felt a little chill up my back as Loki used that word, "I'm just watching. This is a fun little mess, and for once, I get to see my Children play on the surface, instead of being all bored and alone up here."

"I wonder if you divine types ever, I dunno, settle down to play a card game, instead of waiting for a big spectacle to come along."

"Most of us cheat at cards. And the ones who don't make for boring players." Loki laughed, leaning back a little, the back of Her head resting on my shoulder and her red hair spilling down my front, "More information you said?"

"Story or news?" I asked, my golden eye meeting Her red one.

"mmmm... Story first. About half way there, by the way."

"Well, it was just as the Rakia army started it's... Well, I suppose you could call it an assault..."

* * *

By the time I finished, we were seated across from each other sipping tea. Loki herself was laughing like a child, almost spilling Her tea as She laughed. "Oh boy. Gives me hope for getting my own Renard one day! Haha..."

"Glad you approve as well, I suppose?" It was good tea at least. "This is a nice room you have. Almost as well decorated as Lord Ganesha's."

And it was. Nice, spacious, done in a clean European style, with books and interesting nick-knacks on any flat surface where there wasn't a book or some sort of trophy.

"A perk, for being the best exploration Familia in history." She said proudly, "Suppose it's your turn?"

"Seems like it." I replied, putting my teacup down, "So, you might know by now, I'm not from around here."

"Loli-boobs brags about Her ace foreigner." Loki replied, "She's just lucky I didn't snag you."

"Ahem." I did my best Eina impression, "So my version of Your stories might be a little different. One of them, involves a bet, a wall, a particular trouble maker, and a certain eight legged horse some time after."

I could see Loki's face go pale with almost every word. More than once, She tried to stutter something to stop me, but it was only after I picked up my teacup again, that She blurted "HOW THE HELL DID YOU KNOW THAT? I made sure those records were burned back in Tenkai!"

"Maybe You missed one?" I shrugged, "But embarrassing story aside, I have something very important to make. But I need a certain... How did Lady Hestia call it? Aspect. One of change."

She had stood up, one foot on the dark wood coffee table, the other on the couch, during Her little fit. Sitting back down and catching Her breath, she looked at me, "Are you asking..."

"Yes." I reached into my satchel and took out an empty glass vial. "Ichor, with the aspect of change. I was hoping I could barter for it, since you are a Goddess I at least know. Instead of trying to find someone like Proteus or some such."

"He never descended." Loki said, "Barter you say? What could a little Familia like yours have that I want?"

"No no. Nothing to do with Familia. This is a personal request, for a personal reason. So please, just between us." Before She could answer, I added, "I also have a small list of things a deep diving Familia like yours might know how to find, or have on hand to sell."

To Her credit, she didn't instantly go for the first thing I thought she would. That being, to make grabby hands and try and get under my shirt, or more. Considering how important this deal was, I honestly wouldn't have minded. Also to Her credit, She asked the first important question. "What's it for?"

"I'm sure You, and well, most of the city, by now have noticed that Haruhime and I are... How to put this, 'an item'."

"Well yeah. She might be all proper and ladylike, but you make no secret about it." She grinned, "How is it? Between you two? Just as soft as she looks?"

"Mostly." I smiled, "She's very much trying to 'not be a burden' in our battle group. And has been taking her lessons with Lord Takemikazuchi seriously. And since she and I swapped tails, she even has some of my original ability."

"That being?" She asked, both Her eyes opening fully.

I knew She was fishing for information that the Guild wouldn't give, but since it was about me, more or less, I replied, "Turning magic power into physical ability."

"Oooo, so that's how you killed that ugly Amazon... Phryne?"

"It certainly counted for a lot. Yes."

"Wow... To cross a two level gap like that... I'm really sorry I was too drunk to think about getting you into my Familia that one night." She pouted, sitting cross legged on Her couch. "So, you were saying?"

"Well, after my... incident with the former Ishtar elite, I basically swore that I would marry Haruhime."

"What? So? Wouldn't be the first time I've heard of such ... a... ohhhhhh..."

"I knew you weren't just a perverted lush." I smiled, offering to refill her teacup from the pot sitting between us. "Lord Ganesha, after much... waiting for Him to get to the point..." It was a little bit of a lie, as the God of the People was in 'normal' mode, and only had to dig around on His bookshelves... "But yes, I found what I was looking for, and just need to make it now."

I could see the gears turning in Her head, "Well, I certainly like the idea of more fluffy tails in the world." She sipped her refilled cup, "But what to ask for in return..." Still sitting cross legged on the couch, She rocked side to side, thinking. "Don't need money. Even though your Familia is doing pretty good. Not sure what sort of favour I could ask... Well, that's a lie. I could think of all kinds of things..."

She looked at me, as I calmly put my teacup down and moved it to the side. "I've been told twice today, not to let you 'get away' with anything. But, if that's what you wanted in trade, I have little to do until, say, dinner time." I wasn't keen on the idea, but I knew it might be something She would ask.

"Eh, maybe later." She shrugged. "Are you a gambling woman?"

"I have been known to take risks." Usually ending with me either hurt, or bald, or both. But I didn't tell Her that.

"How about... You bet me something. If you lose, I lock the door until dinner time. I'll still give you what you want either way."

"Very generous."

"BUT!" She held up a finger, "I get to come to the wedding."

"You were on the list anyhow."

"Really?"

"You are a regular at the Hostess, and you keep your tab clean. To us, that's almost family."

"Deal. So, what kinda game do you wanna play?" She leaned forward and opened a drawer under the coffee table. "Cards, chess, dice..."

"Chess? Do you have an hourglass?" I suddenly had the most amusing idea, to turn her lecherous nature against Her.

"Hm... Oh, here it is. Just the hourglass? I think this one is a two minute timer..."

"Perfect." I smiled my best Hostess smile, "Put it on the table."

"Okay... What did you have in mind?"

"I bet, that I can stop you from counting to thirty, before that two minute timer runs out. But if you DO count to thirty, you have to turn it over. Just give me a moment to put something on the table first..."

She raised an eyebrow at me, showing Her doubt at my bet. "You're not planning something naughty, are you?" She grinned, telling me She probably wouldn't have minded if I was. "Suppose I'll find my knife while you set up..."

* * *

To Her credit, She did count to thirty. But, in the two minutes I had, I gave Her a Haruhime special' back rub. Even used my tails to help. As the two minutes went to ten, then twenty, I had basically turned Her into liquid on the coffee table. Seeing as it had started to rain, and Loki was threatening to pout if I stopped, we were just about to hit the half hour mark when there was a tap on the door.

"Lady Loki?" It was Lefiya, "Is everything..." She spotted me, hands working on Loki's slender bare back, "WHAT ARE YOU... Wait... What are you doing?"

"Leffffiiiii" Loki droned lazily, "Not so louuuud..."

"Do I win?" I asked innocently, eyeing the long run out hourglass, resting on the table just above Loki's head.

"How..." Lefiya was still puzzled, standing over the two of us. "Wow... I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone so relaxed before."

"Do you do the front too?" Loki mumbled hopefully.

"Can you roll over?" I asked, looking up and winking at the once again stunned Elf.

A pause, a quiet grunt, then a return to total limpness, "no."

"Guess I don't then." I took Loki's shirt, folded up neatly on the couch behind me, and draped it over Her back. "Keep an eye out for your invitation."

"k."

I stood, and picked up the bottle of Loki's 'blood' from the end table She had placed it on, taking a short length of wire from my satchel and very firmly securing the stopper. I also made sure to bend the ends of the wire into an 'L', making a mental note to label it properly as soon as possible.

Lefiya watched me, blinking, "Is that...?"

"Yes." I said quietly, as I heard Loki start snoring. "Heh, lightweight."

I walked towards the door, my tails gently herding the Elf along with me, "But... What do you need it for? I thought..."

"Personal matter. Don't worry, this is between Her and I."

"Invitation?"

"Wedding." I replied, quietly closing the double door behind me, "Phew, glad I've been practising."

"Wait... So you gave Lady Loki a back rub, for a vial of Her blood?"

"No, I won a bet, for a vial of Her blood."

"What if you lost? Lady Loki always gambles, usually wins too..."

"Then I'd still be in there, except the door would have been locked." I watched as my words sunk in, and she started to go red, "Hey wait! No breaking! I need your help to get... out... Sigh... Too late."

* * *

After carrying what was basically a Lefiya statue to the bottom of the stairs, I finally got her to come back to her senses and help me find my way out. From there, I had nothing left to do but go home. One of the three vials of Ichor I needed was at home, representing family. Hestia, while a virgin Goddess, was certainly qualified to represent the 'home' aspect. The last one however... Fertility. I only knew of one in the city, since Ishtar got sent back to Tenkai. I could have asked the guild about it, but I had a hunch Freya was my only bet for it.

But what could I offer Her, that She wasn't already powerful enough to just take.

By the time I was within sight of the Hearth manor, I had boiled down everything to two possibilities that I could accept. Something unique, or something that didn't exist yet.

"Kodori!" I looked up as someone called my name, the voice not registering in my distracted state. I spotted Asuka just a little ways off, giving me a wave and jogging towards me. "Fels got a message through." She said as she got closer.

"Damn, okay..." I was hoping for a little more time to prepare, "The others?"

"My Familia is out looking for Welf, Bell is out with Lilly and Marius to get something Fels mentioned." She replied, falling into step beside me.

"How did he get through?"

"His owl. I never noticed, but did you know one of its eyes is fake?"

"No... But that would explain why he couldn't use the occulus. If one half is gone..."

"It's still at home. Hopefully it didn't try and eat Chime." Asuka pouted, "I really like the little critter."

"We all do. It's family, just as much as Weine is. Just tiny and fuzzy." I chuckled, the two of us getting to one of the outer walls of our home, "You know, I have to wonder just how much use a wall of this height is..." I bent my knees a little, and simply jumped over the three meter wall, Asuka following me an instant later, touching the top of the wall with her hand and vaulting down from there.

"Well... Most people aren't so rude as to just... trespass. And larger Familia usually have a couple of people on guard... Or like Soma Familia, and have towers." Asuka said, looking around, "I don't hear Welf in the shop." We had landed within sight of the workshop, the manor itself the only source of lights in the early evening gloom.

"We should look into brightening up the place." I said, heading towards the front door, "I never really noticed just how... dull this place looks on a rainy day."

"That's because you stay inside with our ray of sunshine." She teased.

"Do I have to tickle you?" I threatened, my golden tail swishing at her, "Ask Lilly if you doubt me"

"You're back!" Hestia greeted us at the door, Takemikazuchi standing beside her. Hestia looked Her usual 'worried about everything' self, though, She had been getting better recently. Takemikazuchi had... a big black owl on His shoulder. His perfect calm undisturbed, the owl stood proudly, regarding Asuka and I with one bright green eye. "Bell and the rest aren't back yet. And we've been wondering what to do in the mean time."

"Let's head to the dining room." I said, "Anyone else here?"

"Mikoto-chan just came back with Ryuu and Aisha." Takemikazuchi said, "Bell thought it prudent to include them, or to at least ask if they could join in."

"Lady Hestia, give Bell a hug when he gets back." I said with a smile, "A really good one. Once everyone gets back, we make some kind of plan..." I looked at the owl, who returned my stare with far more intelligence than just a trained bird could have. "You're... Much bigger than I thought you'd be. How much can you carry I wonder."

In reply, the owl blinked at me, and, mindful of Takemikazuchi's head, spread its wings. Strapped to its body, under its wings, were two flat pouches. A quarter of a meter long or so, they were well made, and didn't seem to inconvenience the owl at all. Settling back down, the bird hopped off Takemikazuchi's shoulder onto the dinner table.

"Perfect." I said, "Let's put together a care package, and when Bell gets back, we can write a letter too. Did any thing else come with the owl?"

"Actually, yes." Hestia said, "Asuka? Where did Bell put it?"

"I'll go get it." Asuka gave Hestia a small bow, then darted off in the direction of the living room.

"I'm a little disappointed, actually." Hestia said with a frown, petting one of my tails, then stepping closer so She could just hug them all at once, "That Fels person wrote a letter asking for help."

"How would that be disappointing?" I scratched my head, then one of my ears when it suddenly became itchy.

"Well... It was worded as if we might not help."

"As if your assistance was ever in question." I heard Ryuu say as Asuka returned, Mikoto and Aisha coming in as well.

"Yeah. It's like asking if water is wet." Aisha laughed, "The question isn't if you will help, but how." the taller woman scratched at her cheek, "Loki Familia isn't going to just let the Xenos walk away."

"From what I have heard," Mikoto chimed in, "They have taken it as an attack on their pride, for the Xenos to be up here. No matter if they are good or bad, they are here, and this bothers them."

One of my tails slipped away from Hestia to rest on my shoulder, "No, I wasn't going to swear." I told it, "As much as I want to. It won't be easy, but when everyone gets here, we can take stock, and make a plan."

The owl ruffled itself out a little, "Let's get some food together in the mean time." Asuka said, "And this is what came in with the owl." She added, putting a small collection of re-used potion bottles on the table. "I'm not a potion maker, but... That's blood, isn't it?"

I picked up one of the vials and squinted at the contents. Deep red, but not quite like human blood, "If I had to make a guess, this is monster blood." I picked up another vial, this one lighter, almost pink, "This one too... Actually, I'd almost bet this is Wiene's."

"Why would Fel's send a bunch of blood?" Aisha asked, poking one of the vials with a fingertip.

"Good question." I replied, "But as a fellow enchanter, I'd bet there is a good reason."

"We're back!" I heard Lilly call out from the front door, followed by the rush of feet and noise of armour in motion.

It didn't take long for everyone to filter in. Lilly and Chigusa were carrying full packs. Welf had a grin on his face that looked like he just won first prize at something. Haruhime and Marius had a couple of bundles under each arm. And Ouka was looking out of breath, but also carrying something under one arm.

"You would not believe what Fels told us about..." Bell started.

* * *

Notes!

So, yeah... More or less the start of the finale in the next chapter. Hope you guys are ready for it. :)

I myself am kind of dreading it. It's so close to the end, and I honestly wish I had more 'main plot' to follow. But, as of right now, I don't. So, I'll do a few little side stories, then jump universes. :)

Until next time.


	63. Chapter 63

Chapter 62

"You would not believe what Fels told us about..." Bell started, setting down a couple of things, "He told us about a secret storehouse, and how many of the Xenos are with him, and..."

I held up a hand to slow the boy down a bit, watching as everyone started unloading things onto our dining table. "Slow down Bell. From the beginning."

There were a few chuckles as Bell took a deep breath, slapped his cheeks a couple of times, then started over. "While you were out, the owl," He looked at the owl, who ruffled slightly, "came to visit."

"It actually landed on my shoulder." Ouka said, scratching one of his big shoulders, "Got my attention quickly, that's for sure."

"Ouka brought it in, and it showed us the pouches under its wings. It had a letter, and those bottles there." Bell continued.

"Blood?" I asked.

"Yes. Everyone but Gros, a big gargoyle who's all made of stone, and Fels." Bell answered, "The letter told us about a storehouse, where Fels had been putting all his enchanted items."

"The old lady there said... six hundred years?" Marius said, "That her ancestors have been looking after them?"

"Yeah! It's amazing how much was there!" Bell picked up again, "Ow."

I gave him a Karate Chop of Justice, "Less sugar for you."

"Sorry." People around the room chuckled, and I took a moment to run my eyes over the table, now that most of the packs and bundles had been emptied onto it. "But yes... Several sets of Occulus stones. Invisibility cloaks. All kinds of things..." He walked down the table to a rolled up bit of paper, "And this."

Carefully, he undid the string holding the roll closed, and unfurled it. A map. Easily two meters square, it was a map of the city. Very well detailed, with coloured inks for the various buildings and their functions. The first thing I noticed after that, was that the paper itself was inscribed with countless runes and sigil. With ink the exact shade of the paper itself, I only noticed because of the paper's age, and even then, I had to get in close and squint at it. "This is... Incredible. Welf, look, the ink is so well matched. Did the letter say anything about this?" I turned to Bell, who nodded.

"There should be a spot on it, where we put a little blood. He said we'd know why when we did." Mikoto helpfully gathered up the vials of blood and carried them over to the middle of the table where the map was laying. "Let's get this on a better surface..."

"Living room floor?" Ouka suggested.

"We could move the dining tables together?" Asuka countered.

They had a quick rock paper scissor match, and we moved two of the dining room tables together, piling the other magic items on the third. Laying out the map flat, I noticed, on one side, a pair of drawn boxes. Both empty, though one of them had a smudge of brown. Touching it, the smudge came off cleanly, but sniffing my fingertip told me it was blood. "Okay... Mikoto?"

I moved aside, and our samurai woman took the cork off one of the vials and dripped the light pink liquid onto the box. As soon as the drop hit the paper, a small blue dot appeared on the map, just a little outside the chaotic looking mess labelled 'Daedalus maze'. In the second box, a similar blue dot appeared, with a name beside it, 'Wilusine'.

"See Bell? You named her." I mumbled to him, making him blush a little, though he nodded in that determined fashion he had. "This... is amazing." I said, feeling myself grin, "Okay, next?"

With each drop of blood, a new name appeared on the side, with each dot being a different colour. All of them were clumped together, Lido, Rei, Wilusine, Arles, Fear, Laura... A dozen in all, names I didn't know, save for Lido and Wiene.

"Lilly knows that place." Our supporter, sitting in the crook of Marius's arm so she could see the map, said, "Miss Kodori gets her underwear near there."

"She just doesn't want to wear normal undergarments, no matter how hard I try to get her to." Haruhime said, sighing, "She even tried to wear those... boxers? With the maid outfit."

"Try them once, and you'll see, right sister?" I looked to Ryuu, who very calmly put the hood of her cloak up, obscuring her face. "But yes, I ran into Zanis around there. He was bragging about the usual stuff a washed up thug brags about, and was about to join a random group to head into the sewers there." I looked at the map again, "Okay, everyone." Voice serious, I got everyone's attention, "Welf? How are things in the shop?"

"Considering who we are up against, I'd like more time. I've got two magic sword done, but I'd like to make another. Miss Aisha still has to get her armour, and you're still missing a gauntlet and your coat needs... replacing, really." Welf ticked off points on his fingers, looking at me when he was done.

"Food prep?" I looked to Marius, then Mikoto.

"No problems there." Marius said, "Dry rations are hard to get wrong."

"Though the taste is still..." Mikoto shrugged, "But no problems otherwise."

"Aisha? Ryuu? Can we count on you?"

"Stupid question, from the wise fox." Aisha replied, while Ryuu gave me a look that said the same.

"I have to ask. This isn't a trip to the dungeon, or a request to help protect a caravan. We will be confronting the Loki Familia, and who ever else sticks their foot out to trip us up." I replied gravely, "Ouranos Himself told me that if the people demand it, worst case, we are done in this city."

"You make it sound like we didn't know that already." Aisha said with a shrug, "We've broken so many rules, I'm surprised that Bell and the rest of you haven't had fruit thrown at you yet."

A chuckle filtered around the table, "Fair. So, everyone, a drop of blood on the map. Lilly? Write a letter for us. We will take tonight, all day tomorrow, and part of the evening to make ready. At full dark, we get moving."

"Do you have a plan already?" Asuka asked, looking at the map, and the list of names.

"That's part of 'making ready'." I replied, "With the new tools we have available, and all the information we have on hand..." I paused, looked at the pile of magical items, then back to the rest of them, "Tonight, before bed, we will work together on a plan. Tomorrow morning, after a good rest, we clean the plan up. At dusk, we will see how far our preparations have gotten us, and finalize our plan. I expect everyone to offer input, and if anyone can see a problem with any idea put forward, speak up." I got an approving nod from Marius, "I'll say this now. The 'win' isn't beating Loki. It is getting the Xenos back into the dungeon. We are still the good guys. So we will leave no bodies behind. Ours, or theirs."

"Please, come home safe. All of you." Hestia said, Takemikazuchi nodding beside Her.

"You're not going to sit idle, either of you." I said to them, making them blink in surprise, "As Eina taught us, we will use every tool, every bit of information, everything. To 'win'." I looked at the owl, who blinked at me once, before 'hoot'ing quietly. "Let's get you on your way, as soon as we get that letter written."

* * *

Owl laden with food and a couple of the magic items we knew they would need, we put our heads together around the map. I even had Chime in my left hand, the little micro-rabbit sitting still though her ears were up and alert. We had done an inventory of the magic items, and what Welf planned to have done before dark tomorrow.

"So, final goal?"

"All the Xenos who are going to the dungeon, back into the dungeon."

"No casualties."

"As little property damage as possible."

"Come home safe, and sleep like it's going out of style?"

"I like that idea."

We all laughed, but I tapped a knuckle on the table to get everyone back on track. "Items?"

"I'll have two, hopefully three, magic sword done. Not fire, but ice. Sis-Ryuu? If I had a little help, I might be able to make a forth."

"Okay."

"We have enough Occulus stones for five teams, as well as the two we sent with the owl." Asuka said, "So, seven."

"We also have four of those cloaks." Continued Ouka, "It's strange how they work... If Lilly uses it, it's Lilly's size. If I use it, it's my size."

"That's good to know." I said, petting Chime's back gently, "It's a shame we couldn't just send them to the Xenos. Would have made this simpler."

"How many entrances do we know of?" Marius asked, "We know of the one by Soma." He placed a little glass bead on the map, near the Soma holdings. "And the one in the Daedalus maze." He put a second bead down.

"We found the two of the warehouses they were using, when they bought all those materials." Two more beads went down, one close to the 'bulk market' and another a little inside the wall near the post office. "Those, however, are probably guarded by Loki, or watched by Hermes." I looked to Chigusa, who had raised a hand, "Hm?"

"What about..." She paused, frowning, before Ouka put a hand on her shoulder, "The place you were captured?"

I blinked, then nodded, "Yes, that could be one. But I don't remember the way exactly." I felt my tails reach out for Haruhime, and the gold fox shuffled just a tiny bit closer to me, "Any others?"

"Lilly might know one." She placed a bead on the table, "Here is where you saved me... And here, Lilly thinks." She placed another one, this one closer to Welf's old home near the artisan quarter. "It is one of the last buildings near there."

"If they needed special alloys..." Welf mused. "Good job Lil-e." He gave her hair a light ruffle, though she responded by trying to dodge away.

"It's on the other side of the city though..." Aisha said, "So are these ones." She pointed to the post office, and the Soma markers. "Though the Soma marker is closest to the Daedalus maze..."

"It's where we came up, and is close enough for the Loki Familia to respond almost instantly." I said, frowning.

"Why not just... Dig? I mean, if this Gnossis place is supposed to be the mirror of the dungeon?" Asuka asked.

"No way." Welf said, shaking his head, "I looked into the metals they used to support the city. It would be nearly impossible to break through. And the things that could break through, would definitely ruin our 'as little property damage' part of the plan."

"Really?" A few people said at once.

"My very best magic sword, maybe. But it would be something made for pure destruction, and I doubt who ever actually used it would survive." Welf shook his head.

I suddenly wished I payed more attention to my chemistry lessons in high school. I was sure I could do better with a few sticks of TNT made into a shaped charge... I shook my head before I got too far into that thought, "Oh, Bell, the Monster festival? Where was it again?"

"Oh! That's right." Bell exclaimed, getting another glass bead. "Loki Familia said there was a breach into the sewers a little south... Over here... kinda..."

"Near Ishtar's former holdings." Aisha said, "I have no idea how far they are in patching that part up. But it was still open a couple of months ago."

A few ideas were floating around my head now. "Any others?"

I waited until everyone shook their heads no.

"So we have 'where', now it's 'how'."

* * *

The next morning, we ate a breakfast of dry rations, and put our heads down to make ready for the evening. I helped Welf where I could, Ryuu, Haruhime and myself brushing my tails to get as much fur off them as we could. I got the smelter going, while Welf started working on another magic sword. Ryuu stayed behind as Haruhime and I went to visit Hestia and Takemikazuchi, who were in the dining room with the map. The two of them, being stuck here at home, would the centre of our entire operation.

"Got a handle on the Occulus?" I asked, giving them both a bow.

"Yes." Hestia said, handing me one of the faintly glowing orbs. "You wanted to speak with her?"

"Ah! Miss Kodori?" It was Fels.

"Fels. Owl got through then?"

"A little more tired than he likes to be." He replied, "But everyone who can eat is thankful for it."

I heard a little chorus of agreement in the background, "Figured you'd be hungry. How is the situation otherwise? Wounded? Sick?"

"Thanks to that little bottle of pills you sent, we are all a mobile as we can be. Fear and Rei, the harpy and siren you rescued are missing too many feathers to fly however. Only time and proper food will bring those back."

A louder voice, from Lido, echoed that, "Yeah, proper food! Those biscuits were terrible."

"Tell Fels to get a Roc or something instead of an owl." I said with a grumble, making the two Gods smile, though Haruhime looked puzzled. "Okay, good. We've come up with some simple ideas to get you all home, but it won't be easy."

"Can I talk please?" It was Wiene, using her 'can I have a cookie/hug/pat on head' voice.

"Yes you may." Fels replied.

"Kodori?" Wiene asked, "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes. We are all okay. Bell and the rest are working on how to bring you home, and get the rest of you back to the dungeon safely." I replied, lowering the stone to Haruhime.

"We want to bring you home, Wiene." Haruhime said, "To your Familia, and family."

Lido, in the background, "Told you they wouldn't mind."

A voice I didn't know grumbled, "Bah. Humans are still stupid..."

"Here, thank you." Fels said, his voice coming in clear again, "We will be ready to move as soon as you are. You gave us two Occulus?"

"Yes. We might have to split you guys up a little, before we are done. And communication will be our biggest edge out there."

"What of you? Will you have enough?" Fels asked.

"Unlike some, I can be in six places at once." I replied cryptically, "Lady Hestia and Lord Takemikazuchi will be by the map, handling communication and co-ordination. The rest of us have to get a few more things ready."

"Understood. If anything changes here, we will let you know." Fels replied, the stone going quiet.

Haruhime sighed, her eyes a little watery, "They are still okay..."

I nodded, giving her a quick hug, then turning to Hestia and Takemikazuchi, My Lady, My lord, any problems with the Occulus?"

"We have been working with them since breakfast." Takemikazuchi said, "They are quite amazing, and we have been checking in with the Children to help us both get used to them."

Hestia nodded, her twin tailed hair waving about, "We will work hard and help you all." She grinned, "Just you watch, we won't let you down."

The fact She was able to wake up at sun-up, made me proud of Her. But I smiled back, "I'll make us all cookies later." Then to Haruhime, "Next stop?"

"Aisha." She replied. "Should be with Ouka-san and Marius-san?"

* * *

As the sun set, and our preparations came to a close, we made one last check on 'the plan'.

"Lilly hates this."

"Best supporter."

"Still hates this."

"Welf?"

"All set. And one extra." He grinned, holding up a short sword, that was nearly solid blue. "Even have a few other little things." He started handing out bracelets. "For our squad leaders." He pointed to a little indent in the bracelet, "The Occulus will fit here, but remember, don't use that arm to block. They are still made of glass."

Myself, Mikoto, Ouka, Bell and Lilly put on a bracelet.

"Everyone equipped then?" I asked, looking around, "Aisha? New armour okay?"

The Amazon looked down at herself, dressed now in more clothing than I'd ever seen her in. Dark leather boots that went almost to the knee, with each shin covered by a metal guard. Each hand gloved to the elbow, also with metal bracers. Her shapely chest and abs were covered by a plated leather vest, and she was wearing what were basically leather shorts too, belted with the standard 'pouch and potion loop' belt. "Honestly? I feel overdressed." She replied, striking a pose that made every male in the room blush. "Fits like a glove though." She gave Welf a thumbs up.

"Thank Haruhime." Welf said looking away, "I just followed her measurements."

The rest of us were all in our dungeon gear. Full armour and weapons. I was back to my 'backup' armour, the dressy 'battle kimono'. Haruhime had made sure to get all the blood off it, and it was almost as nice looking as when I'd first worn it. I'd also gained back the weight I'd lost, so it fit perfectly too.

"So, what we know." I started. "Loki will be looking out for us. They know we are going to try and help the Xenos. Fine, let them look. Bell and I will probably be the main targets, being the aces of our two Familia." There were a few nods, "So, Lilly, you know what you have to do. Keep in touch with Home, and let us know what happens."

"Still hates this." She grumped.

"Chigusa, Asuka, Ouka." The three looked at me, "Use a cloak, and bring Chime with you to where I was lost that day." I tapped the map, near where I'd been tortured. "Our tiniest member has a nose even better than mine, and unless someone set that building on fire, I'm sure there's enough of me on the walls and floor to find again." Haruhime gave me a sharp look for the joke, but I put a hand on her far shoulder and leaned on her a little. "Report back on what you find. If there is a way down, good, if not, keep scouting."

"The farthest ones, like the artisan quarter and post office." Ouka said, the two of us nodding.

"Long shots, but if we can avoid Loki all together..." More nods. "Aisha, Ryuu, bring Haruhime with you, and when Loki starts to pick up on us, try and slow them down, use a cloak and try and stay hidden until you're needed." They nodded, "Marius, Mokoto, Welf, once we get the Xenos out of cover, you are basically rear guard." The three of them nodded, "Bell, you are on point. Once we find a viable way to get them home..."

"I try and get as much attention away from that way home as I can." He sighed, "And you Miss Kodori?"

"Will start here." I pointed to one of the highest points in the city, save Babel itself, the bell tower Nazzah had used to snipe at Apollo Familia, all those months ago, "Keeping watch, and ready to spring." I looked around the table, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, "Right. One last update before we go? If our Lady and Lord would be so kind?"

The two Gods smiled, and nodded.

* * *

Those who were going under the cloaks left first. Getting under the magic sheets while inside, they left by the balcony, where we usually left the door open to keep the place from getting stuffy. Next, Mikoto's group, wearing the usual grey salamander wool cloaks. It was pretty obvious who they were, even at a distance, but it didn't matter.

Last, Bell and I.

"Ready, little brother?" I asked, holding out my fist.

"Yes, big sister." He tapped his knuckles to mine.

* * *

The night was clear, with a half full moon in the sky. To my eyes, it was almost daylight, with my adventuring status boosting my body's natural ability. Mikoto's team had split off from me just before I entered the bell tower, dashing off to evade the eyes we knew were watching, and to wait for Lilly to do her work.

The city itself wasn't 'quiet', but even panicking citizens needed to sleep at some point, and the Guild, while always able to extend working hours, had limits. So at least there would be fewer civilians out tonight.

As I entered the bell tower, glad that it was a 'public' building, and empty of civilians, I enacted the first part of my part of the plan, looking towards the ceiling as I slid the simple plank of wood across the door to 'lock' it.

* * *

"Wow. You're really not trying very hard." It was Tione, the... more endowed of the Loki Amazon twins. "I mean, with all those tails, and picking such a high spot, you're kind of obvious."

Turning to face them and leaning against the stone of the 'window', I shrugged, the second Amazon sister vaulting over the edge of the window opposite me, and onto the platform just below the bell. "The scenery is rather nice up here. How can I help you two?"

"Well..." Teona said, "We know you and your Familia are trying something tonight."

"I'm actually wondering, you know about them, right? The Xenos? Talking monsters who know reason." Being only level four, I knew I stood no chance against the two of them on my own, and since they were here, and not bugging the others, I was trying to delay them as best I could. "Why are you even trying to stop us from getting them home, and out of the city?"

"Well... Honestly?" Tiona hesitated.

"We're friends, aren't we?" I asked, "Yes honestly."

"Pride." Tione said firmly. "Finn and most of us feel that we are being mocked, with them coming up here, and bothering people. "That black monster especially."

The less busty of the two nodded with her sister, though she didn't look as enthusiastic about it. "Just like us, they aren't all the same. I don't know much about the black minotaur, but I do know a few of the others. Good people, just not as... civil... civil... umm..." I sighed.

"Civilized." They said together, helpfully.

"Yes! Thank you." I smiled, "I don't suppose I could convince you two to just... Ignore me and mine while we go about getting them home?"

"No. Sorry. Even if we are friends, we have our pride, and our orders." Tione said, the two of them advancing a half step, Tione drawing her two long kukri, and Tiona hefting that insane double blade staff of hers.

"Now now. No need to get violent." I raised my hands, "I'm actually wondering something else. May I?" I motioned to reach into my kimono top.

Both curious, probably at my total calm, and passive attitude, they shrugged. Slowly, I withdrew a bit of paper. I offered the little square of paper, "Can you read that?"

On the paper was a copy of the 'signature' from Ganesha's book.

"Is that... Wait, its the wrong way..." Tiona made to grab the paper, but her hand passed through empty air, my entire form blurring slightly as her solid hand passed through my immaterial image. "What the fu..."

* * *

Down below, by the rope for the great bell, I opened my eyes and pulled the rope hard, then threw one of the things I had prepared straight up.

* * *

With a great silvery 'BONG' the bell rang once, the two Amazons dropping their weapons and clapping their hands over their ears. A much smaller 'CLANK' followed, as the glass jar I'd hurled back up the rope smashed into the bell. The glass of the jar vanishing into dust, the contents exploded outwards with a 'SPLORT'.

Recovering, the two Amazons found themselves covered in a thick, sticky, grey goo. My image, fuzzing yet again as something solid passed through it. "Eww gross... What IS this crap?" Tione fussed, trying to move and rub some of the stuff off, but finding that she could hardly move.

"A mix of a sticky trap bomb, and something called 'oobleck'." My image replied, one eye open now. "In a couple of hours it will dry out a little, and you'll be able to move. If it helps, it doesn't stain, and I made sure to add a minty scent."

"How kind of you." They both said flatly.

"Before I go," Though, I was actually already gone, my real body having hopped through a window and taken off, vanishing under one of the invisibility cloths, "What does it say?"

My image helpfully got a little closer, and turned the paper ninety degrees. "Alcinoe." Tione grunted, trying to move, and doing little more than trapping herself further. "It means 'mighty wisdom'."

"Huh, I'll buy you both drinks on her behalf later." my image replied, before blurring again, shrinking, and turning into a small black and gold fox. "Yip!" It said, before hopping up, then over the opening and off the tower.

"The fox is a wise ass." Tiona said with a sigh, grunting as she tried to move, but only managing to fall over, her rear going 'splat' as it landed in the grey gunk. "This stuff is so gross."

"Well, at least it smells nice?" Tione replied, "Finn is going to be a little upset though..."

* * *

"Repeat?" Hestia's voice came over the occulus as I held it to my ear.

"The bell has caught the Amazons." I said, "And who was it that insisted on talking in code?"

"Great news!" Hestia replied. "One moment..."

I was currently at street level, hiding, invisible, between a pair of barrels.

"Chime has found a path, and it's clear." Another pause, "And it's not guarded."

"Good." I started, before I heard a quiet sound of distress through the glowing bead. "Problem?"

Takemikazuchi answered me this time, "Young Bell is being chased by Ais." Another pause, "He sounds quite distressed."

"I would be too. I'll send up the signal. Have the Xenos started moving yet?" I asked, reaching into my kimono.

"Yes, they were found a little early, but have split up. Some of the smaller ones are with the harpy and siren, while Lido and the rest are attempting to evade." A pause..

"Evade who?" I asked, pulling out a green vial, and pushing down the cork, but not shaking it.

The silence lasted another few seconds, "Not Loki." Takemikazuchi replied, "Instructions?"

"Is Lilly available?"

Hestia answered this time, "Yes. Out of breath, but yes."

"Tell her its time."

"She still hates this."

"I'll make it up to her later." I shook the little green vial hard, counted to three, then whipped it into the air, ducking back under the cloak as quickly as I could, and trying to remember which way it was towards the red light district, as a green smoke exploded high in the air above me.

Moments later, I heard Hestia say, "Ryuu has engaged Ais. Haruhime is giving her support."

"Good." I replied, spotting a building I recognized, "I am near the red light district."

"Should I send them your way?"

"Not yet, I don't know if it's clear."

"Understood."

I was glad I convinced the two Gods that talking as they normally would just wouldn't do for a serious mission like this. Saying 'okay', could be misunderstood. Using slang may confuse the person listening in. I wasn't ever in the military, but Marius had put the idea forward, and I backed him up. I did however, nix the idea of saying 'sir yes sir', after every order.

My job now, was to see if this area could be used, then get the hell away from it, in case I had picked up another follower.

"You." I stopped in my tracks, my spine and all my tails locking up, the fur floofing out in a pure fear reaction. Low and harsh, with a subsonic rumble I could feel at the base of my skull, the voice continued, "I know your smell."

A figure appeared at the end of the alleyway. Massive, with the head of a bull, the body of a small titan, and holding what was left of a massive battle worn sword in its only hand, a pair of red eyes glared at me from their spot, over two meters off the ground. "Show yourself." It said, no, commanded.

Even while my logical side was screaming for me to run, to evade, to do anything other than just stand there, the fear was so strong, that my arms lifted the cloak over my head, settling it on my shoulders.

"No... You aren't the battle I seek." It said after taking two lumbering steps forward, and looking at me. In the gloom, as it moved, I could see slick spots over its black skin. Not only was it missing an arm, it was wounded almost all over. The fact it was even moving told me just how insanely tough this monster was. "But... I know you..." It took another step forward, and I reflexively took one back to match it. "If I find my battle, do not interfere. Or I will kill you."

Forcing myself to do... something, anything, instead of just standing there with my heart covered in ice, through chattering teeth I asked, "Why?"

Half turned away from me, about to go down another alley, the black minotaur stopped, looked at me, and replied, "Their dream, is not my dream. So, I am looking for my battle." He started to take a step, then stopped again, "The way down. I cleared it. Their dream, is not my dream, but I am not heartless."

Only after I couldn't feel its heavy footsteps any longer, did my body return to my control. Dimly, I heard someone calling my name, and I quickly shook my head and brought the occulus to my ear. "Kodori! Ais is after Bell again. And some of the smaller ones have been separated from the Harpy and Siren."

Taking a deep breath to try and clear the last of the ice from my heart, I replied, "I will send up a signal in a moment. Relay to all teams, the sewer entrance near the red light district is open. I will join up with Haruhime and Aisha as soon as I get some distance from here."

"Understood." Hestia replied.

Reaching into my kimono top, I pulled out a second small vial, this one red. Before pushing the cork in, I started running towards the main street, towards where I usually bought my underwear.

* * *

Notes!

And so the grand melee begins. Pausing it here, because if I started the next bit now, this update would be much bigger, OR, not much bigger, and I'd end at a cliffhanger, and people would make noise at me.

See you in five days. :)


	64. Chapter 64

Before I begin.

This is it. Before the last maaaaaybe two chapters of 'resolution' and maybe a side story, this is 'it'. Season finale time.

So, get some popcorn, and maybe look up 'Rosier' by Lunar Sea. The first link will do if you look on youtube. You'll know when to play it too, I think, if you've read this far, you probably have a good grasp on how I work. :)

* * *

Chapter 63

I ran as quickly as I could without hurting myself on the still slightly rain slick cobblestones. About three streets over, a good distance away from what might be our 'end goal', I pushed the cork down on the second signal flair, and whipped it into the air as hard as I could. Since the 'distraction' team didn't have an occulus, Ryuu, Aisha and Haruhime needed to be signalled on when to cover Bell.

I had to count on two things here. First, that Ais wouldn't ignore them. With her speed, and skill, she probably could. But I knew she had at least a little pride, behind that marble smooth beauty of hers, and if she were challenged, she would accept.

Second, was that she while she was in the top 1% of adventurers, she wasn't a murderer. At least, I was hoping not. Ryuu and Aisha were basically volunteering, and while I knew Ais would beat them, I didn't want them to get hurt.

I shook my head and spoke into the occulus on my wrist. "Last location of Bell?"

"A little east of the tower, starting to clear a path for Lido's group." Takemikazuchi replied.

"I'm sending some eyes there." I thought about the map layout, and what entrances were there. "Any word on Ouka's group."

"Entrance by wall is guarded..." A pause, and I could make out a mumble as the war God spoke to another occulus, "Lilly's hunch was right. There is another entrance on the edge of the artisan quarter."

"Lilly's status?"

Hestia answered this time, "Deception complete. Loki will push west, to cover the Daedalus maze, and the entrances around it, leaving less or no cover..."

I didn't like the sudden silence, and an instant later, I felt a gust of freezing air followed by the crackle of what was probably a lake's worth of ice forming in an instant. "Report!" I said into the stone.

"Welf's team has engaged. They are covering Lido's group from Loki Familia." Takemikazuchi replied, "A dwarf and a mage."

I ran the faces through my head. Tiona and Tione would hopefully still be stuck in the tower. Finn was likely still at the Loki base camp near the Daedalus maze crater, Gareth and Riviera were now fighting Welf, Mikoto and Marius, while Ais was, hopefully, still fighting Aisha. Was that everyone?

"Understood. Tell Bell to guide them towards the red light district. Any word from the other group?"

Just as I said this, I felt a pair of eyes on me. Turning a corner quickly, and willing one of my little foxes into existence, I sent it on its way at a run, closing one of my eyes to help keep the vertigo of seeing from two perspectives at bay. With a quick flick of my arms, I hid under the invisibility cloth and went still.

"Was that her?" I heard. "They said over the occulus she was near here, yes?"

"Yes! The smoke came from near here too." Two different voices, both women, and very clear, almost like music. My ears picked up a quiet 'tick tick' noise as footsteps approached the place I had hidden myself.

"I think she is close? She has an interesting smell. Fur and iron."

"I'm here." I said quietly, knowing who they were now. Then into the occulus, I said, "Met the Harpy and Siren."

"Understood."

In the distance, the sound of shattering ice and a whirlwind filled with debris echoed along the walls of the alleyway. The two monster girls quickened their pace, and I pulled the cloth off. "What happened?" I asked, "Where are the rest of your group?"

In the half moon light, the two of them were very pretty. Still without a great many feathers, they had cleaned up a little at least, and while unflattering, had wrapped a couple of bits of cloth around themselves for the barest of modesty, and were smiling as I revealed myself. "We nearly crossed paths with a strong adventurer... Silver grey, smelled angry..."

Silver grey... My golden tail swatted me before I could swear, but I did it anyway, "Fuck, Bete! I knew I was forgetting someone. This tall, walks with his hands in his pockets, short tail?" I made the appropriate hand motions for sizes, and they both nodded. "Damn, yes, that's him."

"We had crossed a street, but before the others could, he arrived. We know where they might be..." The green one said, ruffling.

"Sort of." The gold feathered girl grumbled, "They are the youngest, and unable to talk."

"Okay, we'll get them too." I promised, "Base." I said into the occulus, "Any sightings of the smaller ones?"

A moment passed, then, "No, no team has seen any of the missing Xenos." Takemikazuchi said.

"I am going to help find them. Keep me informed."

"Understood."

Kneeling down, I handed the cloth to the gold feathered one, "My name is Kodori." I introduced myself, "Get on my back, the both of you, and hold that over us."

"Fear." The green feathered Harpy said.

"Ray." The golden Siren replied.

"I owe you for healing me, when I got lost. But, later." It was a little awkward, but with my five tails being long enough to curl around them as they clung to my back and shoulders, I managed to get them balanced on my back. They both held the invisibility cloth, and once it had settled, I said, "Just whisper into my ears."

* * *

"Left." They both said at once, close enough to my ears I could feel their breath on them.

Obediently turning, I realized we were close to the Hestia Familia's first home. "If we go much further we risk getting found." I whispered back, my tails tightening around them just a little more to keep my centre of balance steady.

"It shouldn't be much further... I can smell one of them." Fear said, "And your tails are getting a little too friendly."

"I don't mind." Ray said, "You just got used to wearing those pants."

"Focus ladies." I said stopping to look around a corner. "Oh... Is that..."

"Humans?" they asked, looking around the corner with me, "Oh! See see?" Ray pointed, almost letting go of the cloth, "That little hell hound."

It looked like a run down house. Two floors, adobe style, with one boarded up window and three empty ones. In the small courtyard, were two children, a boy and girl, who were very carefully approaching a small hell hound. The monster was looking at the two, its thin tail whipping back and forth happily.

"Careful! It's still a monster." I heard a familiar voice, and stepped out from around the corner, my two travellers squawking as my tails slipped around them and deposited them on the ground gently.

"Daphne?" I called out, a third figure stepping out of the gloom of the doorway and into the moonlight, "It is you."

"Kodori? And... You know, I'm just going to go back inside and lay down until things make sense." Usually calm and collected, she probably wasn't taking the 'some monsters aren't monsters' thing too well. "Cassandra? You go talk to her. I'll keep watch over the rest of the kids."

There was a pause, the hell hound and kids looking up at me. "Ohhh it's the Fox lady." One of them said as the little hound hopped over to me, nosed my hand, then went to the two bird ladies and circled them excitedly. "We found those two adults, with some little monsters..."

"Kodori?" It wasn't Cassandra, though she stepped out of the house too, but Syr. "What are you doing here? Oh! More of them." She looked to the two girls behind me and the still quietly frolicking hound. "It seems..." She looked to the two kids, "You owe someone an apology."

The two kids looked suitably shamed, though I had no idea why, "I'm trying to get them back into the dungeon. And those two..."

"Fear."

"Ray."

"Guided me here to pick them up." I looked to Cassandra, "And I owe you something, for helping me."

Still very shy, the slender girl tried to hide behind Syr, "It was just another dream I had... Like picking up these ones." She looked to the hell hound, who was sitting next to me now, though it was eyeing my tails with that 'look' most young hunting animals have. "I think... no... he is supposed to stay..."

"Oh?" I looked to Syr, then to the kids, then to the hound, "I'm sure I could make it happen, if I talked to Ganesha."

Syr's eyes went wide, "Just like that? But..." She stopped, "No, if they are like Bell says, then I'm sure it would be fine."

Something clicked in my head. That must have been part of why Bell was so down. The kids must have given him a hard time when they found out what he did. "What do you think?" I asked the hound, who pulled his attention away from my tails to nod at me. "Girls?" I looked to the harpy and siren.

"I'm sure your mother would understand." Ray said, kneeling and ruffling the hound's ears, "Maybe it's part of the bridge we need?"

"What sort of bridge needs a doggy?" One of the kids asked, kneeling down as well and joining the siren in scruffling the hound's ears.

"Any others?" I asked, "We have to get moving, or things are going to get more difficult."

"There's a needle rabbit and a hard armoured." Cassandra said, "I don't know about them... I don't think it's time for them yet?"

"The children like them though... Maybe some day?" Syr said, "I'll go get them."

While Syr went back inside, I held the occulus to my mouth, "Reporting. Found the strays."

"Good. Ouka's team is closing in on you, and will take them to an open entrance." Takemikazuchi said.

"Anything to report?"

A pause, then Hestia replied, "Yes." She sounded a little panicked, "Welf's team has delayed the two from Loki, though are mostly unable to do more. Lido's group is getting closer to the sewer exit, but Bell has spotted Ais again."

I paused a moment before replying, "I'm heading that way now." I looked at Cassandra, Syr and the two feathered girls, "Ouka is coming to guide the ones going back to the dungeon. He'll have Asuka and Chigusa with him." I closed my eyes and focused on the little fox I had sent in the direction of Welf's team. I'd only been sort of paying attention to it, and it had gotten a little off target. "Syr, know a place with a bakery... old wood sign, brass around the edges?"

"Oh, yes, that's a little north of the Hostess." She replied, "Um... why?"

"Show you later. I have to catch up to Bell." I told my little messenger to start running southeast, towards the red light district. It wasn't too far off, but it would still be a little trip. I myself opened an eye, and gave everyone a wave, "Keep the cloth. Keep hidden and just follow my friends when they get here."

"Okay. Come visit some time?" Ray said, "Fear will miss you."

"Will not!"

"Sure sure."

"Soon, I hope." I replied, smiling, then looking up and jumping to the rooftops.

* * *

As I ran along the rooftops, I tried to keep the peaks of houses between me and any sign of combat, like say, that twenty meter tall iceberg that had sprouted up near one corner of the Daedalus maze. It wasn't long before my little fox had met up with Lido's group. They were keeping to the shadows as best they could, but when you have a huge lizard man, a truck sized gargoyle, and a car sized hell hound in the group...

"Yip." My fox said, before I could take proper control of it, "Lido, down here."

Not pausing in their quick trot, the lizard man scooped a hand down towards the little fox, "Oh, Miss Hestia said you'd be here... Thought you'd be bigger."

"Well, you can make jokes like anyone under the sun." I said dryly, "You're almost there. Bell is trying to keep the Loki Ace away but..."

"Bell is in danger?" I heard Wiene ask. She was running next to the gargoyle, so I hadn't spotted her right away.

"Yes. But if he can get Ais away from the entrance, you'll all be fine. We can deal with it from there."

My real body paused on a low rooftop, and I brought the occulus to my mouth, "Tell Bell... They are close. It's time."

Hestia was about to say something, but there was a ruffling noise then Takemikazuchi said, "Understood."

"He's really going to fight her alone?" Lido asked.

"My real body is going to meet you in a moment, then once you are underground, I'll join him. He doesn't have to win, just buy time."

The little fox rode on Lido's shoulder until I cut its magic off, and jumped off the roof they were passing under. "Base, how much further."

"Two streets east, then it's almost straight south." Takemikazuchi said.

"Understood."

As a group, we headed in that direction, trying to keep our steps light. I kind of wished I'd kept the invisibility cloth, but there was no point in worrying about that now. Within moments, we were within sight of the street leading to the sewer entrance. We had come at it from a different direction than I did at first, but I spotted the mouth of the alleyway the black minotaur had talked to me.

I looked back over the group, and instantly noticed something.

"Where did Wiene go?" I asked, quickly looking around, the others doing the same.

"I dunno?" Lido said, while the gargoyle, for all it's mean and menacing look, was comically looking under its wings for her. "You don't think..."

"She went after Bell... Damnit..." I sighed, bringing the Occulus to my mouth.

"His occulus has stopped working!" Hestia said in a panic before I could speak. "I can't contact him!"

"Is his mark still on the map?" I asked quickly.

"Yes. It's moving quickly..." A pause, as I heard more fabric rustling through the stone.

"A fighting retreat." Takemikazuchi said. "Quickly, the way is clear, is it not?"

"Understood." I looked to the rest of them. "Go, now, run!"

"We'll pay you back some day." Lido said, the huge hell hound grunting in what sounded like agreement.

"Just don't die first." Gros, the gargoyle said, picking up speed as he started running.

"Oh? Where do you think you're going?"

The three of them started to slow down, while I looked down the street towards the new voice. "Keep going." I said without looking towards the Xenos, knowing that if I did, it would be over. "Don't look back."

"Really? Think you can even slow me down?" It was Bete. Silver hair almost glowing in the moonlight, arrogant face grinning ear to ear, "Once a serving wench, always a serving wench, I think."

Hands still in his pockets, his shin and forearm guards gleaming dully in the light, he took a step forward. Without answering, I reached into my kimono top once more, pulling out a third signal vial. "I've crossed a two level gap before, and if I have to, I'll do it again." I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

"Pfft, I'm not so sure you even did that. Even if that thing was an ugly, arrogant, failure of a whore, Phryne was pretty strong." Bete said, his eyes never leaving mine. "But if you think you can entertain me, sure, I'll play. But once I'm done with you, I'm going to hunt those freaks down."

Taking a deep breath, mostly to centre myself and push away the chill I was feeling from Bete's bloodthirsty eyes, I pushed the cork in the bottle down, then tossed it straight up. As it reached its apex and exploded in a burst of golden smoke, I fell into a fighting stance and let out my breath, "Bring it."

Taking a page out of Bell's book, I launched myself forward, making ready to punch that stupid grin of Bete's face. With ease, and a chuckle, he faded to the side, then again as I stopped on a dime and tried to kick him. Each attack I threw out was dodged with ease, the arrogant wolf boy not even taking his hands out of his pockets.

"Really? Is this it?" He mocked, dodging again as I tried to punch him in the ribs, "You really do have a plain fighting style." He hopped over a sweeping kick, then threw his first attack, bringing his back leg up and over in a massive axe kick.

As fast as it was, I was just able to dodge, the ground I was just on turning into a crater as his heel smashed into the cobblestones. Even though I could feel the shock of the attack through my feet, I kept attacking, drawing in more air, not wasting my breath on useless banter. I was almost as far as my magic could take me without using my spells, or letting my rage take over.

"Close." He moved his chin away at the last instant, "Not bad." He dodged a second punch. "Are you getting faster? Is that what your magic does?" He chuckled, "Still not seeing how you could have won." He kicked at me again.

This time however, I couldn't dodge. As I was sent sideways into the alley wall, I felt my ribs groan, but it was nothing I couldn't keep under control. With a grin, I pulled myself out of the wall, the masonry showering dust around me, and held up my fist. "I will not bend." I started, opening my fist and letting a scrap of cloth fall to the ground. "I will not break."

Bete looked down at his pant leg, where a literal hand shaped patch was missing from the calf of his pants. "Seriously?" He growled.

"I will become a wall, for the home my Goddess has granted me." Those words, I said with my new knowledge of divine script. Speaking as a Goddess would.

Still growling, he went on the offensive, trying for a long roundhouse towards my face. Ducking left, then right as he tried another kick, I slapped a hand across his shin guard, my unbreakable grip and his insane strength too much for the two straps holding the armour in place. His next kick caught me in the middle again, but as I pulled myself out of the wall again, I held his other shin guard up for him to see, letting out a long breath, "You want to know how I beat Phryne?" I tossed the guard to the ground, the heavy metal dinging off the cobblestones and turning to dust, "A piece at a time."

"Forget about them..." Bete growled, his back and shoulders seeming to grow slightly, his eyes meeting mine and widening, "No fox will ever beat a wolf!"

"Her voice through the halls." I said, feeling my back warm up, while I switched my stance to that of 'sticky palm', evading Bete's first flurry of punches, "Her command soft." I could feel the fur on my tails prickle as I demanded more magic from my core, "Yet absolute!"

"Shut... UP!" He shouted, grabbing my wrist and punching me in the gut once, twice, then a third time.

It felt like I'd just broken my hand. But I'd stopped his third strike, and through bloody lips I finished my newest spell, "And I obey with unfailing swiftness."

I let his hand go, and started my own assault. Feeling like I'd set myself on fire, my arms started to move with almost invisible swiftness. Blocking and attacking in the same motion, I actually started to push him back, each punch sounding like a gunshot as it slammed into him.

I couldn't keep it up long however, and at that speed, my own mind wasn't fast enough to keep my form proper. And with a bloody scream, Bete yelled "ENOUGH!" and caught my wrist again, picking me up by my arm and throwing me through the corner of the house at the end of the alleyway towards the sewer entrance. "Forget playing nice! I'm going to rip your arms off!"

It was a struggle to get my feet under me. And before I could get a hand to my healing potions, he had kicked me again in the side, sending me sprawling. I laughed though, through bloody lips of my own, "Heh... haha..."

"What's so funny?" He asked, his shadow falling over me, his body glowing with its own almost moonlight colour.

As I felt the warm energy creep in from outside my body, I asked, "Have you met my girlfriend?"

Strength flooding into me as my own magic embraced Haruhime's. I exploded to my feet, hitting Bete under the chin with a doubled fist. Knocked backward, he swore and charged again, our hands and feet striking and blocking rapidly. I could feel the ghostly tails as they grew from my rear, Haruhime supplying me with a sixth, then a seventh, and then almost reluctantly, an eighth.

Muscles burning with exertion, I was able to finally put a hand over Bete's right bracer, and with my own right arm, planted the point of my elbow into his solar plexus.

Coughing, he stumbled backwards, his eyes, full of anger, meeting mine as I tossed his armour aside and took a step forward. He too, went through a further change, his entire body seeming to thicken, short silver hair growing over all of the bare skin I could see. Not willing to lose the momentum I had gathered, I took a second step and started my assault anew. For all the world he looked like he was turning into an actual wolf man, but even with his increased strength, I was just able to keep up.

Until I started to feel my own magic reserves start to fade.

"Got... You... Now..." He growled as I started to slow down. "Won't let... you... rest..."

"I don't need to." I replied my arms meeting his, both my hands needed to block his punch, my feet sunk into the cobblestone. But with one of my tails, I flicked it under my kimono, latched into a potion, and flicked it behind me. "You fight alone, because you see others weaker than you, a waste of effort."

Behind me, I heard Haruhime open the potion I'd thrown at her.

"What?!" Bete exclaimed as I started to push him back, my body flooding with fresh magic as my love drank the mind potion, "There is no way you can be stronger!"

"Alone? No." I growled, taking one deep breath and pulling as much magic as I could into my core, an electric tingle flicking through my tails and up my spine. I gave one last little push, then backed up quickly, the move throwing Bete off balance. Before he could recover, I started attacking again, right fist to chin, left palm to chest, right front knuckle to solar plexus, left hand grabbing his belt, right hand grabbing the bristly hair of his chest. "Now if you would please keep your hands OFF THE WAITRESSES!"

And that was how I beat Chloe's record for the Chloe Javelin, as I turned and tossed Bete in the opposite direction of the sewer entrance, easily clearing a small row of three story houses.

Falling to my knees as I watched him fly out of sight, I reached with suddenly numb hands towards the potions inside my kimono. "Ha-chan?"

Her arms were around me in an instant, and her hand helped mine find the potion I was looking for. "You did it!"

"We did it." I corrected, leaning my cheek against hers, our hands, together, opening the healing potion and getting it into my mouth. "We did it. Lido's group is safe." I felt the potion work its magic, my ribs and most of my pain fading, though my muscles felt like jello. "Help me up... Need to get my legs back..."

"Here..." She helped me to my feet, and I leaned on her while we got back into the shadows, "And..." She pulled something from under her goliath hide robe and covered the two of us, the weight of the magical cloth feeling like a lead sheet. I offered her my wrist, then saw that the occulus was gone. "Oh dear..."

"Have to get home then." I gave her a hug, then blinked, "hold on..."

As usual, my tails joined in when I leaned on her for a hug, but something felt a little off.

"One two three four five... six?" I counted, "Huh." I blinked at the newest black appendage as it detached from Haruhime and swayed lightly against my face.

"Well, you have had a busy day." Haruhime giggled, helping me stand again, "Should I carry you? Or are you able to run?"

"My hero." I said with a smile. "Just a moment..." Taking a deep breath, and trying to fan a little more magic out of the little ember I had left, I did a couple of deep knee bends and stood tall again. "Lets hurry."

* * *

I nearly had a heart attack when I saw Ais walking away from the Hearthstone manor. Skidding to a halt, and nearly falling on my rear, and dragging Haruhime down with me, the sword princess looked at us both, stopped, then walked towards us again.

"I'm going home." She said flatly, her eyes troubled.

She walked past us, the scent of her shampoo, of all things, reminding me of summer, and snapping me out of my shock. Haruhime and I looked at her back, then to each other, and continued our run towards home, stopping at the ruin of the front gate, and Bell, who was holding Wiene in his arms, an ornate bottle in one hand.

"Bell? What happened?" I asked, skidding to a halt and kneeling opposite him, "Is she..." I looked just past the twisted pile of metal bars and broken marble, and spotted a single large dragon wing, and four long, sharp glittering red fingernails.

"She saved me." He offered the potion to me, and I popped the little glass stopper off, "Just like we trained, I did a fighting retreat, keeping Wiene behind me, all the way home." He looked it too, his armour deeply scratched, his body covered in blood, though his wounds were healed from what I saw, "I pushed her past the gate. But Ais... She was going to break through anyhow."

I saw that Wiene was bleeding badly, a small puddle of pink blood was forming under her. Without delay, I pried open her mouth and poured the potion down her throat. The effect was nearly instant, and with a pulsing glow, her body, cut, battered, with one arm partially mangled as if broken, fingers broken as if bent backwards... All healed in an instant, though she remained asleep, the blood loss the only thing a potion couldn't fix.

"But then... Wiene changed, she grew a wing, and claws, and broke through the gate, stopping Ais..." Bell hugged the dragon girl, "She still didn't fight... But ripped off her own wing, and broke her own claws, throwing them at Ais's feet..." He hugged her a little tighter.

Reaching out, I put a hand on his shoulder, "We didn't have to win, just change her mind. That's how the Xenos will become accepted up here in the sunlight." Bell didn't look up, but he nodded, "Let's get her inside." I stood up and picked up part of the ruined gate, clearing the path a bit, "So much for property damage..."

"Bell! Kodori! Haruhime!" Hestia called from the main door, a glowing occulus stone in her hand, "We have a problem!"

I sighed, straightening up and quick stepping myself towards Hestia, "Problem? But everyone is accounted for, right?" I looked to Bell, then Haruhime, who both nodded.

"Welf's team. They are by the fountain fighting Gros!" Hestia said, "Welf said he just landed in the square and started to attack. Ganesha has him contained, but..."

I wanted to swear, but my own tails might have knocked me out. Instead, I replied, "Okay... Let's find out why. But first, I'm going to the workshop for what ever potions we have left."

"Let me update your status." Hestia said, "Hurry back Kodori."

* * *

I could feel the potions I'd drank threaten to turn my stomach sour, but thankfully, I had a potion for that too. Grabbing what little remained of our potion supply, I picked up one last thing, wishing I didn't have to resort to it. Running back, and putting a couple of the potions inside my kimono I saw Bell just starting to stand up, Hestia looking at a bit of paper in shock.

"Another crazy update?" I asked, peeking at the paper. Now able to sort of read the Divine Script, my jaw dropped, "Okay, yes, you've had a busy night..." Strength 1001, endurance 1100, dexterity 989, agility 1291...

Bell looked at the paper, his own jaw dropping. I took that instant to toss in an 'instant coffee' pill. Reflexively, he swallowed it, but then made the most revolted face ever, his entire body shivering. "Urg, that is the most terrible thing ever..."

I put one into my own mouth and tried my best to swallow it without it hitting my tongue at all, making the same face and shaking all over as the pill took effect, waking me up in an instant. "I wish I could add something sweet to it, but it stops working if I do."

"Here, kneel down." Hestia said, "No peeking Bell!"

Obediently, I knelt and shifted the kimono top so it fell off my shoulders. I reached back and pulled up the sports bra. "Oh, Ha-chan? Distract Bell with these." I offered her the other two potions I had left, feeling the tingle of Hestia's blood on my back. "Brr..."

"You did it too..." Hestia said, "What did you even do?"

"Ha-chan and I beat Bete." I said with a grin, "I also beat Chloe's record for the Chloe Javelin."

There was a ruffle of paper and I accepted the sheet, looking at the stats, then folding it up and putting it in a pocket. "I'll update you too, Haruhime."

"Follow when you can, love." I said, quickly kissing her forehead and looking to Bell, making sure my top was back in place. "Ready?"

"Yes."

* * *

Bell and I played rooftop parkour as fast as we could on the way to the fountain on the main street. Half way there, we could hear the roars of Gros, and the shouts and screams of people and adventurers alike. When we touched down near the edge of the wide open area around the fountain, people weren't exactly happy to see us.

Catcalls of 'It's the greedy rookie', or 'It's the monster fox'. Bell and I didn't care though. We were already assessing the situation.

To put it simply, Gros was wrecking the place like he had become a normal monster. Just like it was down on the eighteenth when the sleepy little town was destroyed, his eyes were red, his motions were simple and violent. No real thought. He just looked at someone getting too close, and swatted them away with a massive clawed hand or his lashing tail.

"This is terrible..." Bell said, "How do we deal with this?"

"Let's go ask." I said, thumping my fist into my palm, "Calm him down first, but don't hold back."

And it was on. The two of us charged, with me yelling at people to get out of the way. Both of us jumping over the ring of Ganesha Familia guards, we dashed towards Gros fists raised and daggers drawn.

Then another bellow rattled the air. I almost stumbled as I got within Gros's range, his tail winding up to lash out towards me. People really started panicking then.

"Black minotaur!" Some one screamed.

"KODORIIIIIIIII!" From the edge of the circle, a black armoured comet jumped the twenty meters from the edge of the circle, to land between me and the tail I wouldn't have been able to dodge.

With a great metallic 'WHANG' the tail bounced off a tower shield, the big shoulders of Marius facing me as I recovered my posture, crossing my arms and blocking Gros as he swept a claw at me. "Bell! Minotaur is yours! It's hurt bad! Get it away from here! Away from these people!"

Bell, both hands holding open Gros's mouth to keep it from biting his face off, pushed back with all his might and broke away, "Okay!" He shouted back.

"I have your back! There is something in his shoulder!" Marius said to me, swinging his shield around and smashing away another claw.

"Don't die!" I yelled back, quickly looking over Gros as I ducked under a nasty bite that seemed to displace the air around his mouth.

Each time Gros attacked, I ducked under, or evaded, letting Marius swat away the strikes, banging his fist against his tower shield to get Gros's attention. Slowly, I was dodging less, as the veteran soldier drew aggro. What ever it was that was stuck in the gargoyle's shoulder must have been painful, because every time I got close to seeing exactly what it was, he would try and turn his body away. But with a well timed two handed bash with the drake scale shield, Gros finally stopped paying attention to me.

A red thorn? There, high up on his front shoulder, was a spike of red. Covered in black lines, it glowed with an almost fire like aura. Ducking under a wing, then a return tail sweep that Marius had deflected, I put a hand on Gros's supporting arm, so I could brace and leap up to try and grab that weird thorn.

Only to get Gros's full attention again. The gargoyle backed up a step, wings opening, but before he could sweep them at me, Marius once again got in the way.

Hiding in his shadow, the big man grunting as he ducked behind the shield himself, both wings managed to slam him on either side, making him go down to one knee. "This isn't working." He groaned, struggling to stand.

I reached into my kimono top and popped the cork on one of the healing potions. "Drink." I almost fed him the bottle in my haste, letting go just in time to stop Gros from biting the shield and possibly his arm. "Plan B. Beat him up until he slows down." Unbreakable grip and a lot of effort was keeping the gargoyle's mouth open, but I heard the groaning of Marius's armour as he stood up again and drew his sword.

And behind us and all around, the crowd started to cheer for us.

I knew it was simply the population watching the two of us 'do something' about the problem. But still, the support felt pretty good.

Together, Marius and I alternated between defence and attack. He would brace his shield and deflect Gros's lashing tail, and I would pop up and slam a fist into the gargoyle's chin. I stepped forward, grabbing hold of his claw before he could get any real momentum behind it, then Marius tried to cut into the literal rock hard skin.

And it was working. Slowly, we were pushing Gros back towards the wrecked fountain, the water still sputtering from the pipes.

"Idea!" Marius shouted, slamming his sword back into its sheath and bracing for another claw swipe.

"Okay!" I replied, chipping a bit of stone off Gros's ankle, feeling my own fist twinge in pain at just how hard I had to hit him to even accomplish that.

"Water pipe! Eyes!" Marius shouted back as I blocked Gros's tail with my two forearms, feeling my shoulders threatening to pop out of their sockets.

"Boost!" I called back, Marius taking the time to throw a broken brick at the gargoyle's face, making it flinch just long enough for him to lift his shield over his head, and give me a level platform to jump over the berserk monster. Landing solidly on the shield, I sprung off just as I saw Gros try and bite me out of the air. Losing a bit of fabric from the dressy battle kimono's skirt, I still managed to splash down right in the middle of the fountain. Blinking my eyes clear and using my tails to latch onto things so the slick stone under my feet wouldn't trip me, I took one look at the pipe and went to work. "This way!" I called over to Marius.

Banging his shield and throwing more bits of broken masonry, the big soldier egged Gros into turning towards me. While he was doing so, I used my strength to bend and squeeze the pipe, increasing the modest water pressure, like squeezing the end of a garden hose.

It only needed to work for a moment, and it did, spraying right into the rampaging monster's eyes and mouth, making him raise a claw reflexively to block the torrent.

At the same time I jumped again, aiming to land on Gros's back, Marius took his shield in both hands, and slammed it down on the gargoyle's face.

I landed just as the overhanded shield bash slammed Gros's chin to the ground. Quickly, I sat astride the long neck, gripping tightly with my legs while I reached over for the red spike still jutting out from the monster's shoulder.

However, me mounting the beast made him redouble his efforts. Roaring, trying to reach awkwardly up to grab me, lashing his tail madly and swinging his wings wildly.

"Back!" I shouted, using a combination of my tails, one hand, and my legs to flop and roll over Gros's back so I didn't get thrown off, slammed with a tail, or slashed with the sharp wing claws of his bat like wings. Finally, I got a hand around the little spike, the object itself seeming to claw at my own mind madly. "Now let's calm you down..." I grunted, holding on with my legs around his upper arm as I brought the other hand around and pulled back with all my strength.

Gros roared like a wounded animal, the metal spike coming out a centimetre at a time. But even as the drake scales of my arm got clawed by Gros's hind foot, and his long neck tried to bite my other arm off, I yanked the spike out of his shoulder, dodged a second bite, then with my tails, all six of them, I latched onto his face, detached from his arm, and sat myself firmly on his beak.

And started punching his forehead, really hard.

I didn't know anything about gargoyle anatomy, but as my tails kept his mouth closed, and my own shifting weight kept him from clawing me off his face, I hoped I could rattle what ever he had in his head hard enough to stagger him. About the time I broke my pinky finger from a bad punch, I saw his glowing red eyes flicker back to something that looked like obsidian, before he groaned and crashed over onto his side.

Barely able to scramble off his face before getting crushed under him, I got to my feet, raised my guard, and did a slow count to five. Nothing.

So I looked over my shoulder slightly, and called out. "Ganesha! Rope!" Hoping they were as well disciplined as they acted, despite Ganesha himself...

A moment later, to the cheers of the people, a half dozen Ganesha soldiers ran up to me. I even noticed that same guy who helped me with the hard armoured, so long ago. He started barking orders, and after a moment, rope, then more rope, was brought, and soon, just as Gros was starting to stir again, the gargoyle was tied up tightly. Marius and I had helped, as well as Mikoto and Welf who had joined in a moment after I'd called for the Ganesha Familia.

All of us, in on the 'secret', were pointedly ignoring the citizens of the city, who were starting to chant 'kill kill'.

"You've come so far since the monster festival." The guard said, grinning as we shook hands. "Just as rough on your clothing however."

My poor 'dress armour' was tattered, my body under it feeling much the same. Marius's armour was going to need replacing too. Many of the rivets had popped, leaving bits of his chest plate and pauldrons threatening to come off. The poor shield too, was a wreck. Dented and with most of the drake scale coming off, it was pretty much a lost cause.

I looked the man in the eye, and asked, "What's a small version of those cages cost?"

Welf and Mikoto looked at me as if I'd grown a second head, while Marius laughed. Then they looked at HIM like he'd grown a second head.

"What?" I asked with a grin, catching something out of the corner of my eye, making me look towards a nearby rooftop. "After a certain..." I paused, looked for, and found the still glowing red spike of metal, "Person let a few ruffians into our home..." Gros was blinking groggily, but we made eye contact, "Shakti always said I had a knack for taming."

"We can... ask. I suppose?" The Ganesha man said, rubbing the back of his head, "But you might want to address the crowd..."

Just as I was about to hop up onto Gros, and declare victory, something exploded. Feeling the rumble through my feet, I looked towards the Tower of Babel.

"Shit! Bell!" I started running, "Welf, call home! Marius stay here, Mikoto with me!"

* * *

In the distance, I could see a massive dust cloud billowing out through the wrecked front doors of the tower entrance. Along the path was even worse. Wrecked cobblestone, smashed buildings, the remains of Bell's red minotaur horn dagger, and most of a very large sword blade. To my sensitive eyes, I could see blood too. Black and red alike.

"Kodori..." Mikoto started, "What did you see on that rooftop?"

"Hermes and Asfi." I said with a grimace. "I will talk with them later. Bell first."

"Agreed."

The dust had settled by the time we finished our dash down the wrecked street. Even as we got to the tower, I could see people, actual citizens, peeking out from windows, concern on their faces. Not panic. But actual concern. My ears could pick up the odd voice too.

"Is he okay?"

"Did he kill it?"

"Maybe it ran back into the dungeon?"

Mikoto and I cleared the main doors, and nearly fell into what looked like a giant pit. What ever had happened, it looked like nearly the entire floor, from the entrance to just before the elevators in the back, had been smashed down by some giant sledge hammer. A small part of me cringed, considering the floor had what looked like a life time's work engraved into it.

"Kodori?! Down here!"

"Eina?" I called back, looking for a good place to land, seeing part of the first floor of the dungeon slowly absorbing what looked like the job notice board. "What are you doing here?"

"There." Mikoto pointed, then jumped, landing on a broken bit of pillar, then hopping again towards the centre of the pit, where I could see Eina, her guild uniform tattered, and Bell, head resting in her lap.

Following, I landed next to the three of them, Mikoto already reaching for her potion belt. Bell was awake, his body covered in dirt, blood, bits of metal and a few shreds of cloth and armour. "He let me live." He mumbled, slowly bringing up a bloody and battered arm up to his face. "He..." Bell started to sob, "Best two out of three, he said."

And that was how our night to save the Xenos ended. Bitter victory, won through blood, ended with tears.

* * *

The light was just breaking over the wall when I was finally able to get home. I managed, if only just, to remember to take my shoes off at the door. But I had so many little questions going through my head that it was a near thing.

"Where was Fels?" I asked no one in particular.

"Actually." I found myself looking down at Hestia, as I clung to the ceiling, "Wow..." She said, looking back up at me, holding an occulus in one hand, and what looked like a wet towel in the other. "Those hand prints are going to be hard to clean... And he wants to talk to you."

Touching down again, I accepted the towel first, scrubbing it over my face and hands. Folding the now dirty towel up so Hestia wouldn't get her hands dirty, I traded for the occulus. "Fels?"

"Yes, finally, we can talk." He sounded the same, save that the sand over tile voice managed to convey 'irritated'. "I've only managed to get some reports from Lido and Lady Hestia, but..."

"Where the hell were you?" I asked bluntly, "Lido didn't mention you vanishing, the second group didn't mention you. And while my Familia, and Takemikazuchi Familia, were trying not to, well, die, we couldn't get a hold of you." I realized I was venting my frayed nerves at the man, so I took a deep breath, "Sorry."

"No, you've every right to be angry." He replied, "I was waylaid by Hermes and his aide Asfi. They've only just recently let me go. They are also responsible for.."

"Gros, I know." I grumbled, wishing my tails were clean enough to hug Hestia, as it was, She had taken hold of one of them, and was keeping me from pacing too far, as usual. "I saw them up on a rooftop after Ganesha Familia helped me tie him up."

"You really plan on keep him up here then?" He asked.

"It was that, or let the crowd take him apart with pick axes." I replied, "And I'm sure you've seen what's left of the first floor of Babel?"

"Lord Ouranos will close the dungeon until repairs are done. A couple of weeks I think." Fels replied, "Is everyone else okay?"

"Bumps and scrapes, a few bruised egos. A lot of repairs and potion making to do."

"If you need money, the magic items you used are yours to do with as you will." Fels replied, "The least I can do for your help in getting them back into the dungeon."

"Oh, I'm sure we can talk more about what you can do." I sighed, "But, later. I need a bath, and a month of sleep. Though I suspect I'm only going to get a couple of hours."

"I will keep my occulus handy." He replied, "Give my regards to everyone who isn't there to hear them now."

"Sure." I replied, putting the little glowing sphere on the nearest flat surface. "Lady Hestia?"

"Yes?" She asked as I knelt in front of Her.

"Can I have a hug?"

"After you have a bath." She replied, then squeaked as I stood, picking her up at the same time. "Put me down!"

"If I take you to the bath, I get my hug sooner." I replied.

* * *

Notes!

THERE! Main story, done.

At least, that's book 11. I'm not done, but the books (north american released as of August 2018) are.

Look forward to a little cleaning up. A conclusion to a side quest that has been going on for many chapters. A pool episode, a fishing episode, and maybe a trip out of town (or two).

I think, maybe, if I am planning this all right. I'll be done almost at the same time I started. One full year of this fanfic.

Crazy, isn't it?

See you all soon.


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 64

I was right that I'd only get a few hours of sleep. All the girls had had their bath by the time I'd carried Hestia into the bathroom with me, so I limited my scrub time to getting as much dirt off as I could, and not soaking in the tub.

And getting my hug from Hestia. Being the captain of her Familia had its downsides, like being first in line to deal with, as Marius put it, 'the _administration_ '. But that just meant I got more hugs, because Hestia hated dealing with the _administration_ herself.

Haruhime was already asleep by the time I'd gotten to bed. Rightfully so, as she had basically bridged the two level gap with me, as well as using her own magic to make up my diminished reserves while fighting Bete.

She wasn't, however, alone either. Lilly was laying next to her, taking up my usual spot when I felt I needed comforting, cuddling into her middle. I made sure to get a good look at them, so I could draw a picture later. I then gave one last look at the sunrise just peeking over the wall, and took up my usual spot behind Haruhime for a nap.

And woke up to the sound of construction, what felt like seconds later. Untangling myself, and my tails from Lilly and Haruhime, I grumbled myself to my dresser and put my 'bumming around the house' clothes on in a more or less proper fashion.

I had just enough hair now to do 'bed head', making it a perfect 'you have awoken the badger' look.

I knew, that with Ganesha being the kind of God he was, that he would want to help me take care of Gros. Be it saying 'no' and quietly stuffing him down one of the other entrances we found, or 'no' and keeping the grumpy gargoyle at the zoo. But I hadn't expected Him personally, to show up, with a small construction crew, and start work less than... four hours? afterwards.

"Miss KODORI!" He said in his usual showmanship style, seemingly unable to see my 'squinting at the too bright sun, didn't sleep well, haven't had morning tea' face. "I am SO GLAD!"

I stopped in front of Him, looked up, and... Just sighed. I couldn't bring myself to be angry at that much enthusiasm. "G'morning, Mr. Ganesha." I hoped my 'demoting' Him from Lord to Mr would hint at my irritation. "I'd ask what brought you by, but..." I waved a hand at the dozen or so people who were rapidly digging pits in the front corner of our front yard.

He lowered His voice a little, and since He and I were far enough away from the workers, spoke in a more relaxed tone. "Anything for a friend." He said, "When it's done, we'll put poor Gros in for you, and make it all official with the Guild."

I gave him a sideways glance, though even in my sleepy state I didn't miss Him calling me Friend. "Could I bother you for one more thing then?"

"Name it."

"An orphanage, just a little to the side of the Maze. Syr Flova, from the Hostess of Fertility lives, and takes care of the kids there."

"Ah, I know her, yes." He smiled, "Makes an excellent curry, when I've time to visit."

"They have a small hell hound there now. Left over from the... incident, last night." I looked behind me, to see a few sleepy looking Familia members peeking out of the front door. I just gave them an equally sleepy thumbs up, and they vanished back inside.

"Consider it handled." Ganesha said, waving to the people at the door just before they faded back inside. "If you wish to join them, I will keep an eye on my Familia."

"Deal. I'll bring payment, and learn Syr's curry recipe as soon as I can. Chicken, pork, or beef?" I asked, giving the God a pat on the arm in thanks.

"Lamb. If you can manage it." He grinned, "I'll bring Gros over, say, around sundown."

"I'll make sure to learn how to cook lamb then." I yawned, "G'night, Lord Ganesha."

"Good night, friend Kodori."

* * *

I didn't make it past the comfy couches in the living room on my way back to bed. This time however, I was woken up by the smell of tea. Cracking open an eye, I spotted a stone cup, steaming innocently just out of reach on the coffee table.

"You are taunting me, oh cup of liquid life." I mumbled, opening my other eye as a small hand entered my field of view and nudged the cup just a little closer. "Is someone asking for a hug?"

"Yes please?" Wiene said, her legs entering my view, then the rest of her when she knelt down. She was dressed in the old battle cloth robe we had given her before the inky black one I'd taken off Fels. "Thank you, for helping my family from the dungeon." She said quietly, leaning forward and putting an arm around my back, her cheek brushing mine, tiny body feeling warm and healthy.

"Part of being a hero." I said, putting my arm around her back in return, then wiggling a little to sit up, my tails collecting the dragon girl and putting her on the seat beside me, but not letting go. "Is to help people who need it." I reached for the cup of tea, the minty smell making my ears twitch happily. The scent also helped clear my mind, and I looked around the room, my ears listening for anyone else who might be up.

"Bell is my hero." Wiene said quietly, "I'm sad he got hurt so much to protect me..." She leaned on my shoulder, taking hold of one of my tails to wrap it over her shoulder a little tighter. Now that I had six of the things, she almost vanished under the poofy fur.

"Remember when I told you about 'can' and 'should'?" She nodded, "For Bell, helping people in need is always 'should'. Even if he doesn't know how. He will find out how, then help. It's just how he is." I sipped the tea, "You've gotten better." I said, bringing a smile to her face that almost dispelled the sadness in her eyes. "I have a question for you, but, you have to keep it secret from Lady Hestia."

She blinked at me, "Secret?"

"You can't tell her about it. Everyone else in our Familia knows, but it's a surprise for Her." I brushed a hand through her hair, the teardrop shaped gem on her forehead glittered faintly. "I have your old gem." I put a finger to her lips, "And we want to use it to pay back what Lady Hestia owes, to Lady Hephaestus."

"Lady Hestia owes... who?" She asked, "Miss Haruhime explained a little about money... but I'm not very good with numbers."

"I'll take you to see Her later." I said with a smile, "But you know Bell's dagger? The one that glows?" She nodded, "Another Goddess made it. And it was very expensive."

"Ohhhhh. So you want... But why ask me?"

"It is a gift, from Her Familia, to Her. You're one of us." I poked her nose lightly.

"I don't mind." She replied, capturing my hand with hers and putting it on her head. Obediently, I smoothed her hair for her. "Heehee."

"Oh, and, Gros will be living with us. He wasn't able to escape, but he should be safe here." I explained.

She was very excited by the news, her eyes lighting up, "I hope he likes it up here!"

"Me too. Hm, what time is it..." I unravelled my tails from around her, "Want to help me cook?"

"Yes please!"

* * *

As with any pack of high activity people, the smell of food being cooked made them slowly gravitate towards the kitchen. It wasn't long before everyone was at the table, wondering what exactly it was I was cooking. Wiene, at my command, threatened anyone who entered the kitchen with Chime, who sat up on hind legs and cleaned her face at people in the most menacing manner she could.

Not very threatening, but I was busy, and Wiene had already done an amazing job with the bread, so her duty in the kitchen was pretty much done.

Eventually, I did need extra hands, and called for Mikoto to help. And together, we put out what was basically a half dozen different stir fry dishes. Ranging from vegetarian, to meat and noodles. We were going to have to do some serious shopping for food again, but after our victory, I figured we deserved it.

Of course, it nearly fell to bits the instant I noticed Bell was missing. When I asked Hestia, She replied, "He hasn't left his room since coming home."

"Well, that won't do." I said with a sigh, "Oh, set a couple of places for Aisha and Ryuu."

"Are we expecting them?" Ouka asked, "None of us have left... And if I didn't smell the food, I'd still be sleeping."

Everyone laughed at that, "I cooked their favourite dishes. They'll be here." I said confidently. "Go ahead and start, I'll be down in a moment."

* * *

"Bell." I tapped on his door, "I don't want to have to replace this door." Some times, being a big sister required a heavier hand. "But it's only made of wood." Heavy and very nice oak, but still wood.

"It's not locked." Came the reply.

I opened the door, and entered Bell's room. He didn't have the light on, but it hardly mattered to me. It was kind of an odd place, Bell's room. A weapon rack, with a few of his lesser used weapons, as well as a couple of practise ones. A couple of dressers. Desk, chair, bed, small table, and books. Lots of books. Even in the near dark, I could make out the titles, and while I wasn't familiar with the names, I could tell they were books about heroes.

Hard not to be, when almost all of them were 'The adventures of' or 'the Heroic Tales of'.

Bell himself was sitting at the table, head down, and looking at me as I looked about his room.

"I'm going to take a guess." I started, "And think you're a little upset about last night."

He looked, for an instant, that he was going to try and dodge the question. But I gave him my version of Eina's best stare, and he simply answered with, "Yes."

"You're young. So, I'll let you in on a little bit of actual wisdom." I stood across from him, kneeling on the floor so I could meet his eyes a bit better, "Occasionally, you will lose. It happens. Sometimes, you do it to yourself. Like gambling. Others, people do it to you. Like with Ais." I held up a hand as he opened his mouth, "Being unlucky, or not skilled enough, means you have to learn and improve. Provided you are given the chance."

I knew I hit the mark when he closed his mouth and put his head back down, though his eyes never left mine. "I tried my hardest. But it wasn't enough." Bell said with a sigh, his red eyes threatening to tear over. "And in the end... I couldn't do anything more than hope he didn't kill me."

"I know that feeling." I replied, standing and going to his side, kneeling again and hugging the boy, "But I'll tell you something." He didn't return the hug, but he leaned into me a little. "You did something I couldn't."

He made a questioning noise, finally lifting his head out of his arms on the table, "I met the minotaur a little while before that. When I saw that the entrance was clear. And I couldn't do a thing."

"What do you mean?"

"I couldn't move. Couldn't run. Couldn't. do. a. thing." I sighed, "For the first time since coming here, I was totally helpless. If he wanted me dead, he could have just walked up to me and killed me." I poked his shoulder, "You however, just stepped up to the challenge, and did exactly what you needed to do."

"I... almost don't believe you." Bell admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"So, you lost. But you still came back from the dungeon." I stood and gave in to the urge to ruffle his hair. "That's a win. Train hard, and when you two meet again, give him the fight it wants, and..."

"Come back from the dungeon." He finished for me. "Yeah... A hero doesn't sulk."

"Actually, they do." I replied, "But that's boring, so the books never talk about it."

"Thanks big sister."

"No problem. Now, come eat, or I'll drag you there by your ankle."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

Aisha and Ryuu did in fact show up. They both looked like the rest of us, tired. But, with all the good food, and the air of 'victory', they joined seamlessly with the mildly festive vibe in the room.

"So, I noticed you have a bird cage outside." Aisha said, "And since I know tiny over there is house trained like the rest of you, it can't be for her."

Wiene stuck her tongue out at the Amazon, who did a really good 'googly eyes' back at her. "It's for Gros. Lord Ganesha is probably on His way back to drop him off." I replied, perking up, "Reminds me! Sister? Can I pry you from your food for a few moments?"

"Just this once." Ryuu replied, daintily putting down her fork and standing.

Behind me, I heard Welf start into the story of 'the taming of the gargoyle, while I made my way into the kitchen. "So what did you need sister?" Ryuu asked.

"Help me make some tea." I grinned.

* * *

For a first attempt, the chai I had made wasn't bad. No where near what I'd been served at Ganesha's home, and honestly, I almost didn't want to let Ganesha himself try it. But, He might have suggestions for improvement.

While Ryuu and I were working with the various spices, she told me what had happened last night. It made my heart hurt, to put her in such a position, but Ais hadn't been too rough on her, but after managing to hold the Sword Princess up for about ten minutes, Ryuu had lost.

"I am thankful for your help sister. Without you, last night would have been that much more difficult. But I hope to never need you to do that again." I said, filling one of our biggest trays with fresh teacups.

"It was... educational." She replied, "But please, if you do need me for such a thing again, ask."

"As you would of me." I replied, hefting the tray, "But, I hope never to need to."

Ganesha was just walking into the dining room as we returned with the trays of chai. "I AM GANESHA!" He declared confidently, "And I have just put that gargoyle fellow in the cage outside." Shakti was with him, though no one else was.

"Ganesha." Hestia said, "We know all about your... You know, forget it. Some one make some space for him."

Shakti gave her God a sideways glance, and Ganesha looked like he might actually decline, but within seconds, two spaces were cleared, and plates were laid out for them. "We insist." Takemikazuchi said with a smile.

As the tall God sat, I placed a cup of chai at his left hand, then one for Shakti, "It's my first try, please, tell me what you think." I said to them quietly, "Then please, eat."

"Gladly." Ganesha replied, Shakti nodding as well.

"Now, while they tuck in." I said, returning to my seat and letting my tails mingle with Haruhime's, "Let's do a quick after dungeon report." I looked to Lilly, who was sitting next to Wiene, and adjusting the dragon girl's robe a little, so her scales wouldn't cut into the cloth so much. "At the beginning I suppose?"

"Lilly will have her revenge for last night." She replied with a moment of sulking. "Lilly distracted the random adventures, pretending to be a monster and running around. When they gave up, Lido's group came out of hiding and started in the direction where most of the possible exits were."

"A wise idea." Takemikazuchi said, "Making ready to go to any of them, as the opportunity presented itself."

There were some nods, then Lilly continued, "When Miss Kodori sent the message, Lilly went to the Loki camp by the Maze. Lilly used a cloak, and waited, replacing a messenger and giving a false order."

"It worked then?" I asked.

"Like a charm. Lilly hopes the person she replaced isn't too sore about being shot in the butt." Lilly grinned, the rest of the table laughing. I'd given her the sleeping potion I'd made, but never used, after my physical recovery from the Amazon's torture.

"Impressive." Ganesha said, "Something you did at the war game, correct?"

"Yes Sir. Lilly did it there too." She replied, looking a little shy under the God's smile.

"This gave Loki a much bigger blind spot than they would have had." Marius said, "And while we did meet up with that dwarf and elf..."

"Gareth and Riveria." Welf supplied, then continued, "Gareth was... Unstoppable. Mikoto and I hit him with those ice magic sword... Together! And he just... Called it cold."

"He is truly as tough as people say." Mikoto added, "But, even as the magic sword shattered, we had blocked off pursuit with so much ice, that Lido's group had no trouble slipping past."

"The blade Ma'am Ryuu helped make, and the third ice blade. Both broke as well, but they managed to hold back her magic for a time." Marius said, "But, that was all we could do there."

"When the second signal went up." Aisha went on, "I took Hime there with me to block Ais. I'll tell you... I have never been so humbled in my entire life." She admitted, "But it felt good to be able to go all out with Hime's magic again." She smiled at Haruhime, "And feel she's gotten much stronger too."

"Bell?" I looked over to him.

"Ais was following me almost as soon as I left. Like we planned, I simply led her around until the Xenos were on the move." We all nodded, knowing that as one of the two aces, he'd get Loki's attention. "After you made contact with Lido's group, and Wiene split off from them..."

"I'm sorry..." Wiene said, "But... sort of not sorry?"

"I had to protect her from Ais. She was really... upset with Wiene. Like..." He paused, then frowned, then perked up, "When Lady Hestia and I fell into the river, during the invasion. Ais came with us. There was a village along the river, that was protected by giant black dragon scales. They made a village in the middle of them. Ais was upset that the people almost... worshipped the scales."

I considered that, then smiled, "She didn't beat you then." I said, "She lost, to your way of thinking." I looked to Lilly, "Ruffle Wiene's hair for me."

"Lilly will do that!" And she did.

"When we got home, I pushed Wiene through the gate. Ais was about to attack me again, seriously... But..."

"I wanted her to stop... But... I didn't want to fight." Wiene said, reaching over and hugging Lilly, who was about to protest, but stopped herself. "I got angry at myself, for not knowing what I should do... Not fight, but still save Bell somehow."

"She broke part of the gate, and wall, and put herself in the way." Bell said, "But she had changed a little."

"I couldn't help it... My claws grew, to how they were before. And I had a wing too." Lilly was patting her head, the dragon girl tearing up a little, "Ais called me a monster, and she said she would never accept a monster up here, in the city." She looked across the table, at Ganesha, "So I took my own wing off, and broke my claws, and... Told her I wanted to stay with Bell."

"Ais... Couldn't bring herself to kill her. I saw it in her eyes. She just... Couldn't." Bell said.

"Good." I replied, smiling though I felt my eyes getting a little misty over the story. "Hopefully, we won't see any trouble from that area..." I sighed, "My turn I suppose..."

* * *

After I told them about my part in things, we were basically just looking at empty plates and cups. "So, now that the dungeon is going to be off limits, what should we do?" Bell asked, "I mean... They kind of need to rebuild the first floor."

I knew what I was going to do, but for the sake of secrecy, I held my piece. "What about Mr. Gros?" Wiene asked.

"I suppose we should go talk to him... Maybe? He didn't seem to have a high opinion of humans really." Ouka said, scratching his cheek idly, "And well, you did kind of beat the crap out of him." He looked at me then Marius.

"Well, if he's going to be staying here, then as the saying goes, you have to work to eat." I said, "And I know just the thing. But first, Lord Ganesha, Ma'am Shakti. Thank you for your help."

"Thank you, Hestia and Takemikazuchi Familia, for your efforts on behalf of the Xenos." Ganesha replied, peering into his empty tea cup, "I'd toast to you, but I seem to have run out of tea."

"My Lord. We do have things we should be present for." Shakti said quietly, also looking at her teacup, and giving me a small nod of approval. "I hope, that your two Familia will at least consider a little rest, before returning to your usual activities."

"We've got a lot of recovery to do, that's for sure." Welf said, "And sleep. Maybe a little drinking too."

There were a few chuckles, and everyone at the table stood as Ganesha and Shakti stood and made ready to leave. Even Hestia and Takemikazuchi. I looked over to Wiene, who had that face again, and gave her a little nudge.

"Mr. Ganesha?"

"Hm?"

"Can I have a hug?"

"Yes you may."

* * *

After the table was cleaned up, and people started to break away for the evening, I looked to our dragon girl, Bell and Hestia, "Want to come with me to talk to our newest member?"

"We really should go talk to him." Bell said, "Though, he's been awful quiet."

"I hope he's okay." Wiene said.

"I hope... He isn't too angry." Hestia said, a little worried. "Or hungry."

"Mr. Gros doesn't really eat. Sometimes he will eat rocks, or drink water. But not often." Wiene explained. "I asked him when we were hiding."

"Makes sense." I mumbled, "As much as anything magical makes sense around here."

Heading outside, Haruhime caught up to us and joined our little entourage. Walking beside me, our tails did their usual thing, making Wiene giggle as she tried to capture them playfully. Our front yard had changed once again, the front left corner of our courtyard, almost right to the corner of the building, was now a sort of bird cage. Maybe a meter taller than our three meter wall, it was sturdy looking, and if it were like the ones at the Zoo, made of adamant. Gros was curled up in the middle of it, and if I didn't know better, was sulking.

Looking like a mix of a dragon, hunting cat, and bird, the gargoyle would have done any artisan proud. As we got closer, he lifted his eagle beaked head and looked at us. Not being 'organic' his motions were a little unnatural. Like some one playing 'stop-go'.

"I was getting bored." He said, finishing the act of uncurling, and walking towards the bars where we stood. The rest of the area he was in was basically bare lawn, with a couple of trees near the outer wall, so it was understandable that he'd be bored. "Thankfully, I am an expert at being bored. Hello, Wiene."

"Hello Mr. Gros!" She replied cheerfully.

"So, I'm your prisoner then? Spoil of war? Isn't that how humans work?" He asked, looking down at us. "And is this your Goddess?" He put his head through the bars, just wide enough for him to do so, and 'loomed' over Hestia. "Hardly a snack." He grumbled as our Goddess backed up a little.

"Now now." I said, putting my hand on Gros's beak lightly, "This is just for appearances." I said, "I'm sure you've noticed, but 'monsters' aren't exactly welcome up here."

"Then why keep me up here at all. That... loud one... Ganesha. He could have thrown me down one of the other entrances, or even out of the city. Said so himself." The gargoyle backed up a little, trying not to act like he didn't like my touch.

I looked to the others in turn, then back to Gros, "Well, actually, I have a question for you first. About how you ended up in the town square..."

It didn't surprise me as much as it did the others, when Gros flung himself at the bars, his beaked mouth snapping shut just centimetres away from my face, "HERMES! He did that to me."

Calmly, I gave him a Karate Chop of Justice, "I know that part." I then put my hand over his snout and pushed a little, "Calm down, and explain."

Behind me, Bell had gotten in front of Hestia, while Wiene and Haruhime had gotten behind me. "Grr... After we had gotten underground, Hermes and that... woman..."

"Asfi." Bell said, relaxing a little as Gros retracted his head back behind the bars.

"They were there waiting for us. Asfi had used something on the tunnel to close it again, and we couldn't use the occulus to tell you. Something seemed to be stopping it from working." Gros explained, "Hermes, acting all high and mighty said it wasn't 'fair' that we could just 'walk away' without paying you back." He started pacing now, back and forth, long whip like take lashing back and forth, "He said Asfi would clear the rubble again, if one of us went and died. He wanted you." Gros paused his pacing, looking at Bell with cold black eyes, "To look good, for the humans."

"But... How? By killing..." Bell paused, shaking his head, not comprehending.

I caught on though. Haruhime took hold of my hand as I felt a momentary boiling sensation in my gut. "He has no idea, does He..." I calmed down, sighing, "Go on?"

"Being the most mobile, I volunteered. He simply said 'go to the fountain, and just be a monster." Gros growled, low and angry, the noise making my ribs vibrate, "Apparently, I wasn't convincing enough." He looked to a small hole in his shoulder, where the red spike had been. "And Asfi hit me with... it was worse than when Dix cursed us."

"Well, I suppose you'll be happy that part of why you are here, is to keep things like Hermes out." I said, knowing I'd have to have yet another chat with the Messenger God. "See, where I'm from, Gargoyles were made to protect, and ward off evil."

"I'm no dog. And I can hardly help inside this..." For all his size, he tapped the bars of his cage just hard enough to make them 'clang'.

"We'll fix that." I said, looking to the others, who nodded. "You're a smart person, so we can chat about your new job a little later. But for now, is there anything you need right now? Food? Water? Healing?"

"I'm... A little different, from a normal mon... Person." He said, "But if you insist I stay, then could you maybe find some sand? The finer, the better."

"No problem." I replied. "Wiene? Want to help our newest family member make a list of things he wants? It's his new home, after all." I turned to Hestia, "If you approve, of course?"

Our Goddess looked up at him, and he down at Her, and finally, She extended a hand, "I welcome you into my home, Mr. Gros." She said formally.

There was a moment of tension as Gros was perfectly still, but after a moment, he put a hand big enough to almost engulf Hestia's entire torso through the bars, and extended a single claw. "Very well, Miss Hestia." He said grudgingly, the Goddess taking hold of the claw tip and shaking.

Wiene did a little cheer, Bell and Haruhime smiled at each other, then the monster and Goddess, and I considered exactly where I would get enough sand for a bus sized gargoyle to roll around in.

* * *

After setting up my little alchemy table up for some potion brewing, I went back inside and considered what to do with the rest of my evening. A hot bath was certainly on my list, the shower I'd had getting me clean, but not really satisfying that 'come home from the dungeon' ritual. I still had some little things to do as well. Like talk to Marius, for his excellent performance with Gros. And Lilly, because I'd rather pay her back for putting her in danger, than have her sneak up on me for payback.

Oddly enough, Marius and Lilly were at the dinner table still, a chess board between them. Seeing the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, I pulled up a chair to watch them. They had just started, only a few of the simply carved pieces had been moved. But the two of them weren't taking their time thinking about things. After a quick nod in my direction from each of them, they started to move their pieces around the board quickly.

I was surprised at first, to learn that Chess was actually a thing in this world. It wasn't something adventures played often, usually being too busy to sit idle. But as Lilly dominated the early game, Marius proved himself a capable opponent, pulling back and defending his pieces, before pushing forward with what little Lilly hadn't taken.

In the end, Lilly won, though there were only nine pieces left on the board between the two of them. The game itself only took about ten minutes, but it made me want to play again... Something I hadn't done for...

No, not going to think about how old I really was. Nope.

"Ma'am? Did you want to play?" Marius snapped me out of my trip down memory lane, "Lilly is... Very good at chess."

"I knew she would be, once I found out that it existed here too." I replied, "Best supporter." I said, one of my tails beating me to patting her hair. "But actually, I wanted to compliment you on your teamwork. Nothing broken? You took quite the beating."

"My armour did it's job, and the potion made sure I could keep up for a little longer." Marius said humbly, "But thank you. I'm glad you made sure I was ready for the monsters, after spending so much time fighting people."

"Miss Kodori is serious about training." Lilly said, "Lilly's hands might never be soft and delicate again though." She pouted, though her eyes were smiling.

"You are amazing with that little crossbow of yours. And that mechanism you use..."

"Miss Kodori made it."

"Welf made it. I gave him the idea." I corrected, "But yes, bleed more now, die less later." I said, "It helps that I know just how to motivate all of you. More or less." I chuckled, "Anyhow, chat with Welf. And we'll replace your armour as soon as we can. Shield too."

"I rather liked the scales." Marius admitted.

"I've been told I should grow my hair out. So I think I'll stay away from the fire breathing monsters for now."

Lilly and Marius laughed. "I'll go find Welf then." the soldier excused himself, but not before properly setting up the pieces again.

"Mr. Marius is funny." Lilly said.

"Are we talking about the same person? Tall, wide shoulders, always serious?" I teased, sitting across from Lilly.

Lilly giggled, "You have to watch for it, but sometimes he slips out of that... professional persona." She said without her usual childish manner. "Would Miss Kodori like to play?"

"It's been a while since I played." I replied.

"Lilly will go easy on you." She said with one of her wicked smiles, "Maybe."

"Care to place a bet?"

* * *

Of course I lost. But, it had been on purpose. I was pretty sure she knew it too, being as clever as she was. In the end, I'd 'forgotten' to move a piece, and left my queen open. After that, it was a down hill slide for me. Though, even though I was sure she knew I threw the game, she made me promise to wear the swimming suit she'd gotten for me.

Small sacrifice, to see Lilly smile.

In return though, I asked to borrow her usual white, form concealing robe.

* * *

"Aisha, sister." I said to our two guests, who had simply been mingling, and enjoying the 'victorious' air in the manor. "If you want to stay, you're welcome."

"Eh, as tempting as that sounds..." Aisha said, "I mean, that bath of yours is amazing."

"Mia will want my help with the dinner cleanup, and I have the early shift tomorrow." Ryuu said, "Hope to see you soon."

"Be well then." I said to them. "Visit any time. Just, don't bring Hermes." I said to Aisha, "I have a sneaky feeling Lord Takemikazuchi is wearing that sword for a reason..."

"You sure then? I mean..." Aisha grinned.

"Too much paperwork." I said, "And after all this, I really really want to finish up my promise." I made eye contact with them, and they nodded, smiling.

"Good luck Fox." Aisha said, the two of us sharing a fist bump.

"We'll be ready for the party." Ryuu said quietly, the two of us clasping forearms.

* * *

The next morning, after what felt like the second best sleep I'd had in ages, I made ready for my day. First, I had to collect Wiene, and Welf. The latter had a mild hangover, but after threatening him with an instant coffee pill, he scrubbed his face, ate a quick breakfast, and got ready.

Marius, Haruhime and Chigusa were going to do some shopping for food. Ouka, Asuka and Mikoto were going for some building supplies for our wrecked gate and section of wall. Lilly and Bell were going to stay home, mostly because we... had lost trust in the people outside our home. But also because 'Lilly' was coming with Welf and I.

"Well tiny? What do you think?" Welf asked, letting go of the girl's hand.

I looked at his work with the dragon girl. Once again, her fingernails were smooth and pink, just as they had been made after she had accidentally clawed Bell.

"They're so pretty again! Yay!" She was about to hug the smith, but paused in mid glomp.

"Yes you may." Welf laughed, ruffling the girl's hair and pulling her into a hug. "So... Why are we dressing her up like Lil'e?" Welf asked me.

"Well." I said, giving the borrowed robe a couple of tugs to settle it on Wiene's shoulders a little better, and drawing up the hood, "We are going to visit Lady Hephaestus, and make sure she never loses her gem again." I said, very gently tapping the sparkling stone on Weine's forehead, "Then the two of you are going to return home."

"Oh? Other plans?" Welf asked.

"Yeah. Being the captain is almost as hard as being the big sister." I replied.

"Fair enough. After the last few weeks... I'm sure there are a few people at the Guild who want you to, I dunno, explain a few things."

* * *

Wiene was having a really hard time containing her excitement. The poor girl was practically vibrating with contained energy with all the new sights and smells of the big city. It didn't help that people were happy to see us again, and were calling our names and such. As much as I wanted to let her explore like an actual free person, it would have ruined everything we'd accomplished so far.

Soon, I promised her. Just a little more.

"Wow." Welf commented as we got to the tower. "Looks even worse in the light."

"Yeah..." I trailed off.

It was like a bomb had gone off inside the tower. Most of the debris on the street was clear, but some of the doors were still hanging in pieces on their hinges. The odd bit of glass or stone still littered the area in front of the tower as well. Inside was even worse. With the early morning light pouring in, and the temporary lighting hung up by the work crews, the broken stone floor of the first floor would take a long while to restore properly.

They did however, prioritize the pathway to the stairs leading up, and a walkway to the elevators. Which was good, because as much as I knew I could climb up all those steps to the top, I really didn't want to.

Wiene was still trying her best not to act like herself, though by now, she was hugging my tails to try and contain her curiosity. However, when we had gotten to the Hephaestus Familia's floor of the tower, she finally let my tails go and asked, "Are we there? It smells like the workshop."

"Well yeah." Welf said, "As much as She does paperwork, Lady Hephaestus is still a smith."

"But yes, we're here." I said, patting Wiene's head, "No one to greet us?" I wondered.

"No decent smith is up before noon." Welf said, "Except maybe you."

"Why thank you." I replied, knocking on the door to Hephaestus's office.

* * *

Notes

And so, our side stories start. :) There's going to be a fair bit of 'slice of life-ing' going on for the next few updates, but well, after any exciting party, the cleanup is almost as epic.

See you soon. :)


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter 65

"You're pretty!" Wiene declared exactly two and one half seconds after Hephaestus opened the door to her office.

Her red hair was a little messy, and her clothes looked slept in, but Hephaestus did in fact look pretty. Not knowing how to take the compliment, the Goddess of the Forge simply blinked, stepped back, and said, "Come in, I suppose." Before yawning so wide I could have sworn the air pressure in the room had dropped. "Why... So early though?"

"I was asking myself that same thing, Ma'am." Welf said, "But, sister here insisted we get an early start to things."

"It's for a good cause, and I have other things to do today." I said with a chuckle, "Sorry about the mess?"

"It's paying work." Hephaestus shrugged, all but falling into the chair behind her desk. "I should really hire a secretary though."

Welf and I chuckled, while Wiene looked a little clueless. "Well, we do have a few things to talk about, maybe that will brighten your day a little." I said, reaching into my shirt and tugging the pouch I had resting in my bosom. "First, is playing a little joke on Lady Hestia."

"Oh?" Hephaestus raised her eyebrow, "Is she causing trouble again? Being lazy?"

"Nah," Welf started, keeping one eye on Wiene as the dragon girl looked, but didn't touch, all the smith tools hanging up around the room. "See, we wanted you to meet our newest member. Lady Hestia mentioned her right?"

"Yeah... Wait, that's her?" She was awake now, Her one eye locking onto Wiene, "You... She wasn't kidding was she?"

"Nope." Welf said while I laughed, walking over to Wiene and taking a gentle hold on her shoulders. "Lady Hephaestus, meet Wiene, Hestia Familia's newest member." I tugged the hood off her head, the dragon girl shaking her hair out from under the robe, the silver blue hair reaching to her hips. "What do you say?" I looked down at her, letting her shoulders go.

"Pleased to meet you, Lady Hephaestus." Wiene said, smiling and extending a hand enthusiastically.

"Wow... She really wasn't joking." The Goddess said, before extending her own hand and shaking. "Adorable and energetic, was how she described you. You even have Falna too."

"Yup! It kind of itches some times... but feels like a hug." Wiene replied, "But hugs aren't supposed to itch." She made a face.

"Haha. Okay, so... Why did you bring her here?" Hephaestus sat down again, kicking her feet up on the desk. "A joke?"

"Well." I opened the little pouch, and carefully pulled out the prosperity stone. "You've heard the news, I assume? A dragon up on the surface, Hestia Familia being greedy, and all that?"

"I knew there was more to it, but well, I don't get outside much..." She sighed, her one eye looking at the little stone held between my thumb and forefinger, "Wait, that's from her? But..."

"I got better!" Wiene said proudly, lifting her hair out of the way, "See?"

"See, the joke is." Welf started with a chuckle, sitting down in the chair across from Hephaestus, "Lady Hestia doesn't know we have it. Or, that her entire Familia is putting it against Her Debt to you."

"We don't want Her to just... Lay around the house again?" Wiene asked, unsure if she had the words right.

Offering the stone, Hephaestus leaned forward to take it, a broad smile on her face, "Ha... That's..." The three of us waited as the Goddess started to laugh, breaking down into giggles. "Oh she deserves you guys... Fine, I accept. But what now? I mean... This pays for it, no doubt."

"Well, keep her payments from now on, and I dunno... Save it for when she might need it? Though, if you want to take a commission now..." I started, putting my hands on Wiene's shoulders again, "We have something we'd like to do, and I figure, who better than the Goddess of the Forge?"

"You're doing it again, Fox." Hephaestus said flatly, "Every time you step into my office, you say something like that..."

"Well, I have other things to do, and just so we don't have another 'incident'..." I took a small bar of metal, one of two I was carrying, out of the courier bag I had with me, "See, we all want her to walk like a normal person in the streets, but the gem on her head is a little bit of a problem."

"Yeah, if she loses it... Bad things happen." Welf said, "Lady Hephaestus, would you help us?"

"Well... I suppose I could use a break from paperwork." She said with a smile, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well. This, is what has been affectionately called 'ko-steel'. I waved the little ingot of black metal, "Using Welf's weapon steel, and mixing in a bunch of my fur, it's basically an blank slate for enchanting. We'd like to make Wiene a circlet, so no one can just... pull out the stone on her head... again..."

Wiene had taken hold of a couple of my tails and was hugging them close. "Yes please." She said. "I don't want to hurt anyone... But if it happens again, I might not be able to stop myself."

Hephaestus considered that a moment, kicking her feet down and standing. Walking around Her desk, She knelt down in front of Wiene and gently lifted her hair out of the way. "Hm, yes, I'm sure we can make something..." She let Wiene's hair fall back, then booped her nose. "Yes, certainly."

Welf and I shared a fist bump, and I handed him the metal ingot. "Play nice now. Remember how to enchant it, right?"

"Sure." Welf grinned, "Who do you think I am?"

"A lovestruck fool?" I asked innocently, making him and Hephaestus blush. "Thank you, Lady Hephaestus. Be good Wiene."

"I will!" She said as I waved at her from the door. "See you soon!"

* * *

I stood in front of the elevator for a good few minutes before actually pushing the button. Of all the people in the city I didn't want to deal with, even above Hermes, was Freya. The last time I'd met her, I could almost feel the urge to abandon my Goddess. It didn't help that Ishtar was probably trying to get into my head, and setting my still very unfamiliar hormones on fire. There was just something about her that almost made me want to try and find some one else for this.

But, unless I wanted to leave Orario in search of another Goddess of Fertility, Freya was the only one I could go to for this.

Freya herself, had made sure of that, when she sent Ishtar back up.

It didn't help that she had the most powerful Familia in the city. Loki was good, and more popular, and from what I'd seen, more active. But Freya had the top floor of the tower as her home for a reason.

I kinda wondered what the rent was.

As the elevator ascended, the odd disjunction of per-industrial era tech outside the tower, to the oddly modern convenience of the elevator made me wonder if maybe Daedalus was actually the same one from my world. Or, if someone else like me, had come here.

I blame the lack of elevator music for the heavy thinking.

When the elevator finally made its cheerful 'ding', and the doors opened, I stepped out, letting go of the tail I was holding. Just as plush and red as I remember, the quiet opulence of the place wasn't as loud as Ganesha, who had hundreds of years of oddities in his office. Or Loki, with the neat yet random collection of trophies. It was more like Royman's office. Freya had wealth, and She lined the walls with it.

"Fox." I heard a voice say as I stepped out of the elevator.

Nearly jumping out of my skin, I looked left to see Ottar, along with two others I didn't know. A human, male, built like Conan would be, if his father were a tank. And a... tiger person. Equally as impressive, though covered in white with black stripes. Both of them casually had hands on weapons, but Ottar just looked over his shoulder then back at me, and they walked away, heading into the hallway behind them.

"Quite the reception." I said, trying to recover my composure. I could feel the contained hostility from those two who had left, and I'd have bet one of my tails they were both level six. "Though, I suppose I'm here without an appointment."

"Not entirely." Ottar rumbled, "Lady Freya saw you enter the tower, though, you had two others?"

"It's a personal matter." I said, "If I could speak with Her?"

"Hm. I suppose I owe Lady Freya ten Valis." He said, "This way."

I followed him, this time in a slightly different direction than before. Even though it was the top of the tower, where things should be the smallest, it was still a rather large floor. But, logic didn't exactly apply to a magical structure. This time, he led me to an outer room that I think, faced south, in the direction of the Hearthstone manor, as well as a good deal of the excitement that happened.

"Lady Freya." Ottar said, stopping at the door. "I owe you ten valis."

"See Ottar? I knew she would figure it out. Please, enter." Freya's voice, now the third time I'd heard it, sounded amused and a little smug. "Ottar, be a dear, and make some tea."

"As you wish." He moved aside for me, then left, shutting the door behind him.

I realized, as I stepped in, that She was assuming something. But figure what out? I waited until Freya had motioned to a chair, opposite the sort of psychologist couch she was laying on. As usual, she was wearing that form hugging dress, open from the neck nearly to her groin, covering, and clinging just enough to not actually reveal anything. Oddly, but certainly not unwelcome, I didn't feel the same tug I had towards her.

"I was wondering..." I started, meeting her eyes, still not getting that undercurrent of want from her, "Why Loki hadn't pursued us farther than they did. Or why they weren't at the fountain." I said.

"Surprised?" She asked, smiling like a cat.

I thought about it, remembering the way She had looked at Bell at Apollo's gala. Would she really go so far for him? My logical side kicked at the thought. They were Gods. They did what they wanted. "Thinking about it. Not really." I said, "You are as inscrutable, as you are lovely." I complimented, "I can only guess your motive, but I certainly won't reprimand you for them."

"Bold as the rumour say." Freya laughed, a pleasant tinkling noise that sent a little tingle up my back. "Hermes is beside himself, for what you've done to him."

"You mean, tell everyone I respect, that He has been... Well, I won't say those words in your presence." I returned her smile, "But yes. He once told me, that I couldn't hurt Him."

"Oh, a challenge?"

"Not really. He thought that being a God demanded respect. That I'd back down because of it." I shrugged, "A God without support, is just a person who will never die of old age."

"Harsh words, though, I will admit, you are quite right." She stretched out on the couch, then slowly sat up, the motion drawing my eyes to Her body. "It is how I am up here, after all."

"I'd heard a little about that. After... Zeus and Hera Familia failed to kill the great black dragon?"

"Yes indeed." Freya said, "They lost the people's favour. Were weakened from the loss of some of their adventurers. So I took what I wanted from them."

"I will admit, the view is amazing." I glanced out the window, seeing a puffy cloud below the window frame.

Ottar took that moment to enter. His massive frame making the little tea cart look like a toy in front of him. He was however, perfectly adept at setting the table and pouring a wonderful smelling tea into the fine silver cups. Before he could leave though, one of my tails looped over his wrist.

"Hm?" He looked down at my tail, his other hand reaching for it, though the fuzzy appendage retreated before he could reach it.

"I'm here for something else." I started, taking a sip of tea. "A personal matter."

"Oh? Do tell?" Freya asked, looking to Ottar, who instead of leaving, stood by the door and waited.

"I'm sure you know already, that I am... involved with the other Renard in my Familia." It felt odd that I was suddenly feeling a little shy about the topic. But I soldiered on, "And, I plan to ask for her hand."

"I am very aware. It is who I am, after all." Freya smiled, sipping her tea and almost purring at it.

"She and I are certainly content with each other. But she is a more traditional sort than I. A proper lady, when she isn't teasing me about my choice in clothing." I continued, sipping my tea, and blinking in surprise. It tasted almost exactly like earl grey. "And I am very close to something that will make a marriage between us... more traditional. Ishtar's brother wrote it in a book, and I borrowed it from Lord Ganesha."

"You really do get creative..." Freya said, "And while I am the Goddess of Fertility, I can't help you with your... lack of anatomy."

"Actually." I opened up my satchel, taking out an empty glass bottle, "You can. I lack only one thing, and that is the aspect of fertility itself. I have everything else." Her eyes widened as I placed the bottle on the table between us. "What I am trying to make was devised by an Amazon, after all."

Behind me, I could hear Ottar growl, a deep noise that was felt just as much as heard. Freya raised a hand, and the noise stopped, though She looked at the bottle with a delicately raised eyebrow. "My my... Something like this, a literal divine gift... To someone not of my Familia no less... What could you possibly offer to me, for something so dear?"

"I am not sure you know, but I am a little bit of an enchanter. As well as all around craftswoman." She looked back at me with a curious expression, "I can make you something unique, only for you." I reached into my satchel again, taking out a small laurel wreath. Since Rakia reminded me so much of Rome, with its soldiers, equipment, and even its training, I figured it would be appropriate that his memory stone would be in the shape of 'Caesar's crown'. "This, is something my Familia has called a memory stone." I placed the small iron token on the table gently, "Simply hold it, and close your eyes. You'll see why."

Intrigued, She leaned forward and picked up the little decoration. "A simple trinket of iron?"

"Please, both hands, and close your eyes."

With an indulgent smile, as if humouring a child, She held it in both hands, then closed Her eyes. The effect was nearly instant. Her brow creased slightly, Her head turned as if to hear something just out of earshot, and She sniffed the air, before opening Her eyes and looking to Her left, where the Rakian prince liked to walk behind me, his 'superior' officer.

"This... It's for the prince you took in, isn't it..." She sounded puzzled, closing her eyes again, "A faint creak of armour, the scent of well maintained equipment, and... The feeling of someone trusted at your back." She opened her eyes again, placing the wreath down on the table, "An interesting trinket indeed. A good name, this 'memory stone'."

Putting the trinket back in my satchel carefully, I replied, "It is something only Welf and I know how to make. And it has a certain... condition, before I can make one. But, I'd happily make one of Ottar, if you'd like."

She considered this, sipping her tea again, "It does get a little lonely sometimes, when he goes into the dungeon." She looked at me over her teacup, "A condition?"

"I would have to get to know him a little better."

"I thought you were working on that for little Haruhime."

"Not that well." I said, shaking my head, "You see, all I really know about him, is... superficial. He's strong. Respected. Quiet. Makes good tea. But other than that? I simply don't know him well enough, to create a memory stone of him."

"Hm. Ottar?"

"My Lady?"

"Return by tomorrow, please." Freya said simply, then to me, "If I deem your craft worthy, I will give you what you ask."

"Lady Freya is kind." I replied. "If I may take my leave then?"

"Yes, please, enjoy your day with my treasure." She purred.

Standing, and taking the still empty bottle with me, I bowed, turned, then walked to Ottar. "I'm in your care, Mr. Ottar."

* * *

Before we left, he had dressed in that same, almost Hawaiian getup. Colourful shirt that was probably only there for the three pockets it had. Functional cargo shorts, and simple belt. Very casual. He brought only a small pouch that I could see, though I could hear the small sum of coins in it shift about as he walked.

As we departed the tower, he stopped, looked at me, then asked, "Now what?"

I'd been thinking of that as we were in the elevator, and replied with, "Well, here is what I know about you. Your name, is Ottar. You are just over two meters tall. Level seven. Your race is... Boaz?" He nodded, "A little known race of half boar." I paused, "You are very loyal to Lady Freya, and have the nickname of 'King'." I paused, trying to think up anything else, then, "Oh, and, you don't treat anyone poorly, just because you are stronger. Very respectable, though because of your strength, a little unapproachable."

He looked at me, face passive. He'd be good at poker. "So. I know you are a great warrior. But, do you have any other hobbies? Things you do in your spare time? Favourite foods?"

His face changed slightly, and one of his not quite pointy ears twitched before he replied, "Lady Freya has given me until nightfall tomorrow. I think we have time."

"Time for what?" I asked.

"Do you know how to fish?"

I blinked at him a moment, even my tails stopped in shock, but I recovered quickly, "I haven't since I was... much younger. But the dungeon is closed?"

"Monsters are unworthy of my Goddess's plate. Or anyone else, save the most desperate." He replied firmly. "Come."

He turned and started walking south. Shrugging, I quick stepped to catch up with him, then matched his pace, though I had to take three steps for every two of his. It wasn't long before I felt the eyes of the people on us, wondering what the 'King' was doing, walking next to 'The Demon Fox'. For the most part, I paid it no mind. It wasn't long before I figured we were heading to the south gate of the city.

"Going out of town then?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied simply, then, "Problem?"

"I should leave a message." I said, shrugging, "My Goddess is prone to worry."

"You could ask the Hermes Familia member who is following us." He said, still not looking anywhere but forward. "Behind, to the left. Red."

I added 'to the point', to the list of what I knew about Ottar, looking behind and to the left, and spotting a half familiar mop of black hair, and a red scarf. My memory kicked the face of the chienthrope girl around a moment, before I remembered. "Ah, I know her... Hold on a moment please?"

He grunted, and stopped. Not following, but likely not going to move either, even if a waggon tried to get past. I walked towards the girl, watching a range of emotions move across her face before the triangle ears on the sides of her head drooped in resignation, and she met me part way. She stopped just out of arm's reach, and looked like she would back up if I got any closer than that, so I stopped, and asked flatly, "Yes?"

"I don't want any trouble." She started, "And no, before you ask, I've been told not to bother you. But..." She paused, "Look... Not everyone in Hermes's Familia likes how he runs things. Most of us work for Him because we don't really care for the rules. Because we act as messengers, the Guild lets us move about with less... Okay, hold on..." She sighed, frustrated, "Never mind the details. Most of us want nothing to do with you, or your Familia. We don't know what His obsession is with you guys, but aside from maybe Asfi? You yourself could walk roughshod over our entire Familia."

"What about Aisha?"

"Aisha is pretty much in your Familia already. She's made that perfectly clear after what went down a little while ago." She said, "So, just so you don't... I dunno, get it in your head to take out your frustrations on us, my team and I put together a little something." She used one hand to open her vest, and took out a bit of paper from an inner pocket. This, she handed to me. "I have no idea if you can do anything with this, but call it an apology for being too good a soldier."

Accepting the paper, I unfolded it. On it, was a map, a couple of names, and a line at the bottom that had my full attention. "Last shipment of Xenos?" I looked up from the paper at her.

"Yeah. Hermes was told to look into it. But, after they came up here... Well, he didn't tell us to deal with it."

"Hm. Okay." I put the paper in my satchel. "I'll call it clear, if you can do me a little favour." She raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent, "Go to my home, tell them I'll be out until tomorrow. Oh, call in from the gate. My new friend might take offence. Here." I handed her Marius's memory stone. "For Lord Takemikazuchi."

"Out until tomorrow, call from the street, and give this to the scary, yet handsome God. What do I say if they ask why?"

"Gone fishing." I replied, "Thanks."

"Yeah, don't mention it."

Turning back to Ottar, who was watching passively, like some weird street decoration, I caught up with him and followed as he started walking again. "Say... Are we going to Melen, by any chance?"

"Closest port town to Orario." He said, "Closest place to catch fish."

"Perfect."

* * *

Thinking back over the last year and a bit, I realized that I'd never actually stood on the south wall. The port town of Melen, also called 'Orario's gate to the sea', was maybe three kilometres from Orario itself. Hardly much effort to walk, I spent the time trying to start a conversation with Ottar.

He wasn't a much of a people person, I could tell. Most of the answers I got were simple, one word replies. It kind of made me want to kick him. But that might either hurt my foot, or cut my little outing short. I just had to find something he was interested in...

"So, why fishing?" I asked, seeing the port town, and smelling the faint sea breeze when the wind brushed over us from the south. "I would never have guessed it."

This got the biggest reaction out of him yet. A single raised eyebrow. "Why?"

"Being so strong, and well, not dead yet, so capable too. I half imagined you to go and wrestle dragons or something in your free time."

He sighed, a deep rumbling sound filled with... resignation? "That's part of the problem." He said, "I am strong. The strongest. It... sets me apart." He paused, looking at his hand where one of my tails had decided to perch, "You understand?"

"In a different fashion. When I was younger, I was weak. Short. But smart. It set me apart too. I could never keep up with other kids physically, and they couldn't understand my way of thinking." I took my tail back, and it fell into line with the other five, "But fishing?"

"You'll understand when we get there." His face started to look like it might smile, but then his ears twitched, "Can you swim?"

"Honestly? I don't know." I looked behind me, "Last time I did, in a serious way, I didn't have all these." The committee drooped a bit, except my golden tail. That one swatted the back of my head. "Wait... You mean..."

"Can you use a spear at all?" He asked.

I laughed quietly, "I take it back. You mean spear fishing, don't you."

"The lake is the other way. So yes."

"Well, no, I can't use a spear. Or any weapon at all." I replied.

"It will be an interesting day then." He said, the smile finally appearing on his face.

We walked a few minutes in silence, then I asked, "I'm curious... What's your opinion on the Xenos?"

"Is that what they are called?" He asked, "The monsters, who talk?"

"Yeah." I confirmed.

He thought this over, his footsteps making a steady 'thump thump' on the ground, "I am... Indifferent. If they hinder me, I will treat them like a monster. If they avoid me, I won't waste time with them. If my Goddess wants them gone, then I will hunt them down."

I nodded, "Then, would you mind helping me with this? Or at least, not getting in the way?" I offered him the paper the Hermes girl had given me.

He looked at it, then handed it back. "I am curious now as well." He started, "Why do you care?"

Resisting the urge to jump for joy at getting him to actually engage in conversation, I replied with a question of my own, "Lady Freya trusts you, right?" I held up my hands in surrender at his slightly angry raised eyebrow, "Lady Hestia trusts me. She has given me her gift of Falna, so that I will do good things. So that my actions do Her proud." He nodded in approval, I think, so I continued, "I care, because if I didn't, Lady Hestia would think less of me. I care because if I didn't, the people," I made a vague 'over there' motion at Orario behind us, "would think less of Her, because of me." I chuckled, "And I would think less of myself. I have the ability to help, so why shouldn't I?"

He nodded, then asked, "And if you find someone there, one of these Xenos. What would you get in return?"

"Well, having met a few of them, I think at least a 'thank you'." I chuckled, "When I get home, and tell my Familia about it, I might get a few smiles. And I know, Lady Hestia will say 'good work'."

He didn't reply, but his face looked thoughtful. Finally, he said, "Very well."

"Thank you." The smell of the sea had been steadily getting stronger, as well as the familiar smell of 'people'. As we topped a small hill, I looked down a gentle slope at a respectably sized town, filled with red brick buildings and grey slate rooftops. A few buildings stood out, but for the most part, it looked pretty standard for what I knew of the 'era' this world was in. We were actually about to walk next to a neatly tiered rice farm too. "Anything I should know about this place? Before we get there?"

"Njord Familia is the only Familia based here. Good people." He said, "They fish, and keep Orario supplied with what they catch." He paused, thoughtful again, "Not much else, I think."

* * *

Ottar was apparently fairly well known in town. More than once, just before the two of us got to the city proper, he had farmers wave at him. Ottar himself nodded to them, not saying hello, but not ignoring the greetings either. As we transitioned from hard packed dirt road to cobblestone, the outlaying wooden farmhouses and shacks shifting to red brick and mortar houses, the people either payed us no mind, or waved to us.

"People are friendly enough." I commented.

"Food and trade are plentiful." He replied, "Njord Familia keeps the streets clean, and the people working."

"Is there a Guild presence here?"

"Yes. They do not work... No, Njord does not work well with them." Ottar said, scratching his chin, "Njord would rather the city simply be His. Though, He is much like Hermes, when it comes to the rules of the Guild."

"So, Njord lets His Familia do what ever they want, and doesn't bother to keep up with paperwork?" I asked, chuckling.

"Basically."

We made a turn onto what might have been a main street. The smell of fresh, and not so fresh, fish, as well as the salty scent of the ocean made my nose itch a little. I could also hear the increasing noise of merchants, trying to advertise. "I should get some sand while I'm here." I said, "Do you know if they do deliveries?"

"Silly question." Ottar replied, making me smile, "Sand?"

"Gros asked for some sand." I replied, "The gargoyle I fought."

"A good fight." He commented, "The Rakia Man knows his shield work."

"They seriously called him that?" I asked.

"Yes." He nodded, "A moment." He stopped as we entered what must have been the market square. "Good. This way." He started towards one of the vendors, a dark skinned man, wearing a small white turban and colourful, if a little stained, silk shirt.

His stand, covered by an equally colourful, if a little sun-bleached, tarp, was laden with all manner of fabrics. I was no expert, but as I followed Ottar, I could tell that who ever wove these, used a very high quality loom.

"Greetings Mr. Ottar!" The man said loudly, his accent making me think Arab, but not quite. "Come for some fishing today?"

"Yes." Ottar replied.

"Well, I hope you catch something worth while. Word is that the ships have been bringing in a little less than usual." He replied, turning to me and 'jumping' as if I had sort of just appeared there. "Do my eyes deceive me? A Renard woman? I haven't seen a Renard in... Oh my..." He gave Ottar a sly look, but he shook his head exactly once, "Just joining him for some fishing then?"

"I asked him what he did for fun." I replied, "And here I am." I offered my hand, "Kodori, Hestia Familia."

"Ma'Hat'zar. Just a simple seller of cloth." He took my hand and shook it firmly, the skin of his palm soft. "Can I interest you in something? I bring fine silks, and other such from over seas. As well as from the East, when the trade wind permits."

I looked to Ottar, eyebrow raised, and he replied with an almost imagined smile and a nod. "Something black, and something white." I said, "With foxes, or flowers, if you have it."

Ottar waited patiently while we bartered back and forth. Arms folded over his massive chest, he nodded again with approval when business was concluded. I told the merchant to simply hold it here, and I'd pick it up before leaving town.

"How did you know?" I asked Ottar as we left the merchant to explore the rest of the bazaar styled street.

"Among other things, you are famous for ruining clothes." He said flatly, "And, often, you and your partner are compared to night and day." He paused, his shadow falling over a bored looking merchant who perked up as Ottar loomed over him. "I am looking for a place on this map."

Taking my cue, I offered the man the scrap of paper, not actually giving it to him. My thumb was over the message mentioning the Xenos.

"Three streets over, follow it towards the water." The man said after a moment.

Ottar placed a coin in front of him, and picked up a bit of fruit from his stand, then simply turned and walked off. After I caught up to him, he continued, "Another thing you are known for, is not failing. I have no idea what your... gift to Lady Freya is, but I am sure you will have your prize tomorrow." He looked down at me, "And that will mean a wedding."

I filed his insightful nature with all the other things I'd learned so far, and grinned back at him, "Very true... Do you... smell that?" Something was tickling my nose, and not in a nice way. It was faint, but I knew that smell.

Ottar paused, "No... Yes." He turned his head, "We are on the right street." He lengthened his stride, heading down the street towards the ocean.

The smell got stronger, the little voice in the back of my head telling me I didn't want to get closer. That it smelled all too much like I did, while the Amazons worked on me. Even as I took hold of one of my tails to hold that thought down, the smell got stronger.

Looking at the map, I counted doors, then stopped in front of a somewhat run down, weather and salt stained wooden framed warehouse. Reminding me of the place I'd met Welf's family, I could tell the smell was coming from inside. With the smell of fish in the air already, I'd have bet no one had come to investigate. It could have easily been mistaken for rotten fish guts.

The double door was locked, but I hardly had to apply my shoulder to it to crack the wood of the door apart in the middle.

"Are you okay?" I heard Ottar ask as I took a step back outside, holding my mouth to keep my breakfast down.

"A moment." I mumbled through my hand, tugging my shirt up a little so I could breath through the fabric. "Okay."

"I will wait here." He said, "This is your mission."

"If I need help, I'll call."

"Fine."

Entering the gloom of the warehouse, the smell only got stronger. Over the packed dirt floor was a scattering of straw and the occasional heavy footprint. Boxes and barrels lined the walls, probably empty, and kept there out of the way, but checking those could wait. It wasn't a large place, but it could easily fit say, a pair of waggons, horses included. One of those waggons, without the horse, was in the back corner, also looking 'out of the way', but on top of that, was a large crate. The light filtering in from cracks in the wall had shadowed it, and confused my eyes at first, but as my eyes adjusted, I could make out the dark metal of a large 'kennel' box, like the ones Dix had used. About one meter wide, two meters long and two meters tall, it had solid walls, with only a couple of small barred openings around shoulder level. The only way to open it easily, was with a key.

I gave the side a tap, frowning as the sound of the metal told me it was adamant. If I called Ottar, even if he could punch through the metal, if there was something alive in there, he'd probably kill it. At my light tapping, I heard something move inside of the box. No more than a fitful twitch, but it was something. Hopping up on the waggon bed, I tried to look into the box, but aside from a lumpy shape or two, I couldn't make anything out with the lack of light.

"Hello?" I called in, earning myself another little twitch from inside. "Can you hear me? Can you understand what I'm saying?"

There was a little more movement, and suddenly the smell got even worse, as what ever was moving was simply stirring up the smell. But there was no reply.

"Just relax." I said, "I'm going to have to open this without the key, so try not to panic."

"Problem?" Ottar asked from the doorway, his back to me as he called over his shoulder.

"Adamant box. No key." I called back. "Hinges are hidden too. Bastards..." If the hinges were exposed, I could have maybe broken them, or knocked the pins out, but they were seated inside the door, making that impossible without tools. "Come here a moment, I have an idea."

Ottar grunted, his heavy footsteps noisy in the near silence. "This box... Worth a small fortune." He commented.

"No kidding." I replied, "Help me get this to the floor. Carefully. Someone is in there. Can't tell how bad."

Together, we lowered the kennel to the floor, and I positioned myself at the lock. "No pry bar to get started. Almost no gap either." He said after a moment of examination.

"I'm going to try and bend frame here by the lock. If I can, try and get a hand in there to pop the latch off." I replied, flexing my fingers.

He looked puzzled for a second, but shrugged, then got behind me. I positioned myself at the lock, placing one palm flat against the door, and the other on the frame by the lock. Thankfully, the door was on the end, the frame next to the lock. If the door were in the middle, this wouldn't work at all. As it was, it was adamant. One of the strongest base metals in the world. Even stronger when worked, it was a favourite for things like armour, or massive swords meant to cut the heads off dragons and the like.

Flexing my fingers slightly, my unbreakable grip stuck to the door and frame, and I started to try and pull my arms apart.

Deep breath, the fire smoulders anew.

Deep breath, the fire kindles and sparks.

Deep breath, the fire leaps upwards.

Deep breath, the fire spreads.

Shoulders aching, wrists and elbows starting to feel like they might come apart, I took another breath, pushing my magic not out, to toughen me, but in, to sink into my bones and muscles. My sport bra started to feel like it was shrinking, and I could hear myself growling as I let out my next breath. It wasn't enough.

So I dug deeper. Imagining being in the box, instead of out of it. Caged and trapped. I hated it. The idea itself offended me. I'd been caged before, not by physical barriers, but by invisible ones, like 'rules' and 'taxes'. Living to work, instead of working to live. I couldn't do anything about that then, but now? I could. It was just a box! Not a rule. Not a law.

I wouldn't let a cage hold me.

Or anyone else.

There was a quiet groan of metal, the frame of the door starting to flex. My eyes, almost squinted shut with exertion, almost unable to see through the black and purple fog I was giving off, made out a hand, big as a dinner plate, fingers like sausages, as it jammed itself into the slowly widening gap. A second hand followed, and together, we pulled the frame further apart.

"Back." Ottar said with a grunt, the hand on the door pulling backwards sharply.

Relaxing my hands at the last instant, I fell back against him, his other arm wrapping around me and tugging me back further as the door shot open, just missing my leg, the air of its passing telling me it might have been a lot worse than a stubbed toe. Speaking of air, the smell...

Goddess, the smell...

Lungs needing air, but nose almost refusing to let me breath, the smell of rot was so strong...

Eyes watering, I looked into the cage.

"help... please..."

* * *

Notes

So there! You will have to wait to find out what is in Box #1.

No, it won't be pleasant. But well... :)


	67. Chapter 67

Might be a littttttle graphic for some. Just a warning.

Chapter 66

When I was really bored one day, I found a video of 'ten worst methods of torture'. Morbid, I know, and I had to disagree with the list itself, as 'waking up at 5AM to go to a job you hate for two years' wasn't mentioned anywhere on the list.

But I digress.

One of those methods, was to sit a person down in a tub of water, then chain them, or otherwise restrict them from leaving that tub. That's it. Feed them regularly, have pleasant conversations with them, whatever you want.

Eventually, the mix of water, excrement, and urine, will cause the person inside the tub to start rotting away. It wasn't a quick way to die.

Within the mostly sealed box, having been left inside it for days, maybe even up to a week or so, the person inside the box was in bad shape. Dix seemed to be the type to torture the Xenos he had captured, and without treatment, I was sure even a monster could get their wounds infected. Add that to a fairly hot few days with no air circulation...

"Help... please..." She managed to say, her face, cut up and bruised, looking at me with unseeing eyes. One arm tried to reach out to me, but she was too far, and weak, to do more than wave at the air. I reached for her hand, trying not to shy away from the sticky feeling of her fingers. "Save them... Please... Don't let them take them."

Her hand, aside from feeling like it had been resting in dried blood or worse, was nearly scalding hot. Had this been a human, they'd be in a coma, or on their way to having their brain boiling. Behind me, Ottar shifted, letting in a little more light.

Another lamia. Half snake, half human. From what I could make out of her ruined face, she might have been a sister to the one I'd broken free in Dix's lair.

"Relax." I tried, the extra light showing me just how bad her wounds were. I was surprised the insects hadn't found her yet, to be honest. "Dix is gone. Lido and the others are safe."

Her unseeing eyes looked like they wanted to cry, "The tyrant is dead?" She coughed, a horrible wet noise, "And you know Lido..." Her body twitched, and I spotted another wound, this one open and festering, "Please... If you know him." She tried to move again, "I can't..."

Even if I gave her the potion I had, it wouldn't have helped enough. An elixir would work. Or maybe two potions, and a cure-all for the various poisons the dungeon contained... I thought of this, wishing I'd been less casual about my preparations this morning, and remembering that we were almost out of potions all together with the recent excitement. "Let me help you..." I said, stepping into the box itself, trying not to step on her loosely coiled body.

I took her hand, then used my other to grip her elbow. "Under me... please... Take them away from here." She had no strength left it seemed, "Don't let anyone take my children."

And she died. Her body going limp, then dissolving as any monster would in the dungeon. A fist sized magic stone in the shape of a near perfect quartz crystal falling out of the black dust...

And landing next to four eggs.

"Hrm." Ottar said, looking over my shoulder at the four, rugby ball sized eggs on the floor of the kennel. "My opinion of them has changed." He admitted.

The eggs were clean. The rot inside the box having been kept away, despite there being so much of it. "I didn't even get her name." I mumbled, looking at the eggs, reaching out and gently putting a hand on one of them. It felt... alive. Vibrant. "For the better, I hope?"

"Yes. She might have healed, had she eaten those." Ottar replied plainly. "I think I understand now, when you say they are 'people', not 'animals'."

I picked up the magic stone, carefully tucking it in my satchel, the warmth of its surface lingering on my fingertips. "Well, this complicates things."

"Why should it?" Ottar asked, "We have a box, and waggon." He rapped a knuckle on the side of the kennel, "You wanted some sand, right?"

My growing list of 'Who is Ottar' grew a little more with the addition of 'clever'. "Only after we throw some water into it... Urg."

* * *

With Ottar's reputation, a little money, a few trips to the nearest well, and a small team of bored looking dock workers, we had a small wooden box, with the four eggs packed very carefully inside, a much larger box, filled with fine white sand from the beach, and a waggon, with a bored looking horse attached to it.

A few moments of giving directions, and a little more money, and we had tasked a guild courier to deliver the goods to my home.

I felt bad that I couldn't save the mother, but, it was miraculous that she had stayed alive as long as she did.

This put our little fishing trip at around mid after noon.

* * *

"That." Ottar pointed offshore, as we stood near the recently excavated pit where I'd gotten my sand. Following his finger, I spotted a rather impressive looking ship, about a kilometre off shore. "Is Njord's ship."

From what I could make out, it was a long three masted affair, with a bright blue flag waving in the wind from the middle mast. They must have had their nets out, because the sails were tied up. "I'm not much for boats. But that's pretty big."

I looked to Ottar, who, after we arranged travel for my cargo, picked up a few things from a kindly old lady. Spear, long and thin, with a wicked point on the end. A second one, though this looked like a harpoon, meant for something like a shark. Goggles, two pair. And a metal bucket filled with... bloody fish bits.

After giving me a pair of goggles, which I strapped on and adjusted tightly, I looked at myself. Still dressed in my somewhat flowing kimono top and loose pants, I was not dressed for swimming. Shrugging, I stripped down to my boxers and sports bra, packing my pants and shirt into my satchel. Not the most flattering of swimsuits, but even as Ottar gave me a once over, face passive, I at least didn't feel embarrassed.

"So, do we swim out there?" I asked.

"I'll swim." Ottar said, taking a step over to me and picking me up suddenly. "But since you're new. I'll give you a head start."

My tails, as I was lifted into the air, my butt seated on one of his big hands, wrapped around his wrist and arm in alarm. "Um... I did mention I wasn't sure how well I could swim, right?"

"Yes." He said, bouncing me on his palm a couple of times. "Don't worry. I'll be right behind you."

He started to walk towards the water, "Hold on!" I said, "Just let me... You.. and you, and you... no you can't stay..." I gathered up my tails, knowing that if he threw me with any of them holding onto his arm, the results would be... bad. Hugging my six tails to my chest, I said, "I'd never have thought you had a sense of humour like this."

"Just because I am King, doesn't mean I was never a Joker." He said, that tiny smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "On three."

Palm under my rear, hand back as if I were a shot put, he took three great running strides, then pushed me into the air.

* * *

"What..." A darkly tanned man mumbled, as he watched the man on the shore throw something towards the ship. "Sir! On shore!" He called down to the deck, "Sir! Incoming!"

A man, tall and lean, held the rail and looked towards the shore. It didn't take long for him to spot a dark object hurtling towards the ship in a neat arc. Squinting, a tanned hand over his eyes, he looked towards the shore, ignoring the projectile, "Relax!" He called out to the men around him, "It's just Ottar."

Above them, the projectile turned out to be a woman, who yelled, "Ottar you JERK!" before splashing down into the water a hundred meters or so on the far side of the ship.

* * *

Hitting the water, after passing OVER the damned boat, crushed the air from my lungs. Thankfully, I didn't sink like a stone, though as the water closed around my head, my tails and I fought each other to try and get back to the surface. I was about to panic, but my tails fell in line, and I crawled my way back to the surface. With a gasp, I made sure my face was all out of the water, and I took in a lungful of air.

And was nearly clobbered by a metal bucket, filled with bloody fish guts.

Yeah, Ottar had a sense of humour. And good aim.

I'd have laughed, except I was now treading water, in the ocean, with blood quickly mixing with the water around me. My tails, thankfully, were working on instinct and not floofing out. If they had, I'd probably have taken on my own weight in water in about a second and a half. For a moment, as I spotted the ship, I considered swimming towards it.

But... I was here to fish? Wasn't I?

Making sure the goggles were still secure, I took a few rapid, deep breaths, then ducked my head underwater. With the goggles and the bright sun overhead, I had a fairly clear view of the water around me. My splashdown had probably scared all the smaller fish away, and I could see that the ship nearby had nets out, but aside from that, and the crimson patch that I was moving away from, there was just empty darkness below me.

Swimming was... complicated. My tails, while trying not to take on water, were also not helping me. The extra drag was making my super strength far less effective. Sure, I could flail my arms and kick my legs to move me about, but it was almost like swimming with a bed sheet wrapped around me.

Hitting the surface again, I looked behind me, and quite firmly tried to take control of my tails.

And, after a few moments of trying things, I managed to lock the image of a squid into my tails motions. Not the most elegant, but getting them all to move at once in short quick bursts was proving more effective than say, trying to make them all move in a proper wave motion.

I also seemed to have most of the ship's attention. A dozen or so people, men and women, were leaning on the rail as I tried to get my tails to be useful. As I watched them, watch me, I saw one of them point to my right, the three people near her all looking and pointing as well.

Aw crap.

Taking another deep breath, I squid-tailed in the opposite direction, just as something breached the water, missing me, but consuming the bucket worth of floating fish bits in a single gulp. I'm not sure what possessed me to reach for it, but as my tails propelled me towards it's tail, and my fingertips caught its back fin, I realized my role in Ottar's fishing plan. The fish was the bait, and I was the hook.

Colours a little different, with the water filtering the light, as the fish realized it had picked up a passenger, and started to dive and thrash, I realized more or less what I had actually 'hooked'.

Nearly ten meters long, over a meter wide, and covered in dark shiny scales, it looked like a mix between a shark, a catfish, and a goldfish. As I got my other hand on it, and pulled myself forward, I realized that I had a bit of a problem. Risk of drowning aside, the thing was huge. The water would limit how much strength I could use to attack it, and without something sharp, I'd never be able to wound it. If I tried what I'd done to Phryne, it might simply dive deeper, and I'd have to abandon it.

Something clicked in my memory, and as I pulled myself forward, I looked for its gills. Sharks of a certain size never slept. They couldn't. If they stopped moving, they wouldn't be able to push enough water through their gills to keep them 'breathing'. Basically, they would drown, or suffocate I guess?

It must have been my adventurer status, because by the time I had reached half way, the fish thrashing around madly as I progressed, I hardly felt that I needed air. My ears hurt, a lot. They weren't built for being underwater, and as the pain on the top of my skull started to get alarming, I had finally gotten within reach of its gills. A giant trio of slits, longer than my arm and protected by a sharp looking edge, I timed their motion, then hugged it closed.

Looking it right in the eye as I pressed my body against it to seal off that side, the beach ball sized eye seemed to focus on me. Ears feeling even more pressure, the water around me darkening, I had my tails crawl along the underside of the beast. After a couple of blind attempts I felt my tails cover the right spot, and while it was harder, and painful, the weaker tails needing all six of them to equal my arms, I had closed off that side too.

THEN I started to feel like I was running out of breath.

I was so going to kick Ottar in the shin.

As the fish thrashed uselessly, I held on, looking it in the eye and trying to kick it in the chin so it would at least thrash 'upwards' towards the surface. Through all the noise of water being pushed around, I heard something hit the water above me. Then a few more. Turning my head, I just missed getting speared by a harpoon.

While that was alarming, I realized it had a rope attached to it.

* * *

Hanging upside down, rope tangled with my legs, hugging a massive shark/catfish/goldfish monster around the middle, and trying to shake the water from my ears, I was pulled to the surface by a small team of people from the boat.

Gasping for air, they only pulled me up far enough to get me out of the water. The weight of the fish was probably in the area of several tons, so it was the best they could do without more ropes.

"Holy crap!" Someone said, "First I see what looks like a swearing ball of fur fly over my ship. Then I pull up a girl who managed to drown a fish. She's got a nice ass too."

"Let me." I heard Ottar say. "Is it dead?" He called down at me.

"Exhaused." I called back.

I heard a grunt, a moment before a harpoon passed through the fish's head about half a meter from me. It twitched mightily, once, then went limp again in my arms. The rope attached to the harpoon went taunt. "Get a better grip on it." Ottar said. "Move to its tail."

Who ever was holding the rope tangled up in my legs gave me a little slack, lowering me into the water again. Quickly looping the rope around my upper body, under my arms, then waded down its body, just past the sweeping 'shark fin' on its back. It didn't look like a true dorsal fin, as it had a sort of membrane that made it look more 'goldfish with a shark fin'. Hooking my arms and legs around it, I gave a thumbs up.

Too long and sleek for me to just tie more rope around it, my unbreakable grip found a new use that day.

As we got closer to the rail, more rope and a half dozen men wearing long shorts and colourful vests jumped over my catch. Climbing back up quickly, they had looped more rope around the fish, and with a great effort, the thing was pulled onto the deck.

"Well damn lady. Ottar wasn't kidding when he said you'd be able to do it." The Man in front of me said. Dressed much like the others, with bright long shorts and vest, His darkly tanned skin and trim body fit in with the rest of the crew. "Njord. A pleasure." He was even a little taller than me, though his body type and posture didn't make him seem 'looming' at all.

"Kodori." I replied, "If you'll pardon me a moment."

"Sure." He looked me up and down, my poor underclothes, not meant for swimming, were clinging to me something fierce.

I stalked over to Ottar, and quite firmly kicked him in the shin. "You used me as a hook!"

"And beat my record on your first try." He said passively, not reacting to my kick at all. He then took a towel that I just noticed was around his shoulders, and plunked it onto my head. "Isn't that right, Njord?"

"Well, barehanded record." The God replied, "You lot! Get this down to the hold! Get it cut up and stored! This beast is going to a Goddess's plate!" The men and women on deck let up a cheer and started to get the giant fish moving.

"Well, you're not wrong." Ottar said, "But not my Goddess." He put a hand on my shoulder, "She's from another Familia."

From under the towel I gave him a half hearted glare, but I went back to scrubbing the towel over my head and ears, "I can share. Not like it isn't big enough."

"We'll bundle it up like usual, Ottar. You've actually helped get rid of a problem for us too!" Njord said, "It was probably the thing scaring all the other fish away."

"What even is it?" I asked, wrapping the towel around my hips, then stopping, "Oh, right..." One by one, I took hold of my tails and started to get the water out of them. "Haruhime will have to spend hours bushing them if I don't dry them a little now..."

"That? No idea!" Njord laughed, "Some of the fish around here, we don't even bother to name. It seems like almost every year the fish around here get a little weirder." He walked over to Ottar, giving the huge adventurer a companionable punch on the shoulder, "But Ottar, and I guess you now, seem to randomly show up and get rid of the problem fish for us."

"Well." I said, finally getting through my tails and wrapping myself in the towel, "I think I'll stick with a rod and reel."

Njord laughed, "We can do that too. It will be a few hours before we head back for the day, my ship is yours until then." He laughed again, "Sorry Ottar, you'll find a fishing buddy some day."

"I haven't given up yet." He replied, looking at me, "And this one only kicked me in the shin."

* * *

Njord's ship was... impressive. Again, I was no expert. But it was like a small, wooden version of a flatbed cargo ship. In this world, this was probably the height of seafaring ships. Three big masts, a nearly thirty meter wide deck, and close to a hundred meters long. It had a huge cargo capacity, and would probably weather almost any storm. It probably wasn't the fastest, and even slower when it was full of fish, but something like this would take days to fill.

The crew, for all the good cheer they seemed to carry with them, were fast and efficient with their jobs. Again, that weird parallel from what I knew. They all still had perfect teeth. Though, I suspected part of that was being an adventurer.

The actual captain of the ship, a man named Rod, was a tall man of dark hair and eyes. Friendly as the rest of the crew, he seemed to have the respect of his Familia. Ottar seemed to respect him too, for being the 'king' of this ship.

As evening fell, and the people on deck pulled up the nets and got the final haul stored away in the hold, Ottar and I were invited to join them for dinner. Even as the ship itself pulled up the anchor and slowly turned its way towards the port of Melen, we enjoyed a meal of fish and fruit. Ottar actually chuckled, maybe even laughed, as I bothered the cook for some of his secrets on how to prepare a fish.

By the time we got to shore, and my giant... shark/catfish/goldfish... You know, I think I'll call it Ha-neko-koi... Hanekoi? Was unloaded, Ottar and I found an inn and rented one of the rooms. I was exhausted. The combination of being used as a fish hook, opening up that kennel, and spending all that time in the sun was catching up to me.

"You're way of fishing is... unique." Ottar said as I returned to our room after a shower. "It puzzles me. No weapons at all?"

I was dressed again, properly, and was once again towelling off my hair, "My way is unique? You threw me into the water, then tossed the bait in after!" I laughed, "And no. None. I'm not allowed."

"May I ask why?" I had noticed, as our trip went on, that he was getting less... brisk with his words around me.

"Cursed." I said, "It's why I don't spike my armour either. Anything used to attack will break."

To demonstrate, I twisted up the damp towel, held one end, and flicked it at him. On reflex, he put his hand in the way to stop it, but as the tip of the towel snapped at his palm, it turned to fine dust. "Anything... Interesting. Though, you may have to pay for the towel."

I laughed, plunking myself down on my bed. We had rented a single room for 'parties', so there were actually four beds in the room. "I can use tools. Hammers, forks, chisels. But if I use even them as a weapon, they do that. On the plus side, I never cut myself by accident. Though, I can never cut myself with an object at all. I have to use either my teeth, or get someone to help."

"And how you manage to hold things? Another part of your status?"

"Yes." I answered shortly.

"Sorry." He carefully moved himself so he could lay down without having his feet hanging off the end of the bed. "We will return after breakfast."

"Goodnight."

* * *

It was a little colder than what I was used to, and part way through the night I woke up, finding myself covered up with my tails for warmth.

*snrr*

Pausing in my motions to get the blanket over me a bit better, I listened.

*snrr*

Resisting the urge to laugh at such a huge man making such a tiny noise, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep again.

* * *

Our return trip was done with another horse and waggon. The fish I'd caught, and some of Ottar's own catch, were cut up and stored neatly in two large ice filled wooden boxes. There was also the fabric I'd bought, as well as a couple of souvenirs for the Familia. Like a bunch of shark skin for Welf, or some interesting shells for decoration.

I told Ottar I could make Freya's gift as soon as we returned to my home, so we stopped there first.

Our front gate had been fixed up nicely, and didn't have that annoying little squeak at the half way point anymore. Gros perked up from the middle of his cage, the kennel box next to him, and with that weird stop-go motion of his, stalked towards us, halting at the limit of his cage. Our horse was starting to get nervous, so I hopped down and took the reins from the front.

"It's okay, Gros, he knows." I said as the gargoyle walked along side me on the other side of the bars.

"Pardon my intrusion." Ottar said formally.

"I know this one." Gros said. "To us, he is a monster."

"Don't scare the horse." I said to him, "He's a guest."

"Fine." Gros said, turning, his tail slapping the bars nearest Ottar as he left.

"Miss Kodori!" I heard from the door, it was Bell, "You... Mr. Ottar!"

"Bell Cranell." Ottar replied, nodding to the boy.

"But... Why... We got your message, even though Mr. Gros still tried to eat the poor girl..." Bell stopped in front of us, looking way up at Ottar, "I didn't know Mr Ottar fished."

"Me either." I replied, "Get some help from inside. The boxes with the blue paint on them are ours. Going to be fish on the menu tonight."

"Ko-san!" Haruhime called from the door, running towards me and hugging me, "You can't have her!" She declared up to Ottar, who actually looked a little surprised.

"Relax love." I pet her head, using my height to lean over her for a really good hug.

"And you got a tan!" She said, pushing away from me after our hug.

"I'll tell you all about it at dinner. I'm going to be cooking again, and would love your help later."

For the first time since we'd more or less made it official between us, she gave me a look I couldn't quite understand. "Okay..." She paused, "Are you home for the day then?"

"I have one more thing to do, then I'll be out again for an hour or so."

"Good." She said, smiling again, "Lilly and Welf have got the pool ready."

I perked up, then laughed, "Oh how I wished we had that before I went fishing..." I looked at Ottar, and he moved his closest shin away slightly. "Help Bell store the fish, and open up the smaller box too. I got a bunch of shiny stuff from the markets while I was there."

"Okay." She gave me another quick hug, then went to help Bell.

"Now before we get ambushed again." I said, making a right and heading around the building for the workshop.

"She has changed." Ottar said.

"It's a little creepy when you say things like that." I replied.

"Freya likes to watch." He said simply, without any hint of guilt.

"I had guessed that. Still a little unnerving." I said, watching him shrug.

"You need me for this... Memory stone?"

"Yes. I'll need just one more thing from you before I start."

* * *

Welf was absent from the shop at the moment. Considering the time, he was probably having lunch, a drink, or a nap. He tended to pull all nighters if no one went to check on him. And it was usually me who did the checking.

"Very well organized." Ottar commented, looking around. "You seem to have everything... Does your entire Familia craft?"

"Just Welf and I." I said, chuckling as he fished for information, "And sometimes, Haruhime. She has good hands for fine work." All tiny and adorable.

"And this?" He pointed to my alchemy table and brewing kit.

"Mine." I replied, sitting down at the alchemy bench, "Now, you... I think I'm going to need a little blood, and hair from you." I found an unused potion vial, and put it down between us. "Just a few good drops, and only a couple of hairs."

"Part of your gift?" I offered him a small carving knife from one of the many tool racks, and he applied the point to his thumb.

"Yes. As this is supposed to represent you, it needs a little bit of... well... you. Just put the hair in the bottle too, then come over to the next room."

He nodded, and I got off the bench to head into the forge room. The fires were banked properly, and it was the work of only a few seconds to get them well on the way to 'roaring' again. Ottar entered, bottle in hand. "Where do I put this?"

"Here." I accepted the bottle, and took out the second small bar of 'ko-steel' from my satchel. I had only carried it with me so Welf wouldn't use it while I was out. I'd have to make more soon. "Now time for the magic... So to speak." Getting a crucible pot, I put the bar in, and put it into our smelter box. "This will take a few minutes."

"This blade." He looked at the prototype 'oblivion cup'.

"Let me tell you about Welf's family..."

* * *

"Interesting." He said, as I finished my story, and poured his blood and hair into my now molten 'ko-steel'. "So your fur is part of this too?"

"Yes. As you might know, my tails are basically where my magic is, so the fur I shed or brush off is charged with it too."

"I had heard about your... encounter with the left overs from Ishtar." He said, "I am sorry we did not clean up better."

"Not your fault." I replied, "Just like it wasn't my fault for letting the ring leader live, instead of leaving her behind in a burning building."

"Hm." He grunted. "So, what next?"

"Now, I pour this out, let it cool a little, then make in into a shape, while thinking about what I know of you." I replied, pouring the newly melted and 'primed' 'ko-steel' into a simple ingot trough. "You see, if I'd tried to make one before, it would have felt... shallow. Like a person you passed by on the street. You're remarkable, sure, but if that was all, then it would have been too simple."

I watched as the metal went from white hot/molten, to red hot/solid, then used a pair of tongs to flip the stone trough and tap the bar out of it. "Now that I know more, I have a clearer... Memory of you."

"Hence the name?"

"More or less. Still... What shape should it be..."

"Shape?"

"For Bell, I made a little rabbit. For Welf, a smith's hammer. Something that would remind the person its for, in this case, Lady Freya, who it represents." I hm'ed a moment, looking at my hand, while I put the bar into the forge to heat up. "Turn around for a second."

"Hm?" He did, and I spotted my target. His tail. A bristly looking puff of fur, that made me think of a casino bunny's uniform, only dark brown like his hair.

So, I reached out, and gave his tail a little squeeze. "Surprisingly soft." I commented as he looked over his shoulder and gave me a glare. "It will be just perfect." I said, reaching my hand into the forge and pulling out the bright orange bar of metal. "Before you ask, yes, this hurts, but no, it won't harm me."

I was used to the pain of these temperatures. Aside from making my hands callous up nearly instantly though, it wasn't enough to damage me. Using my own strength, and that of my magic, I started to compress the bar into a ball.

"I understand now, how you put in such detail." Ottar said, motioning to a trinket I had half finished on my jeweller's bench.

"Who knew that being constantly burned by magic had its up side?" We shared a grim chuckle, "Now, please, I have to concentrate."

As I went through the process of heating, compressing, and adding some details, then repeating, I thought about what I knew now, of Ottar. The King of the adventurers in Orario.

Going past the obvious, his huge stature, stoic expression and often intimidating presence, his place was a pretty lonely one. Being the biggest, and strongest, meant he had to actively hunt for challenges. That unless he had orders to carry out, he simply existed as that 'icon' of strongest. But, he wasn't just a two dimensional existence, like I had been back where I started. He had hobbies outside of 'work'. People respected him, not only for being King, but for him not lording it over others. He knew, they knew, and he never rubbed it in people's faces.

Unlike say, Hyakinthos, the first time we met. Or Zanis. Or even Bete. No, Ottar was strong. But he didn't let it colour his interactions. From the little old lady on the rice farm, to the Gods of other Familia, no one was 'beneath notice'. He might not have waved, but he'd never ignore a greeting.

Loyalty was next. It was as plain as the noise on his face how much he cared for Freya. Having seen, and felt, Ishtar's charm magic up close, and seen others under its influence, I knew that Ottar wasn't a blind servant. He would follow his orders, though, he would question them, if he was unsure. And while his position as 'King' was a lonely one, he gave others, like myself, a chance to prove themselves, as a friend. Not pushing people away, but rather, hoping they'd approach.

He was also surprisingly open minded. It took only a moment of thought for him to change his mind about the Xenos. How that odd quirk of a dungeon spawn, had given rise to an intelligent 'people'. It took only that single meeting, of a dying mother who refused to live on at the cost of her own young, to convince him they were no mere monsters.

Lastly, was a surprising sense of humour. His stoic expression might make some think he was a little dim witted, but he had a clever mind, capable of not just comedy, but solutions to problems away from the dungeon.

He also understood, that sometimes, he did in fact, deserve a kick to the shin.

"Done." I said suddenly, surprising Ottar who was sitting on a stool and watching me work. "Well, needs a little cooling, some polish, and maybe a little colour... Hand me that bottle? Brown stripe on it."

Obediently, he handed me the bottle in question. What I now had in my hands, still too warm for a normal person to hold, was a mostly ball shaped lump of metal. I had given most of the surface a sort of rough texture, much like his tail, but smooth, almost like a cotton ball. I had flattened only a small part for the base, because the surface that I didn't texture, were smooth fingers, like someone very gently grabbing it.

"Really?" He asked, eyeing the lump critically.

"Are the finger marks the right size? I've never shaken her hand..."

"Well yes... but..."

"Trust me. Remember why I'm doing this. I wouldn't dare give Her something unworthy."

He looked a little grumpy, but remained silent as I went about carefully polishing the little sculpture. Adding in some powder from the bottle, and a little more from a second bottle I had Ottar reach for, I made it as close to his actual hair colour as I could. The end result was a perfectly smooth, metal Ottar's tail, squeeze ball.

"Now... Let's see..." Rummaging around for a moment, I found a bit of soft leather, cut it to a perfect square, wrapped up the memory stone, and put it in my satchel. "There. Shall we return? Your Goddess awaits."

* * *

Notes!

There. One very odd fishing trip written. Also, I started reading Rising of the Shield Hero. Only finished the first book. But WOW. Great stuff. I know I'm going to enjoy the rest, and I think Kodori might end up there some day.

Anyhow. See you in five days.


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 67

After letting someone know I'd be out for a little while longer, and getting a short shopping list for my trouble, Ottar and I got back in the waggon, and headed towards Babel. We were mostly silent on the way, though I could tell now that the King wanted to ask something. The feeling only grew as we made a quick stop at a tailor to drop off the two bolts of black and white fabric, and some instructions for what I wanted made. I knew my own, and Haruhime's measurements by heart now, with all the armour and the like Welf and I had made, so it wasn't a problem.

"Now." I said, looking over to Ottar as I gave the horse a light tap with the reins, "What's on your mind?"

"It occurs to me." He started, giving me a sideways glance, "That you are the first person to not challenge me to a fight."

"It would have ruined our fishing trip." I said easily, "Besides, you know how strong I can be, when I put my mind to it, and you throwing me that far, gives me a good idea of how strong you are."

"I was impressed." He admitted, "Hardened adamant gives even me pause."

"And while I was impressed, did you really need to throw me that far?"

"Njord would have fished you out."

"And you nearly hit me with that harpoon, and bucket."

"I suppose foxes do whine." He flashed a brief smile.

"Never would have thought you used softener for your tail."

"Ears too." He said.

"I might try that. Ha-chan likes my hair... When I can keep it."

"I look forward to fighting you some day." He replied after a moment, face serious, "You carry no arrogance with you."

"Maybe when I'm not three levels under you."

"At your current pace, I'd almost put money on you getting to level six in two years." He paused, "Bell Cranell, too."

"Careful, I might grow an ego."

"Doubtful. You haven't yet."

"Thanks."

Banter done, we rode the rest of the way in silence. When we arrived at the tower, Ottar simply shouldered the massive crate of frozen fish, and headed inside. I took a moment to give the horse a pat on the nose and put a feed bag over his head, before heading inside as well.

It was more or less lunchtime, so the work crews were sitting around eating for the most part. A few of them I knew, and we shared a wave, though I got more than a few odd looks as I followed Ottar to the elevators.

"Handy thing, these." I commented.

"I take the stairs on leg day." He said, "I hate leg day."

I laughed quietly, "I almost never skip my exercises. No matter the day."

"Oh?"

"I make exceptions for being bedridden, or dealing with yet another emergency."

"Good reasons."

The elevator *dinged* cheerfully, the door opening. Ottar stepped out first, exchanging a quiet greeting with someone. He grunted over his shoulder at me, and I stepped out. I got another mild glare from Conan, son of Tank, but that was all. Using his free hand, Ottar pointed towards the room I'd met Freya in last time, and he turned carefully to walk a different way, crate still on his shoulder.

Conan, son of Tank, escorted me, and with a quick, "Ottar and... Guest... have returned." Giving me one last glare, he left.

"Come in." Freya said from inside, "Hm..." She looked at me, then sniffed the air with a delicate nose, "Salt, and soot."

Figuring I'd be as humble as I could stomach, I bowed, "Mr. Ottar threw me into the sea. He is putting away the catch now. As soon as we returned, I made the item I mentioned."

"Please, sit." She waved a hand at the couch across from her, putting a bookmark in a book she had resting on her hip and sitting up slowly. Every motion she made practically dripped sexuality, but, while I certainly looked, I still didn't feel that urge to do more. Even my tails were simply doing that slow lazy motion they did when idle. "Now that I've taken a look... You have another tail, don't you." She commented as I arranged myself.

"I read a Tome." My newest tail flopped itself into my upraised hand, and I pet it with the other, "And my tails are a reflection of my magic power."

"Fascinating..." She purred, "But, you have it? I'll admit, I've been very curious about what you're impression of my Treasure is."

"A moment." I opened my satchel, my newest tail seeming to pout when I stopped petting the end of it. Carefully, not for risk of damaging it, but say, damaging what ever I might place it on, I placed it on the table between us and unwrapped it. "Now, I had to guess at your hand size..."

She ignored me as she scooped it up and marvelled at it, "It's just... Darling! Such detail, and, oh yes, perfect size." She stroked her fingers along the grooves I'd put in the 'Ottar tail stress ball'. "You have a good eye."

"Lady Freya's hands are just slightly larger than Haruhime's. And I know her hands quite well." I smiled, feeling a little pride at having my work admired.

"How does it work? I feel the magic in it, but..."

"Simply close your eyes, and touch it with both hands. But I have to warn you, as a Goddess..."

Again, her excitement made her half deaf to my words, and I could hear a thump, a crash of what might have been metal pots, and a quiet swear word from a little ways out side of the room.

"The person who that is for, will feel Your connection to it." I finished.

I could tell, by the look on Her face, that it was working. She showed all the little cues. Listening for something, sniffing the air, smiling about a memory She, or the stone itself held. Thinking about it, I might have made something closer to a 'nostalgia stone'. I was sure that not everything She was getting from the stone was just from my memory of Ottar.

"Oh, this is simply precious." She said after a moment, opening her eyes. "You were saying?"

"Your power, as a Goddess, will connect you to Ottar through the stone. I suspect he just felt you grab his tail." I smiled.

That's for throwing me into the water, you big lug.

"My... And what of others?"

"For anyone else, it is simply the feelings inside the stone. While I've yet to try it, I suspect any other God or Goddess might have the same effect." This was giving me ideas for later.

"Well, no one but I will touch this." She gave me a brilliant smile, just as Ottar walked in, "I was correct in letting you two out. This is such a wondrous item."

Ottar tried very hard not to look like he had just stubbed his toe, but I could tell he had. "That is good to hear, My Lady." Ottar said, "Do you deem it worthy payment then?"

"Very much so." Freya said with a smile, winking at Ottar then closing Her eyes for a moment, the big man shivering as She ran her hand over the stone.

Trying not to laugh, I opened my satchel and produced the empty potion bottle. "If you please, Lady Freya."

* * *

Success. I finally had everything I needed to make the potion. Well, everything but Hestia's aspect. Though that was probably going to be as simple as asking. Maybe make Her some cookies, just for Her.

One thing however, gave me a little chill. I might have been over thinking it, but...

"I look forward to one day, meeting your child." Freya had said.

She was a Goddess. She had time to play the long game. And unless I found a way to protect any children I, or Haruhime might have because of this...

But I think I knew why now, that the Goddess of Love and Fertility didn't effect me like she had used to. And I suspected, it was the the same reason why Bell resisted Ishtar, and I'd more or less done it too, even after a day of torture. Love. I loved Haruhime. A lot. We worked well together, got along nearly perfectly, even traded tails. We were perfectly in synch almost all the time. And before, I, a former atheist, had literally found a Goddess to put my heart in. Bell was much the same. He would do anything for Hestia.

But save those thoughts for later. I had a potion to make.

* * *

Welf was still absent from the workshop, so I had it all to myself. I'd hopped over the wall to sneak in, because I wanted to get this started as soon as possible. So, I arranged everything I'd need, then knelt on the floor of the workshop, and prayed. No words, just a simple heartfelt plea for my Goddess to answer my call. For roughly five minutes, I knelt there, thinking of just what an amazing stroke of luck it was that I'd met Her, lived with Her, learned from Her, and taught Her things in kind.

"Kodori?" I heard Her voice, the workshop door closing behind her. "That... felt so weird." She said as I stood up and looked at Her. "I think you are the only person who's ever prayed to me personally."

"Lilly chose a good swimsuit for you, Lady Hestia." I said, not caring that She was still dripping wet from the pool, Her hair done up in a single pony tail as well trailing water on the floor. Her swimsuit was indeed a good one, a two piece dark blue affair, that looked kind of like a short version of my boxers and sport bra, giving her divine bust support, and not being at all see through when wet.

"Do you like it? Bell has been avoiding me though..." She pouted. "Won't even look at me."

"My lady, Bell isn't looking at you, because if he does, he might have to stop swimming." I said confidently, then paused, "Now now, no breaking."

She had started to stammer, and turn bright red, but I hugged her close and pet Her hair, "I'll have you know I am the top virginal Goddess!"

"You don't have to be." I said, "Down here, you are no longer bound by your 'place' in Tenkai." I let her go, putting my hands on her little shoulders, "But, it's time. I need only one more thing, and I can set up my potion kit." I lowered my voice a little, letting my feelings for Lady Hestia fill my heart and voice, "Lady Hestia, Goddess of Hearth, Home, and Family, your child asks for a gift of Your blood, so that she may hopefully, make your Family and Familia grow."

She shivered as I spoke, "Brr, so formal. It's weird." She gave me a Karate Chop of Justice, then gave me a pat on the head, "Silly fox, you didn't have to do that much."

"No, but I wanted you to know how much You mean to me. Seemed appropriate."

She looked around for a moment, picking up a small chisel, "She still doesn't have any idea, does she?" She asked, taking the potion bottle I offered Her, "I kind of want to be there when you ask."

"No," I smiled, "I don't want anyone else around. She might feel pressured." I watched as Her blood slowly filled the bottle, "I take it you are all in the pool?"

"Mostly. Some of the boys are doing other things, and Haruhime is waiting for you." She paused, "Hey, you got a tan."

"I did. Was out fishing yesterday, and most of that was in my underwear."

"Oh really?"

"Salt would have ruined the colours on my clothes, and I had to do some swimming." I explained, carefully accepting the little bottle, watching Her lick the little cut on Her finger closed again. "I suspect I'm going to look a little silly in what ever Lilly has gotten for me."

"Should I go tell Haruhime you'll be along shortly?" Hestia asked, looking over my shoulder as I quickly double checked all the ingredients, and got them put into the proper places in the alchemy setup.

"Yes please. I should be able to let this cook itself in about ten minutes."

* * *

I will admit, at this point in time, I wouldn't have cared if Lilly had gotten me three patches of fabric and some string, then told me I had to put it together too. The last thing I needed before I felt I could ask Haruhime the big question, was about two hours or so from being done.

Haruhime herself, was waiting in our room, calmly brushing her hair out, her two black tails trailing behind her, the tips gently tapping against the floor.

"Want me to braid your hair love?" I asked, spotting two fabric bundles on our low tea table, "Ah, our bathing suits?"

"Yes." She said turning away from the little mirror stand and looking at me as I sat down, "And please." She smiled, handing me the brush.

"I'm happy you waited." I said, "Though, I'm a little surprised you haven't tried the pool yet." I made sure her soft golden hair was tangle free, "I'll brush you after, shoo shoo." I said to her two tails as they wrapped around my arm, demanding to be brushed.

"I'm a little nervous." She admitted, giggling as my tails tried to keep hers out of the way as I started to braid her hair.

"Oh?"

"Well... I'm not as confident as you, or Mikoto-chan, about how I look." She said, "And Lilly chose... a rather revealing suit."

"I know just the thing to help with that." I said, putting a tie at the end of her new braid and leaning forward, resting my chin on her shoulder. "And, I know I'm biased, but I think you look amazing, almost all the time."

She giggled again, tilting her head and rubbing her cheek against mine, "Almost?"

"I have to sleep sometimes." I replied, "And sometimes you have the most frightful bed head." I hugged her around the middle, "You've been doing a lot of work recently. Trying to keep up with us in the mornings, sparring, learning from Lord Takemikazuchi... I loved you when you were soft all over, but I love you even more now." I kissed her cheek, let her go, then stood up, "Let's see what Lilly has in store for us."

My words had stunned her a little, though she was smiling as she raised a palm to her cheek, "Yes. And if you wish, I'll help you tickle her later."

"I was going to do it anyhow, simply because I can. But you're welcome to help." I grinned, picking up the first bundle.

"That one's mine." She said, accepting it when I handed it over.

"Then this one is... Hrm..."

If it hasn't been made clear by this point, I not really body shy. Having lived a while, this kind of thing didn't really phase me. Even more, when I arrived naked in the city, or had my clothes burnt off... many times... or having people walk in on me naked. It just wasn't a thing for me.

Sure, I wasn't going to just walk around naked because I could. I respected others enough that I didn't want to make them feel uncomfortable. Well, mostly. Bath time in the manor seemed to always make some of the 'less feminine' women of the house pout at me when they thought I wasn't looking.

This suit however...

The bottom, was a dark blue bit of fabric that rode very high on my hips. It was the kind of thing that you could 'look' like you weren't wearing panties, with a Chinese dress. You know, those ones with the slit up the side that sometimes went to, or not quite, over the hip?

It covered me properly, but I could tell that If I bent over without using my knees...

The top was much the same. A nice dark blue, that started at my neck, went under my arms, and over my breasts. It offered support, but...

"Lilly is getting such a tickle later." I said, raising my arms over my head and feeling the top of my new bathing suit starting to wander upwards.

"And your new tan lines..." Haruhime giggled, drawing my gaze to her.

Haruhime was wearing something similar to what Hestia was. While our Goddess wore a 'one good breeze from a nosebleed' dress of Hers constantly, Haruhime was very much a kimono girl. The french maid outfit was the most daring thing I'd ever seen her wear outside of our room or taking a bath, so this bathing suit was...

"I see you approve." Haruhime giggled, making me look behind me, to where my six tails were wagging happily.

Yes. Wagging. Six, leg length tails, happy to see her. I was astonished, and a little embarrassed, that my tails weren't tangling themselves into knots. "Seven out of seven foxes approve." I said, stepping forward, running a hand over her bare stomach, "I love a girl who does her situps." I teased.

"Do you think it's too much?" She looked down at herself, stretching out a leg that was had just the right amount of tone to it.

"It shows just how much effort you are putting in." I replied, "Now... Lets add a final touch, just in case..."

* * *

When we arrived at the pool, we all got a round of applause, as well as a couple of whistles, and one person faking a heart attack. Lilly had apparently gone the distance with the swimming attire. Chigusa, the poor girl still waiting for her growth spurt, was wearing, of all things, a Japanese school swimsuit. Her modest bust and slender form made her look adorable, and her hair, tied back to keep it out of her eyes, added to the effect. Asuka, with her more curvy form, was wearing a similar suit, though it was open in the back and had a little oval missing from the front, showing off her toned girly abs. She didn't mind that she was more 'bouncy' than normal, and was happily splashing with Wiene.

The dragon girl probably tried to be naked at first, but I suspected a half dozen 'no you may not's' had convinced her to wear another school swimsuit. This one was modified to allow her scales to show, and not cut up the fabric. I made a note to see if I could dull them somehow, or talk to Fels about a replacement robe. Wiene was also very fast in the water. Darting about, ducking under and springing up halfway across the pool, and generally being a kid.

Lilly was kicking her feet at the side of the pool, wearing a white one piece that had a little frill over the breasts and groin, hiding her under the almost see through fabric. With her ability to change shape, I wondered why she didn't just... Make herself look how she wanted to. But I personally found normal Lilly the most adorable. Even if she was giving Haruhime and I a naughty smile and a thumbs up.

Hestia was sitting next to Mikoto, sunning themselves on a pair of lawn chairs. The Samurai girl probably would have threatened to drown Lilly if she got her something too revealing. The same dark blue one piece, like Asuka's, though I couldn't tell if the back was open. It was a little known secret out of the Familia, that she had the third largest bust of us all, and I could tell she had let herself free for the occasion, instead of binding them up like she normally did.

"Ko-san... You're staring." Haruhime said quietly.

"Everyone looks good." I said without trying to cover my obvious ogling, "And Lilly kept in mind everyone's... Well, almost everyone's preferences."

"Wow." I heard Welf say as he exited the change room, we had built. "Lil'e, you actually got her to wear it!"

"Miss Kodori lost a bet!" Lilly replied.

The rest of the guys were behind Welf, and all of them were dressed in shorts and t-shirt. Bell's shirt was kind of loose fitting, though Marius and Ouka, both wide shouldered, looked like they had been painted into them. Looking over to Lilly, the little pallum winked at me. She had remembered that Haruhime would faint if she saw a man's bare chest.

Well... She used to. It had been a while since the last ... Incident... I still remember panicking as she fell over backwards and started foaming at the mouth as Marius, still new and as yet uninformed of Haruhime's shy little quirk, stepped out of the bathroom without a shirt.

To be fair, the Rakia Man was built like a statue.

Haruhime was hiding behind me a little, but my tails gently encouraged her to stand beside me. In addition to Lilly's gifts, I had added a 'sarong'. Basically, a thin bit of cloth that went around our hips and was knotted on one side. The fabric was thin enough that it was almost see through, but Haruhime, and I'll admit, me as well, felt a little less exposed.

"So..." Ouka started, looking around and trying not to look like he was ogling, "Who wants to race?"

* * *

Our pool wasn't Olympic sized, but it was certainly big enough to hold several activities at once. Takemikazuchi brought out the orphans too, the handsome God wearing a pair of shorts and a prison striped t-shirt, while the kids were mostly in clean underwear and shirts. Swimming lessons were had, myself and Haruhime included, as out tails made traditional swimming a little difficult.

The taller of us were playing with an inflated orc leather ball that Welf had made, while some of the shorter people, like Lilly and Chigusa were playing tag with Wiene over in the shallow end.

"Hey sister!" Welf called, "Done flailing around? Come play over here!"

And for the first time since I found I was cursed, I wished I wasn't. "I'd kill your ball." Almost every sport that required an inanimate object to play, was off limits for me, since you had to 'hit' something. "How about tug of war?" I called back grinning.

"Even if it was all of us against you, you'd still win." Marius said, "Or, we would break the pool."

"You mentioned running in water?" Marius asked. "Care to show us how it's done then?"

And we started to play anew. This time, by running as fast as we could, from the shallow end, to the deep end. Most were surprised at just how fast the resistance mounted, the more you got submerged. Even Bell and I, the two strongest, couldn't keep any real speed as the water got to our necks. Even the orphans got in on it, God and Goddess as well, trying not to slip, keep moving, and not cheat by swimming.

Well, except Wiene. She didn't wanna train. So she just teased us by swimming circles around people.

Speaking of tease... I could resist nudging Mikoto, looking over to Takemikazuchi as He helped one of the orphans learn to kick in the water. "I'd never have guessed He owned a shirt like that." I said.

And I enjoyed a rare moment of Mikoto turning into a stuttering idiot, as she looked directly at Takemikazuchi for a moment, and went crimson.

"Hey!" Ouka shouted, "How about we try a chariot battle?"

"That the one where you have three people holding up a forth, and you try and take their headband?"

Teams were a little hard to decide. Any team Bell and I were on would probably sweep the competition. And the orphans and Gods wanted to play as well. So in the end, we had smaller teams of two people, instead of four. All of the front line fighters acting as the bottom, while the supporters were the attackers. I was forbidden the use of my tails, but Haruhime was allowed to be my partner. Hestia demanded to be Bell's partner, the poor boy no longer having to try not to look at just how Hestia's swimsuit clung to Her, now had Her riding his shoulders. Ouka and Chigusa were an obvious pair. Welf had Asuka, surprising me a little, but Marius was supporting Lilly, the tallest and shortest together. Mikoto had Takemikazuchi on her shoulders, the poor girl seeming torn between her competitive spirit, and her love interest being so close.

With the orphans cheering us on, and Wiene taking on the role of referee the six pairs of us got into a circle and faced off.

Right from the start, I knew I'd either be left alone, or ganged up on. I half expected Mikoto to lunge sideways at me, with the normal, yet highly skilled Takemikazuchi there to try for Haruhime's bandanna. Instead, Mikoto seemed rooted to the spot for a moment, her face blushing so hard it looked sun burnt. Welf and Asuka went after Marius and Lilly, the two men trying to crowd each other while the girls tried to keep their balance and swipe at each other. Hestia was using one hand to turn Bell's head, pointing him towards Haruhime and I, and I spotted Ouka trying a side play towards them.

"Left!" Haruhime shouted, my feet moving left, "Use Welf-san as cover!"

I saw Chigusa and Hestia start to flail at each other, while I moved behind Welf, forcing Asuka to fend off Haruhime and Lilly at the same time. Mikoto seemed to snap out of her daze, and I spotted her coming towards us, the war God on her shoulders opening and closing His hands. Marius backed away, Lilly just missing having her headband taken by Him, but I heard Haruhime shout a cry of victory as Wiene yelled, "Welf and Asuka are out!"

The Welf/Asuka team split up and got out of the way as quickly as they could, leaving Marius, Mikoto and I in a bit of a standoff. I faked going towards Marius, then went as quickly as I could between them as they both tried to move towards me. Instead of stopping however, they went after each other.

"Turn!" Haruhime called out, her little hand between my ears. "Left!" She said again as I obeyed.

"Lilly will get yo-ack!" The pallum was stopped in mid sentence as Haruhime's tails, full of water, sloshed across Lilly's front and over Marius's face. Distracted, they couldn't bother us as I finished my next step and my passenger tried to capture Takemikazuchi's headband. Mikoto and I tried to upset each others balance without actually pushing, while our two riders sounded like they were having an epic duel above our heads.

The fur of my tails felt the water pressure change, and I suddenly ducked out of the way, surprising Mikoto and Takemikazuchi both, as Marius tried to get behind us. The war God was quick however, snatching Lilly's headband. But, taking a page out of Takemikazuchi's book, one is most vulnerable when striking, and Haruhime managed to catch the back of His bandanna, tugging it off His head.

"Mr. Marius and Mikoto, out!" Weine said excitedly, the four of them quickly backing up, "Ouka out!"

Turning, surprised, I caught sight of Chigusa pushing the hair out of her eyes. Gone was the little tie she had put in her hair to keep it up.

Bell and I faced each other, while Hestia struck a victory pose, Chigusa's bandanna in hand. "Side to side." Haruhime said, putting her hands on my head as I zig zagged my way towards Bell. Long time sparring partners, he was reading my moves, but as the faithful 'chariot' I wasn't in control. "Duck right." Haruhime said suddenly as Hestia raised her hands to make a try for Haruhime's bandanna.

Bell still predicted my move, keeping up with me, until Haruhime tapped my left ear. Ducking again left, Bell was left facing empty water, but Hestia cheered.

Then there was the sound of ripping fabric.

Stopping cold, I looked at Bell, who's eyes were trailing upwards. Instantly, Hestia's hands clapped over his eyes, "Don't look!"

My own eyes looked up, and into the divine bust of Hestia, gloriously free from their restraints, before Haruhime's hands moved to cover HER up. Except, since I was taller, Haruhime had to lean forward a little, as she tried to preserve our Goddess's modesty, and I found myself the victim(?) of what some would call, 'the boob hat'. As we held the position a moment longer, a small collection of ripped bathing suit material floated by.

"Cover yourself, Lady Hestia." I heard Takemikazuchi say, before a striped bit of fabric fluttered into my limited vision, "You too, Hime-chan."

Hands exchanged places, another t-shirt was tossed over to Hestia, and I turned to thank Takemikazuchi. And realized, in the excitement, that I'd forgotten about Haruhime's little quirk.

"blub." Haruhime said, going limp over my head, the striped T-shirt over her back.

"Well..." Ouka said, "um... Who won?"

Wiene looked between Bell and I, getting closer, then with a quick motion, took both Hestia's and Haruhime's bandannas. "I did!" She giggled.

Laughing, I said, "Okay, I guess I'll take her to our room to recover." I looked over to Lilly, "I'll get you..."

"Lilly didn't know the sewing was so cheap?" She tried, trying to hide behind Marius.

* * *

I took note of the sun's position, as I put Haruhime on a couple of towels up in our room. Covering her up a little more with a third towel, I quickly hopped off the balcony, and dashed around the manor to the workshop. It should be done by now...

And it was! There, on my alchemy table, next to a pair of alembics, were two double sized potion bottles. Quickly, I checked my notes on them, and giggled with glee. Just as the book said, (though in more colourful speech, with lots of 'thee's and 'thou's') I should have two bottles, filled with a opalescent fluid, that smelled like fresh flowers, with a thick consistency.

And there they were.

Trying not to laugh at what ELSE those two bottles looked to be filled with, I carefully put them in the hidden box I had on my workbench. Then I stored the left over ingredients, including three half full bottles of God's blood, (those went into a small padded adamant box), and returned to our room.

Haruhime hadn't moved at all, so I put the little box on our table, very gently moved her so her head was resting on my lap, and waited. Except, while watching the steady rise and fall of her chest even covered by a towel, was enjoyable, my nerves were a little jagged. I resisted the urge to fidget, play with her hair or ears, or simply lay beside her and cuddle.

Then I spotted the three neatly stacked pages with my unread status on them. One of my tails swished over to them, the paper sticking to them as my unbreakable grip held fast even when the laws of physics dictated they really shouldn't have.

Sorting them, I considered when I'd had them updated. The first, was a little while before my run-in with the former Berbera. The second after I'd healed and gotten used to Haruhime's tail, sort of... And the third was after I'd grown a sixth tail and beaten Bete, with the help of Haruhime's magic. The third page was a little crumpled, having been in my pocket while fighting Gros, the second wasn't folded at all, having been left on the table, since I was practically immobile due to Haruhime's epic back rub, and the first was folded neatly twice.

Compiling them all, the progress looked like this.

Kodori Level: 4

Power: F 329-341-410-862

Endurance: E 421-431-682-999

Dexterity: G 218-224-356-856

Agility: G 259-267-328-839

Magic: E 430-443-687-999

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats and magic resistance.

-Home of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant natural armour.

-Judgement of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant increased strength.

Boost is greater in the defence of others.

-Guardian of the Gardens: Additive spell, summons multiple manifestations

- **Call of the Goddess:** Uses Congenital magic to grant increased dexterity and agility.

 **Congenital Magic: Outer manifestation**

 **Creates manifestations of will. Greater magic use increases power.**

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

Titan's stance

Becomes immovable when Titan's grip is active.

Kitsune Manifestation

Grants bestial form.

Grants a boost in all stats.

May lose control.

 **May also be manifested.**

Fire resistance

Is immune to most normal fire, and some magical fire.

Mage: D-C

Crafting: E-D

Abnormal Resistance F-E

I hmm'ed to myself quietly, thinking about what I'd done, or had done to me, for the numbers to change so much. After the little dip in activity, there was a minor gain. One that most would call normal. Then I'd had a life or death fight, piled onto a life or death recovery, then the fight with Bete. Haruhime's tail had added a couple of lines to my magic, not to mention my own experiments with it. Fooling the amazon twins was kind of funny, though I had to do a few things to make it really convincing, and it didn't hold up to physical contact.

They were probably going to molest my tails next time I saw them.

The last addition, before the better development skills, was... kind of alarming. But, it would explain why my foxes would act on their own, or with more... character, than you would expect a remote copy of yourself to show. Part of the ability might also have been caused by my recovery from being tortured, and being afraid to be alone. I could literally summon a friend, even if it was just a little bit of myself.

So, like I had with all my other abilities, I did a little experiment. It sounded like Haruhime had fallen into an actual sleep, so I probably had a little more time.

Looking behind me for a volunteer, my golden tail swished up and over my shoulder, the poofy end of it brushing my cheek to try and convince me to pet it back. While I did, I closed my eyes, held out my other hand, and willed a little gold edged black fox to appear from inside of the golden fur. First one, then two, then four little points of pressure landed on my hand, my closed eyes picking up on the extra set of eyes, and 'looking' at my own face.

I placed the little fox on the floor next to me, and whispered to it, "If you could be free? What would you do? Run away? Stay by my side?"

It was a strange feeling, as the magic supporting the little apparition seemed to stretch. Feeling like a piece of taffy, the energy between me and the little fox came apart, then, nothing. The mana I had used to make it was slowly coming back, while the little fox looked up at me, its vision no longer trying to crowd my own.

And then, with a yawn, it went over to Haruhime's side, curled up, rested its chin on her arm, and slowly vanished.

"Ko-san lap pillow..." Haruhime mumbled, moving her head a little. "What happened?" Her hands slowly lifted off the floor by her sides, reaching up at my face, though her eyes were still closed.

"You still haven't gotten over your... thing with seeing men topless." I replied, capturing her hands and putting them to either side of my face, the warmth of her palms making me want to nuzzle them like a cat or something. "So I carried you back up to our room, and gave you a lap pillow, since you were still wet from the pool."

She opened her eyes then, looking up at me with those two liquid green pools. "You could have gone back. It was your idea for the pool, you should enjoy it."

"It's a giant stone lined pit filled with water, in our back yard. It's not going anywhere." I replied with a smile, leaning down and kissing her forehead, "Besides, it was a chance to repay you for giving me so many lap pillows."

"Are you keeping a count of how many you owe me then?"

"No. I can only be so wise before I lose track of things."

We shared a laugh, and my tails helped her sit up, though they were reluctant on letting go once she was facing me. "I... Don't know that look on your face." She said to me, reaching out again to stroke my cheek.

Taking a deep breath, drawing a little courage as my magic sparked a little inside me, I took her hand in mine, then looked into her eyes. "When we first met, you were a lot like I was, before I came to this city. Trapped by rules, restrictions, and things out of your control. I didn't even realize why I wanted to help you so much, until a little before we rescued you."

"I was so happy, to be brought from that place, and to a home with all my old friends." Haruhime replied, smiling, "To have a home where no one cared what I was."

"Of course, it wasn't just that. It's no secret I find you attractive. You are gentle and kind. Considerate of others, hard working. You helped me with my own magic, and my own self discovery. Through you, you've saved everyone I've cared about at least once." I touched a finger to her lips before she could reply, "What you were, to the point you are at now, makes you who you are. And I love you. You are still kind and caring, even with the weight of your past."

I moved my finger, turning my hand and touching her cheek, leaning forward a little so I could caress the side of her head, where human ears would be, enjoying the soft hair there. "On my back, it says I am blessed with an unbreakable grip, yet, cursed to never hold a weapon."

"Almost everyone has asked me..." Haruhime started, "If you've ever told me why that is. Even Lady Hestia." She leaned her head into my touch, "Our status is a reflection of who we are, and such a curse..."

"I know why." I said, looking down at my lap, though I couldn't bring myself to take my hand away, "Before... I would gain something, then never really put work into keeping it. A pet, a friend, a mate. Yes, I'd regret it when they left, but I just... Didn't put the effort in. Or, I would, and it wouldn't matter. My effort to keep what I had wouldn't be enough." I sighed, "So, I can wield no weapons, because I must do everything with my own two hands. And my grip, keeps my hands from letting go, no matter what it is, until I choose to do so." I looked up at her again, "A reflection of my old self, on my back. Reminding me to not make the same silly mistakes."

She reached a hand out to brush a tear away from my eyes.

"Sanjouno Haruhime." I said, making her blink in surprise. No one used her first name. Even though she was Eastern, and very familiar with the Takemikazuchi Familia, and myself, her last name was just too easy to use. She was our 'Princess'. Our 'Hime'.

"Sanjouno Haruhime." I started again, "I never want to let you go." I reached for the black box sitting on the table, opening it with one hand and taking out two much smaller boxes. Not opening them yet, I continued, "I know, we are adventurers, that tomorrow is not promised to us. That every time we enter the dungeon, we might not return."

Taking her hand, I opened the box with a tiny H etched into the top, "But, even so, I must ask you. Sanjouno Haruhime, will you allow me the honour, to walk beside you until our last day, to stay and grow, learn, and fight by your side? Will you complete me, and give me the honour of your last name, as I don't have one of my own?"

I opened the box, the gold and black braided metal, with the mirror polished jade set into the top glittering in the low light of the room. It was the ring with her 'memory' in it. "But..." She was a little stunned, and her eyes were misty as she looked down at the ring.

"For me to walk beside you, and for us to have a proper future together." I put the ring box in her hand, then reached into the box for the second thing, taking out the two potion bottles, "I have found a way for there to be children between us. I would do anything for you, to set your mind at ease about this."

"You would... Even though I was..."

"Your past makes you who you are. And, who you are, is who I wish to be with. Sanjouno Haruhime, will you marry me?" I took the little ring box out of her hand, looking into her eyes as I asked.

"Yes." She said, offering her hand properly.

* * *

Notes

*ahem*

This is basically the end. There are a few little things I'm going to write. Stretch out the legs a little for the lead up to the jump to Highschool DxD. But yes, this is about it.

One of the things, is obviously the wedding. Another, is Marius's return to Rakia. I might, maybe, go East, and kick Haruhime's father in the shin. I dunno. But yeah. :)

And for those asking, yes, that status update was for you. I should have kept better notes on them. I had to look through each chapter to find the latest one, then the others after that, to see when the updates happened, so it would reflect on the status properly.

See you in five days.

Oh, sorry about the status update. doesn't like certain characters, and just... deletes them. So if it isn't clear, well... Sorry. :(


	69. Chapter 69

Notes, before I get this chapter started.

As I wind down the story, I find myself looking at my next project like some sort of neanderthal gazing up at a monolith. The DxD universe is vastly different in tone, and Kodori is has a very dim view of some of the things that go on there.

To be fair, that could make things much more interesting.

Anyhow. Thank you everyone for sticking with me so far. And after some cleanup, slice-of-lifeing, and maybe a trip East... Well, I'm not done yet. :)

This does however, leave me with a tricky spot. The next book is coming soon, (thank you for commenting about this, you wonderful people you) and if my final side stories take long enough, I may put DxD on hold just a little longer. Or, depending on what Fujino Omori does when it comes to time lapse, return to Orario after DxD to go through that.

Or throw it all on the ground, and enjoy the books, and do my own thing with the world. I dunno.

Also! Thank you for your comments. It seems I must have been doing something right for so many of them.

Anyhow.

* * *

Chapter 68

I was sure everyone knew why Haruhime and I were practically glowing when we entered the kitchen that night to make dinner. Or at the very least, they all had a good idea. Hestia knew for sure at least, though, I was pretty sure she was keeping quiet about it. She was really good about 'Familia announcements', and not taking the spotlight from anyone.

That, and the two of us were wearing our rings now. To later be exchanged, so that we each held the others 'memory', always.

"Ko-san, careful." Haruhime said to me quietly, my hand stopping my knife an instant before I'd have broken it by touching it to my thumb. "This is a lot of fish... How big was it?"

"Almost as big as our dining table? Maybe more? Was too busy trying not to drown." I replied, "So... How shall we do this?"

"There's so much... We could do a little of everything?"

"True. I mean... A single steak could serve most of the orphans..."

"I'll work on the broth for sashimi?"

"Oh, good idea. Okay..."

And so it went. By the time we had gotten everything cooked, Mikoto had joined in to add her own dish ideas, and much needed cooking experience. The Hostess of Fertility didn't have many fish dishes, and Haruhime's cooking skill was more focused on breads and sauces.

But, by the time we had put the platters on the table, we had used almost every part of that massive fish. Breaded, fried, sushi, sashimi, baked, it was all there. And once we were all seated, we dug in.

After the epic meal, with most people at the table looking like they couldn't eat anything more, myself included, we settled down for our usual 'shop talk'.

"Gros wants to talk to you, Miss Kodori." Bell started, "About the little box."

"I mean to." I replied, seeing a few questioning looks, "Well, I suppose I'll go first." I grinned, "Yesterday, I went to Melen with Ottar."

"Lilly is still surprised." She said, "The King fishes."

"The Fisher King?"

"The King Fisher?"

"He's a Boaz, not a bird."

"Yeah, I mean, you'd expect Ottar to just... be in the dungeon for weeks at a time." Welf added, "Not just stand on a boat with a rod and reel."

"Well, I hope you guys didn't treat the messenger too badly?" I looked to Takemikazuchi, who for once, didn't have His usual smile. "I'll start there. Hermes Familia, not Hermes Himself, wants nothing to do with us." This got a few raised eyebrows, "For starters, Aisha, our lovely assistant when we need a little extra muscle, or a tail sitter," Haruhime gave me a friendly punch in the shoulder, "has made it perfectly clear that she is only there for the rest of her year, and will oppose action against us." I looked to our two Gods at the table, "Please, welcome her when she comes to us."

"She conducts herself like a warrior, despite her usual lack of modesty." Takemikazuchi said, his smile back in place.

"Her and Ryuu would both be welcome here." Hestia said, nodding.

"Thank you." Haruhime said to them.

"The messenger also made it clear to me that most of Hermes Familia is simply putting up with Hermes, and using His being loose with the rules as much for themselves as the Familia. So, Lord Takemikazuchi, if you see Hermes in our home, I doubt anyone but Asfi will get in your way."

There were a few grim chuckles.

"Now, as a peace offering, I was given a little map, and a lead to a warehouse Dix was using to smuggle Xenos out to sea. It was empty, save for a single waggon and kennel, which is also in Gros's cage." I frowned, "With Ikelos Familia dead, the occupant was left there forgotten for around a week, with untreated wounds."

Many at the table went pale, others went red faced, I held up a hand to stall comments, "Unfortunately, it was bad enough that an elixir might have been the only way to save her. But, before she died, and dissolved, she trusted me with her children. That little box that Gros wants to talk to me about, has four lamia eggs in it, as well as her magic stone."

Again, the reaction was mixed. Some were a little excited, others pensive, but I saw the looks on Marius's and Lilly's faces. I knew too, that those eggs were probably a product of rape.

"We aren't keeping them, are we?" Asuka asked, "I mean... They will be born Xenos, right?"

"Should we tell Lord Ganesha?" Bell asked, then perked up, "We still have the occulus. We could tell Lido and the others?"

"We should tell them both." I said, "Lord Ganesha might know something about them, and Lido would probably be happy to take them in and keep them safe."

"Why can't we keep them up here?" Wiene asked, holding out a lettuce leaf for Chime to nibble on, "I mean..."

"We have Gros with us, because we didn't want the townsfolk to kill him." Marius said gently, "But, four more Xenos? It might be a little much for people to handle so soon."

"We will talk with people, find out our options." I said, "And decide then. But, anyhow... Just in case anyone wants to join me for fishing next time with Ottar, let me tell you how THAT went."

* * *

I had, by far, the most interesting day out of the lot of them. I suppose, going on a 'date' with the King would do that.

"So love?" I looked over to Haruhime, "Would you like to?"

The table went silent, though many of us had a little smile. Haruhime stood up, very politely 'ahem'ed', then said, "Yes, Ko-san and I have an announcement." She idly toyed with her new ring, looking like she might either be too shy to say it outright, or thinking on how to word it. "After all of you, well... Not Marius-san, or Wiene-chan..." She ahem'ed again, "After I was saved from Ishtar, and brought here, to live, to join Hestia Familia, to see my old friends again... None of you have judged me about my past. Instead, you all have helped me grow, get stronger, and fit in, so that I wouldn't be a burden, in, or out, of the dungeon."

She side stepped slightly, to put a hand on my shoulder, "Ko-san especially, has helped me. Be it keeping the bad dreams away, fitting in with new people, or guiding me on ways I could train so I am better able to keep up with you all... It's no secret, by now, that we're together."

Someone chuckled, but some one else kicked them in the shin under the table.

"But, even so, I was hesitant. I know... I know I love her, but it wouldn't be a... fruitful love. Our visit, during the Rakia war, by the Black Fox Clan, I realized that I would certainly want children of my own." She leaned down a little, resting her chin on my head, hugging my shoulders, "Ko-san knew this, and we think we might have a way to change that. And she asked to marry me." She reached down and took my hand, and she displayed our rings to those who could see across from us, "And I said yes."

There were cheers, and gasps, even a 'what's a marry?', but when the noise died down, Chigusa perked up and said, "So that's what you were reading!" Then blushed and tried to hide behind her tea cup.

"That's right." I said, "With the help of many of you, Lady Hestia as well... Well, yeah..." I fell silent. I had only a general idea of what the potion would do, and I certainly wasn't going to explain THAT at the dinner table.

"Hm, I suppose we have to plan a wedding..." Takemikazuchi said with His usual calm voice.

"Actually..." I started.

"Ko-san... How long have you been waiting to ask?" Haruhime asked me.

"After you woke me up with your tail." Hestia nod-nodded at my reply, "I've been very hopeful you would say yes, sooooo..."

"So you put little things in place, and waited for them to be needed." Marius said, "I will have to remember this strategy."

"Aisha and Ryuu both know too. But they were there that day. I'm pretty sure I just have to say 'go', and the Hostess would be willing to host the event." I said with a smile, leaning my head against Haruhime's chest, "Forgive me for presuming?"

"You owe me a back rub." She replied, earning a chuckle from around the room.

"My Lady is kind." Earning me a punch in the shoulder, followed by a pat on the head.

"Actually." Marius started, "While not unexpected, you asking for Miss Haruhime's hand, I have news of my own."

We all turned to him, Takemikazuchi standing at His place at the table, "Marius-san is now level three." We all cheered for him, though the soldier raised a hand to quiet us down.

"Without all of your assistance, I may never have reached this height. And while I have some time before my year is over, I hope to continue working with you, and improving." Marius as ever was as businesslike as always, but he smiled, "Ma'am, have I ever thanked you for kicking my ass back on that mountain?"

"Hm, most people ask me not to do that." I commented, trying to look thoughtful, "But yes. Remember part of you returning home is you have to survive your year."

"Yes Ma'am." He said, "It's odd, but as of yesterday, I am the second strongest person from Rakia. There is only one other level three there, and he might have been captured and returned with no falna."

"We'll make sure you look good when you return." Welf said, giving the soldier a thump on the back, "Isn't that right sister?"

"Almost can't wait." I said, "But, if that's all the news?"

We all gave everyone else a look, shook our heads, then nodded, gathering up plates for the cleanup.

* * *

"So." Welf started, picking up a towel and drying a dish.

"Who are you? Welf never does dishes." I asked, looking shocked while my tail rescued the dish before he could fumble it. The reason he never did dishes.

"What can I say? My hands are meant for the forge." He laughed, putting the towel back before I had to rescue another dish. "Speaking of the forge. I noticed that box in Gros's cage is one of the special ones."

"After I chat with Gros, we can get it to the workshop to break it down."

"About that... As your teacher, in most things anvil related. I think you might be ready to try working adamant." Welf said with a smile, "Just don't use your bare hands on it like you do iron."

"Wasn't going to... Well, okay, I lie. Wasn't going to right away." I put another dish in the rack, "You think I'm ready? Huh... Must be doing something right. Oh, I do owe Ottar a bit for helping me get it open. We had no tools, so I had to bend it and... Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You... Bent it?"

"I was very motivated."

"Do you have any idea just how strong... No, that's a silly question, you were there..." He sighed, "I'll get the tools ready to break it down."

"Thanks brother." I said, flicking a little dish water at him, "Now shoo, and draft someone to help dry on your way out."

Fending off my attack with a hand, he nodded and left. A moment later, Bell entered, followed by Lilly. Wordlessly, they both picked up a towel and started drying.

"Don't forget Lilly." I said, handing Bell a dish. "I am going to tickle you."

"Lilly has a dish in her hands." She said, making Bell laugh quietly, "Lilly didn't know! Honest! Master Bell looked too!"

I rescued the dish in Bell's hands as he started to turn to stone, "Master Bell is a boy. Lilly however, was in charge of the swimsuits." I put the dish back in Bell's hands as he thawed out, "But, later." I smiled, "Too many things to do right now to get my revenge."

"I'm surprised, Miss Kodori." Bell said, "Well... Not really surprised? But that you'd be so determined."

"You should know the feeling now." I said, "Being near death can change your view on things."

He nodded, "Yeah... We've been through a lot in the past... year? Just over a year?"

"Considering we've been puppets for Hermes, who's been making problems for us to solve..." I sighed, "Damn. Okay, I didn't mean to bring this up. But..." I looked at Bell, who's hands had stopped, "Bell. What's the requirement to level?"

"To do something even the Gods would acknowledge." He said automatically.

"Even if those things were put in place by someone, to be solved by a hero in training." I said, managing to rescue the plate as my words sunk in, causing Bell to drop the dish. "Yeah. Hermes has been making situations for us, or rather, you, to solve. Each crisis, we barely get by, but we do. The Black Goliath, Moldo and that stupid helmet, Wiene getting captured, Haruhime and the Killing stone, Gros going on a rampage."

"But..." He started, accepting the dish and drying it properly. "Why?"

"Lilly thinks... It's because Hermes wants you to be a hero." Our supporter said.

"Kodori thinks Lilly gets it." I said, chuckling, "I don't know why. But while He's been pushing you to grow, He just... Doesn't get it. Sure, you're strong. The people love you. You have a moral compass that never wavers." I dried my hands and ruffled his hair, "But..."

"Master Bell would solve those problems without anyone pushing." Lilly said, grinning, "Right Master Bell?"

"Yes!" Bell replied instantly, "I would never let a problem that was in front of me go. I don't need anyone to push me towards it." He frowned, his normally friendly face twisting into something close to anger, "I will have to talk to Hermes." He said, "I don't want to be the kind of hero who needs... manufacturing." He said finally, "I will be a real hero. Not some... Actor in a play."

I grinned, patting him on the shoulder, "Exactly." I looked to Lilly, "Bell deserves a hug. I'm going to go talk to Gros."

"Lilly is okay with this." She said, as Bell went from 'righteous indignation' to 'stuttering idiot'. Again.

* * *

Gros was, by far, one of the most interesting monsters I'd ever seen. From his shape, a bus length griffon made of stone, to his physical makeup. I mean... How the hell did he even move? Animated stone or not, I wasn't even sure where to start with... well, I guess you could call it 'biology'. Maybe 'organic mineralogy'?

How ever, I couldn't suppress a laugh when I saw him, on his back, wiggling slightly side to side, in a small pit filled with white sand. He was even purring.

"You're welcome." I said, stepping through the bars of his cage, "I though you would be sleeping on it, not rolling in it."

"We have much to learn, about each other." He said between wiggles, opening his eyes and looking at me upside down, "I do this for two reasons." Slowly, he pulled his wings and legs close to his body and rolled over. "First, it is good for my skin. If I don't scrape at my skin, I slowly harden, and if left long enough, I'd turn to actual stone." He watched me as I got closer, crouching down next to his sand pit, "And, honestly, it feels very good."

I believed that. He didn't sound the least bit grumpy right now. "I'll arrange for more sand then. It's not hard to get, and cheap to transport." I reached down and ran my fingers through the sand, noticing little bits of grey mixed in with the white, "As a Xenos, I have to ask about the eggs. We are trying to figure out what to do with them."

"I did not know the mother. Her scent is still on the eggs, and her stone. But yes. You must decide. And soon." Gros said, moving carefully and sifting a claw through the sand, unearthing a wooden cube, "While I am your... guest, I have little say..."

"Wrong." I said, putting a hand on his beak and looking into one of his big black eyes, "You are a guest, truly. While the others will warm up to you eventually, to me, Bell, Lady Hestia and Lord Takemikazuchi, you are family. Your say on this is equal to ours."

"Hmph." He grunted, moving his beak out from under my hand, "Fine. As a Xenos, I would like them to stay. But." He placed the box in front of me, opening the top with surprising dexterity, "If they do, they will need... A lot of care. Young Xenos have many needs. Much like your... little peoples." He grumbled, "Is there any way you can keep them from disturbing me?"

"The children? Why? They want to know more about you."

"They're so tiny... and soft... and noisy."

"Like a young Xenos?"

"Like a young Xenos." He confirmed with a sigh, "Maybe not here, then, but perhaps this Ganesha God of yours might be a better place? He has a large... zoo? My stay there was not unpleasant."

"That was one of the options. We were also going to tell Lido."

"He would be interested in knowing, yes." Gros replied, "I am no expert, but I guess you have a few days, before they hatch."

"What are young Xenos like anyhow? I mean, aside from tiny soft and noisy."

"Curious, and hungry." He replied.

"Makes sense. Okay. Mr. Gros, I leave them in your care for another day or so. Want to help me with that box?"

"It smells... unpleasant." He said, "So I put it over there."

'Over there' was against the bars as far from the sand pit as he could get it. It was too big to fit through the bars though, or I'd have bet he'd have thrown it out of his enclosure. "Well, Welf and I are going to melt it down and make it into something useful. Oh, while I'm here, I'll show you how to work the lock on your home here."

"Oh? You'd give me the key to my cage?" We walked together towards the box, for him being made of stone, he could walk softly over grass.

"Appearances." I said firmly, "You are a guest, really. Just so long as you don't leave our grounds, or start making too much noise, you pretty much have free run of the place. We have rules to follow too, though, so don't make too much trouble, right?"

"Hmph." He grumbled again, "I have no wish to be subject to an angry mob... Again."

* * *

The box was heavy, but I could have carried it myself. I wanted, however, to really let Gros know he was a guest, not a prisoner, and willingly letting him out of his enclosure was hopefully a good way to demonstrate this.

"It is a pity." Gros said, as we set the box down outside the workshop door where he couldn't enter, "That you weren't able to gather some of the other cages, when you fought the Butcher."

"True." I said, knocking on the workshop door, "Welf come help!" Then to Gros, "Honestly, I hope never to see another cage like that again. But this does bring me to an idea I've been kicking around."

"Hey sis... Oh, hey Gros." Welf paused in mid step, looking up at the gargoyle, "Is the lock on your cage easy enough for you to grab?"

"Yes." Gros answered shortly, "Thank you."

"No problem." Welf replied.

"Can we open the side window? I want to chat with him a bit more." I asked Welf as we both took opposite ends of the box.

"Sure. And heave."

It was a little awkward, but we got the box into our 'large projects' area, which, ironically, was filled with a bunch of smaller ones at the moment. "Have to tidy more..." I commented as Welf unlatched the thick wooden shutters on the window. A moment later, Gros's head peeked in, blinking at all the seemingly random objects laying about.

"You humans... Such odd things. Weapons and armour, I can understand... But..." He commented, "What is that?"

"Bits of a glider." I replied, "I still owe Lilly a ride with it."

"Hrm." Gros replied, "So, you wished to talk?"

Welf picked up a pair of tools, a thick chisel, and sledge hammer. Handing me the hammer, he set the point of the chisel near one of the box's hinges. "Yeah. See... Up here, we have a saying, 'money talks'. Basically, when you want to be noticed, you spend money. Or, you show off that you have it. Or, you know how to make it."

"Another silly concept, this 'money'."

"Sister is right." Welf had his head turned away slightly, wary of potential chips of metal, as I brought the sledge down a couple of times.

"Well, if the Xenos want to be accepted, they need to do something to get noticed, that isn't related in any way to 'I'm a monster'. Not a show of strength, but utility."

"To show we can be a help, not a hindrance." Gros finished my thought for me, "Yes. Lido has mentioned this, but we had no idea how to go about it. I wasn't interested at the time, either, I'll admit."

I brought the sledge down again, the hinge of the door snapping, "Good." I moved to the other hinge, and Welf readied the chisel, "Chani gave me an idea."

"Oh?"

"Silk. Adventurers would pay a lot for a good amount of that silk she can spin. From what I know, only high class adventurers can go deep enough, to try and gather it from monsters who've made a nest of it. But what if it could be done with less risk?"

"Heh, always thinking the long game, eh sister?" Welf laughed, "Hell hound fur and teeth, dragon scales, gargoyle dust..."

"Really?" Gros interrupted.

"Sure. That dust you keep shedding can be used for top class sharpening tools, and some really useful alchemy." Welf said, setting the chisel aside as the hinge snapped, "Okay, lets put the door over here..."

"Interesting." Gros mumbled, his head following us as we moved about the shop.

"Weld mark here next?" I asked, then turned to Gros, "There is a huge list of things the Xenos could sell, and most of it, you simply cast off naturally. We adventurers kill the monsters to um... Speed up the process, but..."

"We kill them too." Gros said, "They hate us as much as they hate you."

"Oh right, you weren't there for the explanation." Welf said, turning his head again as I smashed the end of the chisel, "They hunt monsters as much for food as self preservation."

"That's another idea I had." I replied, "The Xenos know the dungeon well, I think, and could be employed as guides. I wonder what Eina would think if I brought her over." I looked to Gros again, "Think you'd be up to helping our Familia instructor learn a thing or two?"

"Is that wise?" Gros asked.

"She knows about the Xenos, and has helped us many times... Especially when we break a rule or two..." Welf mumbled the last bit, "Over here, almost deep enough to try and snap it."

"Lido would like to hear about these ideas." Gros said with a rumble.

"Just think, if you guys had a trade route to the surface." I grunted as I brought the sledge down again, "Wow... Tough stuff... Anyhow, if you guys hunt monsters, and brought up monster drops, you could make a lot of money. This could be used to improve your way of life down in the dungeon, as well as show the people," I made a waving gesture towards the city, "that you aren't to be feared, but respected."

"And if your knowledge can save people..." Welf held up a hand, and I stopped my next swing, "Then people will trust you... maybe. Bleh, public opinion is a pain." He looked at the door of the box, now with a deep groove in the middle, almost half way through. "Okay... we need something to brace this on, then something..." He looked to Gros, "Some one, heavy."

Gros raised a stoney eye ridge, but said nothing.

* * *

It took us until almost bed time to break the adamant box down into more manageable parts. Welf and I broke apart the walls, etched the big panels, then flipped it over and braced the ends. Gros, with his literal ton of stone weight, would then jump in the middle of the panel, snapping it in half. Welf sent me away afterwards, telling me he had to make a special furnace so we could heat up the still fairly large segments and soften them a little more.

Not that I minded being shoo'ed out of the workshop. I had plans to make for a wedding.

* * *

"Oh! Kodori." Hestia intercepted me on my way to the bath, a faintly glowing occulus stone in Her hand, "Lido wants to talk to you."

"Oh? Okay." She handed me the stone, and was about to turn to leave, when my tails distracted Her, "My tails miss you." I said to her before holding the stone to my mouth, "Lido? Doing well?"

"Ah!" His voice, a little distorted by the stone, was just as I remembered, "Good to hear you are well. Lady Hestia told me the good news, and some other news too. You have eggs?"

Figuring Hestia had given my tails enough random pets, I gathered them up with my free hand and gave her an actual hug before continuing my walk to the bath, "Yes, four of them. I didn't get the name of the mother, but, she was one of you."

"Not all bad news then." Lido rumbled, "That means if they hatch, they'll all be like us."

"I plan on telling Ganesha as well, He might be able to keep them up here, but I figure that the two of you should talk about that." I waved to Asuka as I passed her, my tails brushing past her arm lightly, "Gros thinks we have a few days before they might hatch, so I'll see what I can do to set up a meeting with the occulus."

"That would be helpful." Lido said with a smile in his voice.

"Oh, speaking of, Gros and I had a chat about a few things, I'll review them for you."

* * *

Lido was quite interested in my ideas, and promised he'd let the others know, and see what they thought. Finally able to bathe, I tried to clear my mind and sort out what I would have to do for the next few days. You would think, that once you save the city (again) you'd be able to relax...

* * *

"Lower..." Haruhime mumbled as my hands gave her the back rub I owed her. "Ko-san..."

"Yes love?"

"You really want to..."

"Yes."

"heehee..."

I leaned over her back, and kissed the back of her neck, "No sleeping."

"Not gonna... just thinking."

"Hm?"

"Why did you go with Ottar?" She asked, stretching the 'R' at the end as I worked on her lower back exactly the right way.

"Those potions... They needed Ichor. God's blood." I explained, brushing my fingers through her tail as I moved it out of the way. "I had to get two vials of it, one from Loki, the other from Freya."

"Oh?" A pause, "Oh! Heehee... My Ko-san is so clever..." I could see a sliver of green eye looking back at me, "You made a memory stone of Ottar then? And one for Loki-san?"

"Ottar yes." I smiled, "He's actually a nice guy, once you actually get past the 'I am King'. Kind of feel sorry for him." But then I shook my head, my hands teasing at the muscles of her upper leg, admiring not just the view, but how much she had actually improved herself. Gone was the 'girl who waited to be rescued'. "Loki and I made a bet."

"A bet?" She purred, "You're still giving me a back rub, no getting distracted." It didn't help that she moved her legs just a little further apart for me.

"I bet Her that I could stop Her from counting to thirty, and then turning over an hourglass, after it ran out. And gave Her a back rub, just like you taught me." I tried to look away, and focus on my task, but Haruhime knew all my buttons. "She managed to count, but not turn it over." I shifted my position, Haruhime's ears turning to follow me, but her head remaining motionless.

"Aisha always said my back rubs were the best, well... That I could maybe do them a little harder..." She sighed.

"I'd bet you could now." I pressed my thumbs into her calf muscles, gently working on them until they relaxed.

"You wouldn't mind?" She asked, a little quiver in her voice.

"Haruhime." I started, making her tails twitch, "Just because you and I are going to marry. It doesn't mean I will try and stop you from being friends with people. I didn't rescue you from your room, to put you back into another one." I huffed.

"Sorry..." She pouted a little, then eep'ed as I pinched her still quite soft rear. "ow..."

"Do I have to start over now?" I teased, "But seriously..."

"I wouldn't mind..." She giggled.

* * *

"I AMMMMMMM... Oh, Good morning Miss Kodori." Ganesha greeted me at his office door, stopping in mid pose when he saw I was alone. Well, I had Chime on my shoulder, but alone otherwise.

"You're really good at that. Here, have a bunny." I extended my hand, and the God of the People extended his own. Chime hopped across and plunked herself into His big hand, giving Him a fuzzy headbutt in greeting. "I've a few things to discuss with you, if you wouldn't mind giving me an audience?"

Wordlessly, He stepped aside, then closed the door behind me. "The city is just calming down again. This is nothing disturbing, I hope?" He sat on the biggest couch, petting Chime between the ears, "Should I summon for some tea? Cookies?"

"It might be a good idea. One of the things is..." I took the occulus from my satchel, showing it to Him, then closing my fist around it, "First... I'm sure you've heard about my... Well, the city is calling it a date, but it wasn't really, with Ottar."

"Yes!" He paused, chuckling, "Sorry, it is difficult sometimes to keep the persona down. But yes, I did hear."

"Well, one of Hermes Familia, as a 'please don't beat us up because our God is a jerk' peace offering, gave me the location for the last of Dix's holdings in Melen. A warehouse near the docks."

"I had heard that Ikelos Familia was shipping Xenos overseas, when they could." Ganesha said grimly, "What did you find?"

"Well... A dying mother and four lamia eggs. To put it simply. She didn't make it, but the eggs are being kept safe by my new friend Gros."

"A rather brisk fellow that one. But a good guardian. Four... And from a Xenos too... What were your plans for them?" He scratched His chin, "You did not want to keep them, I assume?"

"No. We could, but... Anyhow." I opened my hand, and spoke into the faintly glowing occulus, "Lido? You awake?"

"snnrk... snrrrrk..."

I held the stone in front of Ganesha, and gave Him a wink.

Perking up, and grinning, He took a deep breath... " **I AM GANESHA!** "

"snRK WHAT HUH WHO!?"

"Lido, good morning. I'm with Lord Ganesha, and I figured you'd want to chat."

"oh..." Lido yawned, the sound not unlike a dragon breathing fire, though in reverse, "Okay, just give me a minute..." There was a noise like clanking armour, then falling armour, then a quiet curse, then the sound of splashing water, "Sorry Lord Ganesha. We are still busy salvaging what we can from the Butcher's lair. It's keeping us up."

"It's fine, friend Lido. Now, Miss Kodori, would you like to start?"

* * *

It took me far longer than I thought it would to get them started, but after a couple of hours, getting them on track to think up ideas to trade, and what to do with those eggs, I left the occulus with Ganesha, told Him to keep an eye out for the invitation, and excused myself. I met Shakti on the way out, and she gave me a smile, and a little advice on how to improve on my chai.

As I made my way to my next destination, I could feel the eyes of the people on me. Once again, they were no longer hostile, which was nice, but a little... hollow feeling. Sure, Hestia Familia had 'saved' the city from the 'monster' gargoyle and 'the black minotaur', but really... The truth was very different.

"Pardon me?" A voice called out to me, soft and Godly. Only a God or Goddess could speak those perfectly understandable words. "Yes, you with the tails... My... All the tails."

In this case, it was a Goddess. Long brown hair done up in an almost Eastern pony tail, with striking blue eyes and a kind face. She wore a simple travelling shirt and vest, both in shades of green, and a long dress that went to Her ankles. Modest and functional. "How can I help you, Lady...?"

"Astraea." She said with a smile, "Though, you've helped me much already, Miss Kodori."

* * *

Noteeees!

Just another ripple of 'Kodori changes things'. Astraea is a tiny little footnote in the books, who's heart was broken when 95% of her Familia died in one day, and the other 5% going on a murderfest to avenge them.

Anyhow. :) See you in five days.

Oh, this reminds me.

If any of you want to read more of my stuff, I have an actual BOOK. Like... real, original, proof read, book. **Its on a site called Inkitt, under the title of "Were too?"** I'm trying to get it published, but the site needs people to actually read the thing, before it decides its worthy of more attention.

I wrote it a while ago, and I'm only mentioning it now, because you guys have been reading my works already, and giving me nice comments and stuff. Leave a comment there if you want too, I'll be sure to read those as well. :)


	70. Chapter 70

Chapter 69

Without hesitation, I bowed to the Goddess before me. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Astraea. How might I help my Sister's Goddess?"

She giggled, a little musical noise, then, "I seem to be lost, among all the hustle of the city. Could I bother you, Miss Kodori, to guide me to my wayward Child?"

"As you wish, though, truth be told, I am headed there already." I fell into step beside Her, and we started walking. "Has the city changed so much, since you left?"

"I'm not sure. From her letter, you know of what happened..." I nodded and she continued, "I did my very best to forget everything. There may have been a little alcohol involved... And magic..."

"Understandable. I won't pretend to know what it was like, but even losing one of Her children, for even a few seconds, made my Goddess very... sad." I sighed, "We have been lucky, and I have been trying my best, as captain, to keep it from happening at all."

"I've been told you take your job very seriously." She smiled, "Ryuu worries so much about you."

"Don't tell her you said that." I smiled, "She might blush. I think she will be very happy to see that you've come out of seclusion."

Again that chiming little giggle, "I've been meaning to ask, but who is that on your shoulder?"

I stopped, collected Chime from her perch, and offered the micro rabbit to the Goddess. "This is Chime. She is a very special monster."

"The letter did mention..."

"Yes." Astraea accepted the critter, who after a little sniffing about her two small hands, not only gave Her a headbutt greeting, but flopped over onto her back. "Wow. She really likes you. But yes, Chime is able to understand us, just like a person, though, unable to speak. She also has excellent table manners, and has never tried to nibble on anyone's socks."

We spent the next few minutes of our walk chatting about some of the Xenos, though we hid the topic by describing Chime. The city had many eyes on me, and ears too. Already I could hear people wondering, talking openly, discussing rumours about me. Was I going to abandon my Familia? Walking with other Goddesses? Visiting I AM GANESHA. A date with The King. It was kind of annoying, really. But, soon enough, we hit the main street, and were within sight of the Hostess of Fertility.

"Wel... You have another one now?" Syr was, as usual, minding the door. It was a little before the lunch rush, so her shift wasn't quite done. My newest tail went to perch on her hand, "Welcome back, Kodori. And you are?"

"Astraea." The Goddess introduced herself, "Hm, human, grey hair, adorable, no falna... You must be Syr." She extended a hand, my tail abandoning its perch so Syr could shake it.

"Pleased to meet you Lady Astraea, please, come in, you are just in time to get a good seat before the lunch time crowd comes."

It surprised me a little, that Syr didn't seem to be... I dunno, more excited? Ryuu's long lost Goddess was back... Unless she didn't know. I suddenly felt incredibly lucky to be so close to the quiet elf. As usual, I was greeted by my foster family, Chloe and Arnya both getting a hug and pat on the head, as well as my new tail saying hello. Mia was her usual self, the big motherly smile in place. Ryuu and Luniore were no where to be seen, though they usually started working in the afternoons. Then there was the Amazon. Anita. Despite being one of my torturers, I felt no animosity towards her, and she seemed to be really fitting in around here.

"Ah, welcome Miss Kodori," Anita motioned us inside, offered us two menus, and directed us to a chair, "You and your guest have a seat, please."

Astraea gave me a raised eyebrow, and I gave her a thumbs up. "We'll be a moment." I replied.

"No problem." And she backed away, helping the cat girls get everything in place for lunch.

"Where is..." Astraea started, before I raised a hand.

"Soon. Enjoy lunch. She'll be down soon, and then you'll have to wait to eat." I grinned, "I know even Goddesses have tummy rumbles."

After ordering, and getting about half way through our meal, me with the 'giant sandwich', Her with the soup, and Chime with a side of salad no tomatoes, Ryuu did in fact make an appearance. Still looking a little sore from her fight with Ais, she spotted me and my tails instantly, then who I was dining with.

So, I did the only thing I could reasonably do in that situation, and saved the soup, as Ryuu strode over and hugged Astraea, surprising the Goddess and nearly toppling Her out of the chair. Mia and the others looked surprised, but to see the usually reserved elf shedding tears of joy, they simply let her be.

The two of them stayed that way for a moment, before I stood up, carefully plucked Ryuu's frilly bonnet off of her head, and put it on myself. "You two catch up. I'll cover for you." Ryuu started to say something, but I deftly untied her apron as well, and put it on over my outdoor half kimono. "Sister, I insist." She grabbed my hand, the one with the ring, but I reversed the simple hold, smiled, let go, and started to shoo them both away with my tails, "Later."

"Thank you." She managed to say finally.

They both retreated upstairs, and Mia finally spoke, "Well, you aren't in the full uniform, but just for this afternoon, I'll let it go."

"Thank you Mama." I said, striking a fighter's pose, "Now, lets serve lunch."

* * *

Lunch was indeed served, and the regulars of the Hostess still remembered me. After all the excitement, and danger, and blood, and tears, and utter bullshit from the last little while, it felt good to just, work a job. Ironically, it felt like a vacation. In my previous life, I'd sworn off the food industry. I'd cleaned up too many restaurants to want anything to do with food related work. But here, it felt like I was just... Cooking for the Familia at home. With the respectful observation of Mia's rules about her girls, no one even bothered me about the recent rumours.

Finally, the lunch rush died down, and I could finally tell Mia and the girls the news.

"So, it's finally happening huh?" Mia asked calmly when I showed her the ring, and told her the news. "I suppose with all the things that were going on its taken a while, but really, its about time."

"Yeah!" Arnya said, nod-nodding, her little brown triangle ears twitching, "We've all known you and the little fox were a couple."

"Are you going to retire then?" Chloe asked, her thin black tail swishing back and forth.

"Retire? No, but certainly take some time off." I replied, "However, unless I want to wait an entire month for our honeymoon... We have nine days."

"Nine days? Why so soon?" Arnya asked, "That's not really a lot of time..."

"I've gotten most of the little details ready... Just need to send invites and the like." I replied, not answering her actual question, "Dresses should be made tomorrow or the next day. Invitations are part of things today and tomorrow..."

"Ha. Little Fox thinks it's that simple." Mia grinned, "Always plan for a problem." She said, "We'll be ready, just keep your tails on straight."

"You guys are the best." I said, my tails wrapping around the two cat girls and my arms hugging Mia, "I'm going to check on Ryuu, and tell her she's back on the clock."

"Good idea. Thanks for covering for her." Mia replied, "And put them down, still have work to do."

The two catgirls were set down, then given a pat on the head, before I rushed up stairs preempting them before they could voice a protest. I didn't hear any voices from Ryuu's room, so I tapped the door quietly.

"Enter." Astraea said quietly.

Ryuu's room was just as I remembered it. Living furniture, neat arrangement, and scented like a forest. Astraea was sitting on her bed, hands on Ryuu's head, who was kneeling on the floor with her head in Her lap. Very gently, the Goddess was tracing a finger over Ryuu's long ear.

"Well, I'm glad I convinced her." I said with a smile, "She's helped me in so many ways since I came to the city."

"She's only sent the single letter, with your gift. Though... It was a very long letter." Astraea replied, "She did mention you weren't from around this place."

"Hm..." Ryuu made a little noise, sitting up suddenly. "I'm sorry Lady Astraea, I fell... Oh! Sister."

As flustered as I'd ever seen her, I raised my hands to try and calm her down a little, "Don't worry, lunch rush is over. But..."

So I told her about the plans as well, helping her smooth out her uniform and put the apron and bonnet back on.

"It's time then?" Ryuu said finally, smiling that little smile of hers. "We'll be waiting then." Then, as her and I touched forearms, "Sorry, Lady Astraea, I have to work."

"Don't worry. I will sleep here. It's been a long trip, and I think I will stay a while." The Goddess replied.

"Come visit." I told Ryuu, "And bring your Goddess too. If Mia won't let her stay, I'd be happy to shelter Her."

"Yes, we'll visit soon." Ryuu replied, turning to leave.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Kodori. Though, soon it will be Mrs, I suppose?"

"You as well." I tapped a knuckle gently against Ryuu's dresser, "With luck, it will all work as planned."

I caught up with Ryuu before she could descend the stairs, and wrapped her up in a huge hug. She wasn't really a person for hugs, but she didn't complain. "Please sister. If you don't let go, I might cry again."

"I'm happy you reached out to Her." I replied, letting her go and starting down the stairs, "Even more that She's here."

"Me too." She replied, actually smiling. Really smiling. "I am a little embarrassed you saw me like that..."

"That's the most relaxed I've ever seen you." I returned with a smile of my own, "Maybe I'll try that on Wiene, next time she has trouble sleeping."

"She's on the clock you!" Mia called across the room at us, "Go get your invitations done, and let us know exactly when you need us."

Ryuu and I shared a nod, and I left the Hostess of Fertility, pausing only to collect Chime, and greet Lunoire, mobbing her with tails and a hug just before I got to the main street.

* * *

"Oh." Zanis said with a frown as he opened the door of Soma's main building. "It's you."

"Survived the night then? Find your monster?" I teased. "Or were you chasing rabbits all night?"

"Very funny Fox." He growled, "Do you have business here? Or did you just come to mock me?"

"You're not important enough to mock." A new voice, belonging to Chandra as the dwarf trundled his way towards us, likely coming from the main brewing building. "Miss Kodori! What brings you by?"

"Well, aside from bringing news that I've put your little brewing kit to good use, though, not for actual brew..."

"Heretic." Chandra said easily.

I tried to look downcast, but gave up and shrugged, "I'm getting married. And I'm here to extend an invite, to you and Lord Soma. And mayyyyybe ask how to distil fruit. I have peach trees that are just starting to be... peachy."

Zanis was still standing there, growling, but the two of us pretended he didn't exist. "Well, I know I gave you the right tools... I'll write you the steps. A wedding you say? That little fox lass?"

"That's right." I replied, turning to Zanis, who had just started to open his mouth, "If you call her a whore, I will pull out all of your teeth." He closed his mouth, and resumed glaring.

Chandra smiled, "Well, I'll tell Lord Soma, and maybe, he might leave his garden for a few hours. Did you have a drink in mind? I mean, you are at Soma Familia's brewery."

"Most of it will be handled by the Hostess." I replied, "Though, if you have something light, for a smaller crowd after. Most of us have no tolerance for the stuff, even if we like to occasionally drink."

"Hm, I've got just the thing." He grinned, looking to Zanis, "You can help me look for it later."

Zanis folded his arms, glared even harder, but said, "Very well."

"Right then... Oh... Is that a needle rabbit?" Chandra asked.

* * *

"You're making all kinds of friends, aren't you." I said to Chime as I held her in my hand, "I mean, Gods, Goddesses, all my friends. I suppose I should go to Loki Familia..." Chime gave my palm a headbutt, and I lightly stroked her back. "Oh! We can visit the little hell hound. We let it stay at an orphanage. Syr is looking after a bunch of kids, and during all the excitement, we had it on good authority, that the hound could stay."

Chime made a little squeak noise, her ears perked up, noise twitching. "You did get along, right? I'm not going to have to explain to some one why I didn't bring you home, right?"

* * *

"Oh! It's Miss Kodori!" I heard someone say. Drawing my attention, I looked over and spotted a little boy, maybe ten years old, holding a leash with a robust looking rust red furred puppy that came up to his hip. "We were visited by some people from Ganesha Familia! And look! Spot has a new collar and we can really keep him now!"

His voice drew another little person, a girl that might have been a little younger, with little cat ears and tail. "Yay! Hello Miss Kodori!"

I met them half way, and knelt down in front of the three of them, "Good to see you guys. You too." I held my hand out for the hell hound, who sat down properly and 'rrf'ed' quietly at me. "Yes, I talked to Lord Ganesha Himself. And asked really nice if He could let you guys keep Spot around." I held out Chime to the hound, who sniffed once, then licked the little rabbit from nose to ear tips, before giving me a doggy grin, panting lazily.

Chime sneezed, and turned her body away from the hound with a tiny rabbit huff.

"Haha. Spot likes the little bunny." The girl said, "Oh... Is that another one? Like the big fluffy one we had here?"

"It's actually that one's daughter." I replied. "Now, I have to go, but I figured I'd check to see if everything was okay, since I was nearby."

"Thank you Miss Kodori!" The boy said, "Can... You tell Bell we're sorry?"

"I'll be sure to send him over, so you can tell him yourself." I looked to the hound, who raised a doggy eyebrow at me, "Make sure to give Bell a good slobber when he visits. Our secret."

"rrf." And I gave the little hound a good head rub for his promise.

* * *

The Twilight manor was just as weird as I remembered it. The bright sun of late afternoon made many of its towers look even more majestic, while the odd supporting structures and bridges between the towers cast deep shadows.

"Ah, Miss Kodori." I looked down from my admiration of the building, and spotted Finn, the Loki captain. Dressed casually, and unarmed, he looked like he was just about to start a walk. "Come to visit? Business or pleasure?" The boyish smile was a little ruined by the eyebrow waggle.

"Loki bragging about my last visit?" I asked, "Here, have a bunny."

He accepted Chime, who gave him her usual greeting. "A little yes. A tricky thing, gambling with Lady Loki. Who's an adorable critter...?"

"Not really. I learned from the best. And if She wanted to win, I'd have to have stopped." I grinned, "As for my visit, a little of both." I felt incredibly vain for doing it, but I showed off my ring, "I promised Loki I'd invite Her."

"Oh! Well well, suppose I lost that bet." He handed Chime back to me, and I perched her on my shoulder, "I didn't expect it to happen until you retired. You and Mr. Bell seem far too active to settle down just yet. Lady Haruhime then?"

"That's right."

"Bete is still a little sore about you and her, you know. I'd avoid him if you can."

"He knew better than to touch the waitress." I grinned, "I'm hoping you aren't too sore about how it all happened?"

"I'd love to play a game of chess with you some day." He smiled, "Lady Loki should be in her office, if you can find it." He gave me a wave and walked past me, "I look forward to seeing how your little Familia develops from here."

I watched his back for a moment, then turned to the castle style double door, and entered. There were a few people there, most of which I didn't know, but a couple of them I had seen on the eighteenth floor. None of the major members, but I at least got a few friendly waves from them. Walking further, and finding that one hallway that looked like a dead end, but wasn't, I turned down it and ran into Tione. Well, I didn't actually run into her, but her chin ended up resting firmly in my cleavage for an instant, as Chime, unbalanced, abandoned my shoulder for hers.

"Ah! What? Who? Oh, a bunny!" She held Chime in both hands, then looked at me, "Oh, hey Fox." She sounded a little... disappointed, but at least she wasn't angry. "I'm not sure if I should be angry, or... just shrug my shoulders at you."

"Please don't be angry? You're holding my friend." I smiled, "Was I right about that trap? I'm sure I had it mixed just so."

"Hour and a half, before we could get out of it." She replied, bringing Chime up to her face, "The Fox is so mean. No stains on the clothes either, though it did not like our hair."

"Oh... Forgot about that part. Though, since I have a hard time growing any..." I looked around, "Wait, where's your sister?"

"We aren't joined at the hip you know. But if you must know, she's pouting."

"Really?"

"Your little trick basically put us out for the entire thing. Neither of us got to do anything." She handed Chime back to me, "So what brings you by?"

"Going to see Loki." I said, "Getting married, and I promised to invite Her."

"Yes! I won the bet!" She said excitedly.

"Is my entire life a betting pool?" I asked no one in particular, "Anyhow, I'll tell you about it if you help me find Her office."

* * *

Loki was thrilled, or at least, happy and sad. Happy that I was indeed inviting Her, but sad that it probably meant the only person who had actually, willingly, LET Her get all touchy feely would probably never let Her do it again. She also got Chime's approval, which made me smile a bit. But, business done, I managed to somehow find my way back outside. Running through the list of people I had to invite, and looking up at the early evening sky, I considered who was left. There was Hephaestus, who I was sure would at least try and come. Freya, who I kind of still didn't want anywhere near me, my Familia, Takemikazuchi Familia, or Gros.

"Oh right..." I mumbled, "Shall we go visit Eina?" I asked Chime, who's ears perked up, prompting me to pet them. "Thought you'd like that idea."

* * *

"You want me to..." Eina started, my walk to the Guild building reminding me of the other thing I wanted to talk to her about. "Meet with your new guest?"

"Yes." I said with a grin, "Just think of all the information you could get from him. Also, have a bunny."

We were sitting across from one another in one of the small consultation rooms. When I placed Chime between us, the micro rabbit rolled over onto her back. "Well, if you insist." Eina said, lightly scritching Chime's chest and belly, "Well, I suppose I could visit. I'm sure Mr. Royman would approve if I asked for a little time for 'self improvement'. He's become much more reasonable."

"Best teacher." I grinned, "I'm also pretty sure I could get you into a talk with Lido." At her questioning look, I explained further, "He's their leader. Smart, good head for long term thinking, a natural leader."

"Hm, I... Kind of look forward to that."

"So that's old business." Smiling, I put my hand on the table, "New business. I'm extending an invite for my wedding."

* * *

"The Fox is here." Tsubaki, the one eyed, black haired, samurai blacksmith said as we got to Hephaestus's office workshop. "With a bunny." Which she handed back to me before walking off.

"Oh? Finally, an excuse to stop with the paperwork..." I heard as I entered the room proper and took an appreciative look at all the neat tools hanging from the walls. "What can I do for you today?"

"You really should hire a secretary. I mean... Seriously. Welf complains that YOU complain about never having time to properly make something." I put Chime on the desk, and she sniffed at one of the documents there, and nibbled at the corner.

"You know, if you eat that, I won't have to do it." Hephaestus said with a sigh, reaching over and lightly running a finger over the rabbit's ears, "Too much to hope for I suppose."

"Well, first, old business, how did the project for Wiene go?" I hadn't actually seen their work yet. I felt a little bad, but I'd been pretty busy, and there was little need to wear it around the house.

"Well, when we could get her to sit still long enough to get measured, and Welf got things hammered out a little, it went well. We both tried it, and once Wiene puts it on, no one but her can take it off. Unless you maybe, took a chisel to it. But there is only so much you can do there."

"Perfect." I smiled, "She's adorable, and it would break Lady Hestia's heart if it happened again."

"Losing Familia is... Unpleasant, yes." The Goddess said with a frown, leaning back in Her chair and very carefully putting her feet up. "We... The bond we share, between God and Mortal, is like... A little bit of our soul is taken up. A little spot for our Child. When one dies, that little spot goes cold, dark." She sighed, "Anyhow, talk of old business, means you have new business?"

I showed her my ring, making Her put her feet down again to look at it carefully, "Ohhhhh... Oh wait, yes it's pretty but, you're getting married?"

"Yes. And being a friend, I'm inviting you."

"Well then, let me check my calendar." She took a paper pad out of her desk, flipping it to the date I mentioned. After a quick read, she ripped the page out, crumpled it, and tossed it into the nearest fireplace. "Right, seems I have nothing to do that day."

"Excellent."

* * *

Returning home after sending a letter up the tower to Freya's apartments, I found myself reflecting a little on what I'd done to get to where I was. Somehow, I'd managed to survive being an adventurer long enough to make friends, big and small. Become known throughout the city, for better or worse. Rescue the Girl. Date the Girl. And not die while I figured out everything I need to, to marry the Girl.

I stopped, making Chime look up at me. Looking around, I made sure there wasn't anything wrong in my immediate area. No monsters, hidden ambushers, angry mobs, idiot Gods, or random distantly related(?) family members appeared, so I kept walking.

"Yip." Declared something near my feet as I took my first step.

I could have sworn I'd looked all around me, but as I looked down, I seemed to have missed a rather large black fox. It wasn't one of mine, I even double checked, looking back at my tails who seemed to just be waving there innocently. Kneeling down, and putting Chime inside my kimono top, just in case, I got a good look at it.

Giving me a patient look and sitting down like a well trained dog, it was indeed a black fox. Male, with almost uniformly black fur, with a couple of dark grey rings on its tail. A long narrow nose and big gold coloured eyes looked back at me as I offered my hand to him.

He didn't even bother sniffing, and simply placed his paw in my hand. It was then I noticed that he had some straps under his fur. These held in place a small pouch on his back.

"Well, I see you're on the clock." I said, shaking his paw once and standing, "If you want to follow me, I'll get you fed." The fox tilted his head at me, in a very good impression of 'I don't understand'. So I tried another one, "Kochiradesu, gohan." This way, food.

That got his attention, and he stood and fell in beside me as I headed home.

* * *

"Kodori... You have a small... animal... following you." Gros observed as I unlocked the front gate, entered, and locked it again behind me. "Wait... Is that a fox?"

If the bus sized talking griffin statue bothered my new follower, it didn't show. The two of them looked up/down at each other, before I answered, "Yes, this is what an actual fox looks like." One of my tails swished under my arm, and I held it, "Same sort of tail, see? Ears too." I twitched my ears for emphasis, "Found me on the way here, and I think I know where he came from."

"Oh?" Gros lowered himself to the ground, still staring at the fox.

"Well, a while ago, there were some others like me who visited the city. After a little... negotiation... We solved a problem for them, and sent them home."

It was hard to imagine HOW an unbreathing statue could snort, but Gros did in fact snort, "Sounds like a long story... Hm, you do have the same eyes."

I reached down and gave the fox's head a pat, interrupting its staring contest, "I talked with Eina, and she'll visit some time soon. I'll get Lido's occulus, and you three can have a good talk."

"Very well." He looked up at the sky, "I don't suppose I could bother you for something to hide under? The sun is pleasant, but too much of it makes me feel... uncomfortable."

"We'll have something up for you before bed time." I said, looking down at the fox, "Kochi." Then to Gros, "I promised this one something to eat, then I'll get who ever is around to come help."

"Thank you."

With the fox trotting beside me, I entered the manor. Kicking off my boots, I smiled as the Fox actually wiped its paws off on our door mat before entering. "Hello the house!" I called out.

A moment later, Ouka appeared, looking like he had just been in the kitchen, "Oh, good timing. We were just about to... Wait, where did you find the fox?"

"Found me. About to what?" I fell into step beside him and he walked back towards the kitchen.

"Dinner plans. Among other things. As your loyal underling, I have to warn you about something." He paused, turned, and put a hand on my shoulder, "The women are plotting against you."

"Ouka! You snitched!" As angry(?) and loud(!) as I'd ever heard her out of combat, Chigusa appeared at the kitchen entrance and pointed a tiny accusing finger at the spear man. Then, looking at me, Chigusa said, "Hime-chan! There she is!"

From inside the kitchen, I heard, "Aisha-san?"

"As you command." Aisha's voice replied, the Amazon stepping out of the kitchen. "Alright Fox. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." She stated, punching her open palm in the 'standard thug attempts to intimidate' motion.

"Which would you prefer?" I said before she could continue, "Though, before anything... Can some one feed the fox?"

Completely derailing what ever it was that was about to happen, the fox replied with a little series of noises that sounded a little like laughter.

"Oh... Hold on." Aisha said, then calling over her shoulder, "Hime? There's a black fox, a real one, out here. Looks hungry."

"Oh, send it in." A pause, "Then please, continue."

We all waited as the fox trotted its way to the kitchen.

"Right." Aisha 'a-hem'ed', "Alright Fox. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

Ouka and Chigusa facepalmed in unison as I replied, "Which would you prefer?"

* * *

Not wanting to destroy the house, I relented to being confined to the living room. While I was curious as to how well I'd do in a fight with Aisha, I was content to sit across from her and be grinned at, for the moment.

"So..." I looked at Aisha, Asuka, Hestia, and Chigusa. "What's going on?"

"Kodori-dono is trying to do everything herself again." Asuka said, "So, since this is an important event, we all decided you should just relax."

"Well, I don't really mind. I got almost all the leg work done already." I smiled, "I..."

Three girls growled very quietly at me.

"oookay," I mumbled, "Someone." The growls stopped, "Needs to invite Nazza and Lord Miach. I managed to talk to Lord Ganesha, Loki, Hephaestus, and left a letter for Lady Freya. The Hostess knows the details and are ready at the drop of a hat... Umm... Oh, and I invited Chandra and Lord Soma. Right, and Eina too."

"Wow." Aisha blinked in surprise, "Just like shopping, you really know how to get things done."

"Miss Kodori is very efficient." Lilly said from behind me as she entered the room.

"You invited Loki and Freya?" Hestia grumbled, "Really?"

"They did help." I replied, "I suspect Lady Freya will not show, but watch from Her tower, as usual. Ottar might come as a... represent... representative?" I got a nod from everyone as I figured out a new word, "And Loki is kinda fun to have around. It will be much like Apollo's little parties, except without Him." I grinned.

Lilly walked around the couch and sat next to me. Being that close meant my tails had someone to beg attention off of, so they did.

"What about..."

"They are being made at the tailor's. Same place I usually get my clothes."

"And..."

"The Hostess will provide most of the food and drink, for a good rate."

"But..."

"We will use the occulus to let the Xenos 'attend'."

"Miss Kodori takes all the fun out of planning." Lilly complained.

"We have nine days, eight, if you count the ninth as the big day." I said, wrapping an arm over Lilly's shoulders and hugging her, "Now, if I'm going to be forced to sit here, I'm going to need a little entertainment..."

"ACK LILLY IS BEING TICKLED!"

* * *

That entertained me for about three minutes. At which point I stopped, let Lilly catch her breath, then plunked her on my lap and hugged her like a teddy bear. "I forgive you." I looked over to Hestia, who nodded, "And Lady Hestia has forgiven you too, so I don't have to tickle you more."

"yay..." Lilly gasped, though she did wiggle a little to get more comfortable, "Miss Kodori gives good hugs."

"Best supporter." I said, looking at the others gathered, "So... Um... I'm just supposed to sit here for eight days?"

"More or less." Aisha said with a grin, "Even if we have to use rope."

I raised an eyebrow, "I'll pass. But... There is work to do! I can't just... not do things."

"Like what?" Asuka asked, "That isn't wedding related."

"Gros wants a little shelter from the sun." I said, petting Lilly's head. She really was like a stress ball. "And I should be brewing more potions... And the peach trees are going to need attention soon... And Gros will need more sand brought in... And..."

"Kodori-dono really does have a list of things."

"She is very responsible." Hestia agreed, "Well... When its someone other than herself."

"Hey! I haven't lost any hair for... umm... a couple weeks?" I defended myself, "Look! I can do bed head now!" I fluffed up my hair, "Hm... might need a little trim actually..."

"Hm. What do you think ladies?" Aisha asked, "She we let her do things? So long as they aren't wedding related?" She raised a hand, "Aye?"

"Only if one of us is with her." Chigusa said, "I mean... To make sure..."

"I think we should just make sure she sleeps... Or help her with writing! You're writing is still terrible."

"Hey! I only learned how like... a year ago." I could feel myself starting to pout. "You guys are so mean."

"I don't mind keeping an eye on her too." Hestia said, raising a hand as if getting ready for a Karate Chop of Justice. "And making sure she doesn't get near any fire hazards."

"No working at the forge? But..."

"No." They all said, except Lilly, who gave my hand a comforting pat.

"Sigh... Fine." I really was pouting now. "We should have some left over lumber right? Maybe we can get Gros's shelter done before dinner?"

"If you try and escape, I will put a leash on you." Aisha said, "After asking Hime if I can, of course."

* * *

Building something simple, with people who were by normal standards, super human, was REALLY quick work. After having Gros pick a spot to build, we got him to dig out a few half meter deep holes. For him, he just used his pointed tail, pressed it into the ground and wiggled it a bit to open up a hole. With Asuka and Chigusa cutting up lengths of wood, and Aisha and I hammering them together, we had a sturdy little shelter up in about an hour. Enclosed on three sides, and half enclosed on the 'entrance' Gros could pretty much hide from almost any elemental condition, except extreme hot or cold. But if it came to that, we could add to the shelter easily enough.

"If you want, I can tell the children not to bother you when you're in here." I suggested.

"Please do. Though, if they are anything like a Xenos child, then they won't listen anyhow." the gargoyle replied with a sigh.

"Dinner!" Haruhime called out from the front door.

* * *

The black fox was curled up in an out of the way place, though he was still technically in the dining room with us. I suspected he was either waiting to be told to go home, or waiting for us to give him a job. The pouch on his back had a letter in it, though, Haruhime said she'd bring that up after dinner.

Dinner was a collaborative effort of Haruhime, Mikoto, Wiene and Takemikazuchi. The war God in the kitchen kind of worried me, but I was told He did the dessert.

"Wait... Where are the guys?" I looked around the table, seeing only Ouka. Bell, Welf and Marius, were all absent.

"Out doing... A thing." Ouka replied.

A pause, "A thing?" I asked.

"An important thing."

"A secret thing."

"They only said 'be gone for a couple of days', and left this afternoon."

"Well..." I looked to Lilly, who leaned away from me, "I suppose I won't tickle someone for information. But they are missing a good dinner."

Aside from the usual staples, we had bread by Wiene, that wasn't even a little burnt. A really good stir fry, thanks to Mikoto, and... Peach... somethings. I think someone, probably Haruhime, tried to invent pastry, but it was kind of... sort of... not quite flaky biscuits with bits of peach in them. They were actually pretty good, and a hit with the orphans.

"Ah, this explains why Lord Takemikazuchi was in the kitchen." I said with a grin, nibbling at one of the peach something or others.

"The fox is wise. And good with plants." Takemikazuchi replied.

"Hardly. I just asked an expert. Ask Marius... When he gets back. He was there, carrying almost all the things." It was really odd, having so many of our Familia away from the dinner table. Even with the addition of Aisha, who was also enjoying the sort of pastry.

"So. What's with the actual fox?" Aisha asked, "I mean, two of you is great, but a third? I dunno..."

A few of us chuckled, "Yes love? I do believe you were going to do the honours?"

"Well..." Haruhime looked over to the fox, who's ear twitched, as if he knew some one was paying attention to him. "He had a letter from your... distant relatives? Mostly it was written by Miyuki-chan. With a small thank you from her father." She paused, taking a neatly folded bit of paper out of her usual red kimono, "It even has a picture." She unfolded the paper, revealing that it was actually two sheets, not one, and handed me one of them.

On it, was a very well drawn picture. The subject was obviously Miyuki, her face still clear in my mind. Her pretty, high cheek bones, softly smiling face, was looking downwards. Dressed in a black kimono with a snowflake pattern, her two hands were gently cradling her belly, as she sat on what looked like a traditional Japanese dojo floor.

I passed the picture to Lilly, saying, "Well, guess there's no worries that it worked." I smiled to Haruhime, our tails seeking each other out. "What's her letter say?"

"Well..." She looked at it, and started reading, "To our most honoured wayward sister, and her blessed golden companion."

"Seems they already knew." Ouka mumbled, making Chigusa giggle.

"With the help of your friend, the Silver Handed, I and many of the others who were stricken, have recovered completely. I was the first to be finally blessed with child, and by the time my father reminded me to write, several others had also been able to conceive."

"Going to be busy there soon." Asuka said.

"May they grow strong and fine." Takemikazuchi said, sipping his tea.

"As well, though, I am mostly forbidden from politics, I have heard Father talking with the other elders about reaching out to other Renard clans. It seems Kodori-dono advice has broken through my father's stubbornness."

"Good." I said firmly, "Being alone leads to nothingness."

"People need people." Asuka agreed, "No Chime, you may not have that pepper."

"Thank you for all you have done, even if you didn't return with us, the gift you have given me, and the other women, will be remembered for generations." Haruhime concluded, "Then there is a little bit here." She said, "Thank you for helping my daughter. The messenger's name is Jinsoku. He is yours, until you send a reply. He is clever and fearless, and enjoys being brushed."

At the mention of his name, the Fox looked up from his curled up position in the corner of the room, and gave Haruhime a look that seemed to say 'Yes? What?'.

"Hm. I wonder how long it took for him to get here?" I mumbled.

"No more planning from you." Aisha said with a glare.

"What? I mean..."

"Even if one of us ran, it would take over a week to even get close to the Eastern territory." Ouka explained, "And who knows where their village is."

"Hm." I looked at Haruhime, leaning over, "Maybe we can send a picture of our own in a few months?"

"Haruhime broke." Lilly said, as my opposite slowly went red from the collarbone to her ear tips.

* * *

Notes!

I dunno? Do notes even need to happen here? Slice of lifeing, story clean up, social interaction, and a very small rebellion within the Familias.


	71. Chapter 71

Before I begin!

Please, if you want to read more of my work, look up my book (yes, book) on Inkitt. It's called Were Too? And if you like my style, you'd probably like this. I'm also a huge Dresden Files fan, so my book has a similar vibe to it. (Though, I only noticed about half way into writing it.)

And! I don't know who, but I do know some of you, have looked at it already. My very small readership for the book has pretty much doubled since I mentioned it. So THANK YOU BUNCHES!

Anyhow. On with the thing you're actually here for. :)

* * *

Chapter 70

Ouka was right. The women were plotting against me. To be fair, I suppose I was taking the lead all the time. I mean, I was captain. It's what I did. I trusted them all with my life, but when push came to shove, I was the strongest, knew how to lead, and had taught them all to be more effective than they might have been otherwise.

I suppose, maybe, this wedding planning was something they knew they could do. So, with Aisha as my tail sitter, (though, she thankfully didn't sit on my tails), I was in the workshop, mixing up potions.

"So I've been wondering..." Aisha started, as she sat next to me, covered with visiting tails, "Well, about a few things, but first, why the rush?"

I didn't look at her, as I was very carefully measuring out ingredients. Healing potions needed to be made just so. Our lives depended on them. "Hm? The rush?"

"Nine days. I mean, some people spend months planning a wedding."

"I have spent months planning this wedding. Sort of..."

"Yeah, but, what's a little longer then?"

Putting the final mix into a little alembic, I put it onto my magic stone hot plate to simmer. "Really want to know?"

"Sure. Come on, you know who I am. What's there to be shy about Fox?" She had waited until my hands were empty, then gave my ribs a little elbowing.

"Fair. I mean, I never really think about that with you. Kind of like Ha-chan."

"A decent person despite the weight of my past?" She grinned, "I was wondering if you had any romance in you at all, with how serious you are most of the time."

I felt myself blush a little, and tried to recover with my best Eina impression, "A-hem. Well... I figured out a way for her and I to have children."

"Got that. Really surprised you'd go that far, but yeah." She nodded, petting one of my tails, then another, "It's like I'm wearing a fur coat..."

"They know what you can do with my ears." I chuckled, "Anyhow, the recipe was made by an Amazon. It also involves God's Blood. Knowing what I do about Amazon..."

"Why'd you even bother looking into us? Not that I mind."

"My girlfriend's best friend is an Amazon. My good friends, have good friends."

"Flatterer."

"Anyhow." I turned my body on the bench, and leaned back against her. I kind of wanted to hide my face, and she was quite comfortable to lean on, "Knowing what I do about Amazon, I figured it wasn't going to be a simple 'drink this, have children'. Reading the instructions, after getting past the flowery speech of the writer, it boils down to this..."

From memory, I recited, "The day before, the day before, the full moon, drink the potion with your partner. Spend the time until evening in repose and preparation. The brew will last until the evening the day after the full moon."

"So... Drink in the morning before the full moon, have a nap, have lots of sex, and it should wear off by the next evening." Aisha translated bluntly, her closest hand doing that thing with my ears that she was just so good at. "Well... You know how Amazon usually go about it. Who ever figured this potion out must have been trying to save her tribe or something."

"I thought as much." I knew the forge was banked, and in the next room, but my face certainly didn't think so. "I mean, as fun as it is, two women together just don't help with making children."

She laughed, "Usually, two women together, especially Amazons, means we go hunting for a man." She ruffled my hair, then pushed me forward a little, "But occasionally, tribes go through a bit of a dry spell. That's why I came here in the first place."

"Is that why you're still here?" I grinned.

"Maybe. I'm having fun either way." She punched me in the shoulder, "Hows the potion?"

"Watch this." I opened up the alembic, the potion not quite ready to boil, and added a little powder from out kitchen. Putting the alembic lid back on, I turned the heat up just a little and placed a potion bottle under the spout. Slowly, drops of bright red formed on the spout, hung there for a moment, then dropped into the bottle. But instead of splashing, they bounced, a little potion pill.

"Heh, that's really neat." Aisha said, leaning down to look as the potion bottle slowly filled with 'pills'. "I should have taken your offer, when you rescued Hime."

"In a way, I'm glad you didn't."

"Oh? Worried I'd have hogged her all to myself?" She turned to look and grinned back at me, "Or stolen Bell?"

"Not at all." I grinned back, "Ha-chan would probably have invited you to join us by now, and Bell... Maybe you would have helped Bell loosen up a little around women." I poked her nose at the surprised look, "No. You joining Hermes gave you a little more freedom. Without that, you might not have been able to help as you have. And now that you have stood up for us, the rest of your 'Familia' is keeping their distance from us."

For once, I seemed to have flustered her. I'm sure the score there was something like Kodori 1, Aisha 10000, but it felt good. Finally, she asked, "Why should I ask Hime?"

"Because she has my heart." I replied, "If she wants to share it, then I'm fine with it. Remember? I'm the Demon Fox. Someone has to hold my leash."

"You're a sap, you know that?"

"Still waiting for you to ask."

Kodori 2. Aisha 10000.

* * *

"Ko-san..." Haruhime greeted me as I got to our room.

"Hm?" A pause as I looked at her in the darkness of the room, "Oh... Are they trying to keep us from..."

Wiene was there in bed with her. The dragon girl was curled up a little and facing Haruhime, one hand hugging one of her fluffy black tails to her chest.

"Mikoto-san said you wouldn't agree to being apart from me, so..."

"Mikoto is wise." I replied, slipping under the covers behind Haruhime, my tails reaching over both her and Weine, gathering them up a little closer. "I don't mind."

Haruhime snuggled a little closer into me, and I felt Wiene cling to one of my tails reflexively.

* * *

Day two of my... I wasn't sure what to call it. It wasn't really being grounded, but... Maybe 'enforced vacation' was closer. Most of the men were still out, I was restricted from the forge, and Aisha was still following me around like she was being paid.

Not that I minded. She was good company. And we were technically paying her with food.

A little after breakfast, I heard Gros growling. Again, it amazed me at how someone who couldn't breath could do something so distinct as growl. Especially a growl I could feel in my chest, inside the manor, when he was roughly two hundred meters away. It was only a low growl, so it meant we had a guest.

"Wow. That's some doorbell you have." Aisha commented as she followed me out of the kitchen, the well toned Amazon surprisingly handy in the kitchen.

"That's just a visitor. I told him to be much more... intense if it were someone like say, Hermes." I replied, leaving through the front door and spotting Eina standing at our front gate. "I think Gros and Takemikazuchi have a special one for Him."

"You do know, that if you put all the Gods in a room, with no Familia members and their weapon of choice, Takemikazuchi would be the only one to leave, right?" Aisha stated, chuckling, "I asked for a lesson this morning, shoulders are still sore."

"I know. If it's not against the rules I'm under right now, I'll show you what he's taught me." I waved to our favourite Guild employee, "Hey Eina, good morning."

"Good morning, Kodori, and... Aisha?" She entered as I unlocked and opened the gate, looking up at the Amazon, "Yes, you have to be her."

"No other body, would contain my soul." Aisha said with her best smile, extending a hand, "We've met in passing, but I think this is our first formal meeting."

They shook, making me smile a little. "I'm sure you felt Gros, lets get you properly introduced, and I'll go fetch the occulus."

Eina nodded, adjusting her black Guild vest just a little. If I didn't know better, I'd have guessed she was nervous. Though, to be fair, Gargoyles were not a weak monster, and to a normal person, let alone an adventurer, Eina wouldn't have lasted more than a second if Gros were so inclined.

"Good morning Gros." I greeted, stepping through the bars of his cage, "Not too early for a visitor?"

I could see it was taking almost everything Eina had to keep still as the bus length statue did that odd 'stop go' walk towards us, its feet making almost no sound, despite his weight. "No." He rumbled, "I find mornings up here... Refreshing." He swept a claw over the grass lightly, the dew sprinkling everywhere. He stopped in front of us, lowered his chest sized head towards Eina, and blinked at her slowly. "Go ahead." He said to her.

"W...What?"

"I've found the first thing people around here want to do, is put a hand on my nose." Gros replied, "The... little people... do it. Wiene does it. Even Hestia. So, go ahead."

"Oh." Eina said, raising a hand and putting it on his beak. "Hm." She relaxed just a little, her instinct to learn things probably calming her a somewhat. "You're smoother than I'd imagined."

"Kodori managed to get some very nice sand." Gros replied, "It helps..."

Aisha and I shared a fistbump, and I jogged back to the house.

* * *

I spent most of the rest of the day doing chores with the orphans, brewing potions, doing more chores, starting some furniture, and at one point, hitting the pool. Aisha had a lot to say about my bathing suit, which made me wish I'd tickled Lilly more. Kodori 2, Aisha 10001. But since she joined us, I got her to try running neck deep in water.

When dinner came around, Eina had joined us. Her, Weine, Gros, and anyone who wanted to join the conversation through the occulus stone, had literally spent at least twelve hours simply chatting. I was sure the notebook Eina had brought was probably full by now too.

"What do you think, Eina-san?" Haruhime asked as we tucked in for dinner.

"It's... Not something I thought I'd ever do." She admitted, "I even put a hand on one of the eggs..." She paused, "I hope... I hope that they come to be accepted at some point."

"In the city of Orario, one can find anything." I replied, "Or at least, so I've been told."

"I like Eina." Weine declared, "Can we keep her here?"

A few of us laughed quietly, "She has work, and a home already."

"But... All my favourite people are here." Wiene countered. "Well... Except Mr. Lido and some of the others..."

Eina gave the dragon girl a pat on the back, mindful of her sharp scales, "It's okay. I'll be sure to visit more, now that I have approval from Royman."

"Oh? Switching jobs?" Ouka asked.

"Only a little. Twice a week, he wants me to come and visit, and learn more about the Xenos." Eina replied, "Something to do with a project he, Lord Ganesha, and Mr. Fels are working on."

"Speaking of..." I started, all the women, save Wiene and Eina focusing on me like some kind of predator, "I'd like to chat with Fels." Hestia had all of the occulus... Occuli? She and Takemikazuchi had done so well coordinating our communications during the last mission, that none of us wanted to take them from Their keeping.

"Whyyyyy?" Hestia readied Her hand.

"Well, if I'm grounded from anything wedding related, I'm going to run out of things to do. He promised to instruct me on enchanting." I leaned over and hugged Haruhime, "And since I seem to have been forbidden from otherrrrrr things..."

"Oh my..." Takemikazuchi said, "Hestia broke."

* * *

"Why certainly, Lady Kodori." Fels replied through the blue occulus. This one I could actually see through. The majority of the ones we had were all green, just for talking, but this one was a deep blue, almost black. By the look of it, Fels was sitting at a desk. The view was a little fish-eyed, wide with gradually increasing distortion as you got closer to the edges. "I'd be happy to give you a lesson, seeing as you are... restricted from other crafts."

"You've been told, have you?" I replied. I too was sitting, though at my alchemy setup in the workshop.

"Yes. I have no wish to anger anyone of your houses, and have also been forbidden from teaching you anything that might ruin your eyebrows. For now." He chuckled dryly, "Not that I've had eyebrows to burn off for... seven hundred years?"

"Arrange a time then." I laughed, "Not like I have much else to do for the next seven days."

"I will draw up a list of material you should set aside then, and arrange time for... after dark tomorrow." A pause, his hand stopping almost as it touched his occulus, "How are they? Really?"

I wondered who he meant, but figured he could only have meant the Xenos, "Weine is bright and cheerful, and learning like a dry sponge in water. She's almost as good at reading as I am, though, her writing is still nearly unreadable." We shared a chuckle, "Gros is... Less grumpy than I thought he'd be. I know he still isn't used to being up here, but he hasn't given me or anyone else any trouble. Even says please and thank you." I paused, then perked up a little, "Oh yes, and there is a hell hound puppy, who seems to be a hit with the orphans one of my friends takes care of. Very smart, very gentle. And Chime... Well, she hasn't tried to eat any more hot peppers, and is being treated like you'd expect, being an adorable little critter, by people and Gods alike."

"That's... A relief." Fels said finally, "The people are quick to put problems behind them, but have long memories when it comes to faults in leadership. It's something I've noticed over the years."

"Speaking of faults... Haven't seen Hermes, or Asfi since. I mean, it might be because Lord Takemikazuchi only takes his sword off at meal times now..."

"He was told, very politely, to stop meddling, by Ouranos. I also hear there is a bit of an uprising in his Familia. He has left the city for now."

"Good." I grinned. "I expect He'll try something when He returns, but for now..."

"Indeed. Sleep well, Lady Kodori." He moved his hand again, the occulus going dark and quiet.

I put a little bit of softened orc leather over my occulus, and tended to my potions.

* * *

Day three started with me leaving Wiene and Haruhime to sleep in, as I went to the practice field to get some early work in. It was odd, how this had become just... Normal for me. Wake up, make sure everything was working, do morning exercises, then go about the rest of the day. Since I was actually alone in the field for the moment, save for Gros, who I could tell was 'awake', by the shiny glint of the predawn light off his obsidian eye, I simply did some stretches. Just like I had when I first arrived, to test the limits of my new body. Except now, I could touch the back of my head with the flat of my foot without bracing on anything for balance. Diligence, as well as my Goddess's gift of Falna, had kept me in top form.

It was while I was doing my mix of martial arts/ballet stretches, that I realized something. Something very important. Especially since I was about to get married.

I didn't have the first clue how to dance. Aside from 'don't step on your partner'. I wondered if I could somehow sneak in a little marriage related work in, without the committee growling at me.

* * *

"Kodori-san, you really don't know? You've never done this? Your mother never showed you?" Mikoto asked me, a little astonished by the second revelation I had on my list of 'things most women knew, but I didn't'.

"No, I've never done anything with makeup. At all. Ever. The only thing close, would be when I coloured my hair." Though, it was my sister who did that, I just sat there and didn't move.

"Hm." Mikoto, Chigusa, and Asuka all looked at me, then each other, then to Aisha. "Aisha-san?"

"I never bothered much with it either." Of us, she was the only one standing, she was simply leaning against the door frame of the dining room/kitchen. "To be fair, most people never really got around to look at my face until later." She grinned as the more modest Easterners went crimson, the Amazon striking a bit of a pose. With her short pants and what was basically an armour cloth sport bra, her 'pose' showed off her rock solid abs, exceptional bust, and shapely rear. "See? Got the Fox's attention."

Aisha 10003. "Yeah well... *ahem*." I looked her in the eyes, and she winked at me, "You play dirty, but still, it's just something... I've never had to do."

"Don't worry. We'll get you all pretty for your big day." Aisha grinned, "Not like you really need it, I mean... The only issue might be your hair."

"Hey, my hair is fine. No one's let me near anything that might hurt it."

"Except maybe a pair of scissors. You're looking a little... scruffy, I think."

We all looked to Chigusa, who tried to hide behind her low hanging bangs, as usual. But after a moment of fidgeting, she nodded, "I'll make sure you're hair is done properly."

"Think the dresses are ready yet?" Asuka asked.

"Should be. But since I can't go check..." I grumbled a little.

"Anything else you need to learn beforehand?" Aisha asked.

Figuring I'd do better asking now, then trying to find a book on it and dancing with my shadow, "I never learned to dance either."

"Well, that won't do at all." Aisha grinned.

* * *

Mikoto was... for the first time ever... directly jealous of me. Sure, she had, on numerous occasions spoken to me about how she envied my skill. Or knowledge. Or blind good fortune. But those were from one warrior to another.

As Aisha directed me, and my dance partner, across the recently cleared living room floor, I could feel Mikoto's eyes digging into my back. Because my dance partner, was none other than Takemikazuchi Himself. Being the same height as me without his wooden gata, Aisha had drafted Him to help me learn to dance.

And, being oblivious to the feelings of the fairer sex, He agreed without a second thought.

The steps were simple. With two people who were already very familiar sparring partners, it made me think of a kind of kata. But after about ten minutes of basic steps, with a few warnings and suggestions from Aisha, I was pretty sure I had it down. So, being the big sister, I did the only thing I could think of to make it up to Mikoto, who looked like her face might stay permanently glaring.

"Its a big room." I said, "Ouka? Step up, Mikoto, switch with me." I was sure to use a little of my 'morning sparring' voice, to try and push them past the 'stuttering idiot' phase of being young and shy. Aisha caught on instantly, and gave Mikoto a nudge in my direction, while Ouka stammered out a couple of words before I split from Takemikazuchi and took his hand. Asuka and Chigusa were also present, so, "You two pair up. Let's see if we can all avoid stepping on each other."

Being a big sister is hard. But, after a couple more partner switches, including me putting Chigusa and Ouka together, and pairing up with Mikoto while Asuka danced with Takemikazuchi, we managed to skip most of the socially awkward moments and made it into actual fun. Even Weine, curious as to why we were all spinning about in the living room, managed to learn the basics from Aisha, who simply took the dragon girl's hand and said 'don't step on my feet, and follow along with me'.

At about the half hour mark, everyone had danced with everyone else, and not a single stubbed toe was to be had.

"Hey... Where did Ha-chan and Lady Hestia go? Lilly too... They'd probably have enjoyed that." I asked, looking around the room. Aside from the still missing boys, everyone else was here.

"You said the dresses would be ready by now." Asuka commented, "They left a little after lunch."

"Oh." I hm'ed, "I hope she likes the dresses."

"So long as they are boringly modest, I'm sure she's wear anything you suggested." Aisha quipped, earning herself an elbow from Mikoto. "What? She's adorable, but still has all those Eastern hangups when it comes to how to dress."

"You haven't seen the maid outfit, have you?" I asked, "You have Lilly to thank for that one."

"What sort of dresses did you ask for, Kodori-san?"

"We're back!" Lilly's voice called from the front door.

We went to greet them, and were surprised to see they had Naaza with them as well. "Hey guys." She said in her usual, almost lazy, voice, "Heard there was a wedding going to happen."

"I'd have invited you personally..." I started, all the women looking at me at once, "But, have been forbidden from planning any more than I have."

"That's fine. I have my invitation now. I'm actually here to help with that too..." She looked to Haruhime, who returned one of her perfect smiles, "She told me you needed something to keep you occupied, that didn't involve any risk to your eyebrows." She grinned at me, "She also told me I'd be payed in food." Her tail swished exactly once.

I made sure to give Haruhime a hug, though only a little one, as well as Hestia and Lilly, "You guys are the best. Fels will be stopping by after dinner, so I suppose Naaza and I will go to the workshop until dinner."

"Ko-san... What about the dresses?" Haruhime asked.

"If the tailor did her job, and I know she does good work, they should both fit. Pick the one you like best." I looked to Aisha and Mikoto, "I think this is definitely your job here."

"We'll get her fitted properly." Mikoto said with a nod, looking up at the Amazon, who nodded as well.

"Does this count as planning?" Asuka asked Hestia, "I mean..."

"We can let her get away with it. This time." Hestia looked up at me, readying her hand, "But only because she had them made ahead of time, and they look really nice."

"My Goddess is kind." I said, earning myself a Karate Chop of Justice anyhow.

* * *

"Wow... You've really added to your workbench since I was in last." Naaza commented as she sat next to me at my alchemy array. "I almost had to bring my own stuff when... Well..."

"Well, now you won't need to. Besides, I needed some of the extra stuff for the special potions I made for Ha-chan and I." I replied, turning on the little magic stone flames to get things warmed up for actually making something.

"I heard the little fox say something about that... But I thought I misheard. You really made something to... umm..."

"Yes." My tails slowly went to visit her, Naaza's real hand petting them then shoo'ing them away individually, "Speaking of..." I reached up to the shelf above the workspace, and took down the book Ganesha had lent me, "I found something that might help you get started in your quest..."

For the next couple of hours, the two of us went back and forth over the pages of the book. She didn't have a clue on how to translate the hieroglyph, but once I started naming ingredients, she started putting things together herself. This plus this made that, add this and now it does something else... That kind of thing. She really was good at her profession. For the most part, even with my skill of 'crafting' I was simply copying others work and process, not inventing anything on my own. Not really at least.

"Have you tried making potion candy yet? I mentioned it, but not again since then." She asked.

"Yes, but when I try the next step, and make it into a hard candy, it comes out a paste. It still works, but unless you wanted to brush your teeth with it, it's no good for the dungeon." I replied.

"That's a funny thought." Naaza replied, "Why don't we work on that. All this godly text is hurting my eyes."

"Sounds good. Oh, and maybe a way to improve that skin lotion. Last time I was able to use the forge..." I gave the metal shop door a wistful look, "I could actually run my hand through molten iron. But it still makes my skin roughen up really bad."

"I'll bet that makes you unpopular later..." She gave me a knowing smile.

"I've actually been forbidden from going to bed without treating my skin after working at the forge." I admitted.

* * *

"Lilly likes this." Our supporter said just after dinner, as I ran my hands over her cheeks and shoulders. "But Lilly is wondering why you aren't doing this to Haruhime."

"Because she's over there." Over there being next to Aisha across the table from me, "And, your skin is pretty soft too. She'll get her turn."

"Already going after other women, and you're going to be married in seven more days." Aisha teased.

"Remember, Kodori-dono." Mikoto started, her butter knife glinting in the light of the room, "You promised."

"Now now, I am sure Kodori-san wouldn't do anything to dishonour her relationship with Haruhime-chan." Takemikazuchi said, though I noticed that His katana was leaning against the table by His left hand.

Taking it all in stride, I said confidently, "If I make Ha-chan sad, I'll gladly submit to your judgement, the both of you." I stood and offered my hand to Mikoto, "But really, Naaza is a genius."

"Oh..." Mikoto said, taking my hand and running her fingers over my palm, "Can you make more?"

Disaster averted, "I don't even have to use fire to make it, so yes." I grinned, getting a chuckle from Naaza herself.

"If I can get seconds, I'll even teach her to make some of the other skin care items I know." Naaza added, Chigusa dutifully putting a second helping of stew onto her plate.

"Now now. No ganging up on Ko-san." Haruhime said, "I'd never try and keep her all to myself." She seemed to realize what she was saying, and looked down at her plate, touching her index fingertips together nervously, much like Hestia did when She had to finish an embarrassing sentence, "I can't always be there to give her a hug..."

"Hugs are best when you share them!" Wiene, unknowingly, rescued Haruhime from the rest of that sentence, "Ohh, soft hands." The dragon girl said as I gave her a head pat.

"Oh." Ouka perked up, as if realized something important. "What are we going to to about Wiene? I mean, if we've invited a bunch of people, and not all of them know everything..."

There was a moment of silence, then, "She can wear her new tiara." I said, "There is no way I would even consider telling one of my Familia to sit out of something so important." I looked to Wiene and opened my arms, the dragon girl getting out of her chair and hugging me tightly, "Besides, it might be a good opportunity to have her meet people who do know at least a little. Everyone who's coming knows a bit already. Some more than others, but still." Wiene smiled up at me as I gave her more head pats.

"Well said." Hestia said, "She's part of my Familia, and I won't have her hide in a closet because she's a little different." She paused, "I'm proud of all of you, and since we are hosting the event, I get to show you all off, instead of only bringing one or two guests, like Apollo had us do."

"Indeed." Takemikazuchi said, "Besides, Kodori-san, isn't that why you had that tiara made in the first place?"

"Mostly. It will also stop people from just taking her stone away again." I let Wiene go, though she cling to me a moment longer before letting go as well and sitting back down. "As captain, even if I'm not allowed to plan my wedding, I will do my best to keep you all safe."

* * *

Fels arrived like he always did. Suddenly. It was like he just happened to be where he wanted to be, when he wanted to be there. I know it wasn't quite like that, but I had to admit, it was really cool.

"A wizard is never late, they arrive precisely when they mean to." I commented, as Fels appeared by the workshop as I got within sight of the door. "Good evening."

"Lady Kodori, a pleasure." Fels greeted, "I hope you are ready to begin learning."

"I am. Though, so long as it doesn't involve fire. Or lightning... Or acid..."

"Worry not. Your first lesson will simply be... a primer, to greater things. Let's step inside, and you can show me how you go about enchanting something simple, and I will hopefully be able to direct you further." Fels stepped aside for me to unlock the door of the workshop.

* * *

Forbidden from the forge, I actually had a hard time trying to enchant anything. Everything I'd done so far had been almost literally, from molten metal onwards. Fels came to the rescue however, as I sat there scratching my head on how to begin.

"I understand your method by your describing it. And see the problem, since you've been banned from the fire for now." He paced, his feet seeming to not actually touch the floor, obscured as they were by his inky black robe. "Have you tried to make a tool then?"

"A tool? No. I've always, quite literally, had a hand on my enchanting as I go. From the forge to the jeweller's table. Until recently, I was unable to project my magic out of my body, so I used my shed fur, since it's full of magic already, and holds it in really well even when no longer attached to me." I replied, holding one of my tails. "Reminds me... Have to make sure to brush you all really well."

"I see. Well, I suppose further lessons will have to wait until you are able to use the forge, but, I can at least tell you how to try making a tool for yourself." His left hand vanished under the sleeve of his robe, and returned with what looked like a small chisel made of silver. It looked to be made of a solid piece of metal, with only a small part of the rounded handle covered in blue leather. "For me, who is capable of projecting his magic power outwards, I use this." He offered the tool to me. It was much lighter than silver would be, and the edge looked very sharp. "The metal is a mix of high silver and gold, the leather is from a dragon. These materials I harvested myself, and over the years, have become almost as familiar to me as the robe I wear."

"High silver?" I asked.

"It is like adamant, but in its raw form looks almost liquid. It is found occasionally past the thirtieth floor, between the water caverns and magma tunnels." Fels replied.

"Huh... A naturally occurring alloy..." I handed the tool back before I accidentally destroyed it by not using it as a tool or something. "Does the material matter?"

"Honestly? Not as much as the personal nature of its creation. You would likely be fine with simply making it out of your 'ko-steel'. But, the important part is that it conducts magic. It is with this, that you can inscribe power onto an object, without needing to enchant something from molten metal onwards."

"Hm..." I thought of the Hestia Knife, that Bell had, and the thousands of little runes etched into the blade itself. "I begin to see."

"Indeed." Fels nodded.

"Does it matter what I carve into something? Is there a specific language for 'magic'? Or will anything do?"

"Ah, that I can teach you... Do you have some parchment?"

* * *

Tonight, Haruhime and I's chaperone was Hestia herself. Her and Haruhime were quietly chatting back and forth as I entered, our Goddess brushing my love's hair. Without interrupting, I sat behind Hestia, and started to undo Her twin tails, brandishing a brush of my own. I wonder how many other Familia had a God or Goddess who was so... Familiar. Chatting together, brushing hair, washing backs, baking cookies... It wasn't like She was above the Familia, but part of it. A real part.

"Hey... I'm supposed to keep you from doing that." Hestia said as I hugged Her.

"Best Goddess." I said, making Haruhime look behind her and giggle quietly.

"Ko-san is thinking something sentimental." She commented, shuffling over a little and hugging Hestia as well. "Lady Hestia looks good with Her hair braided."

"Oh... Maybe you should wear that dress Bell and I got you, and I'll braid your hair before the guests arrive." I said, "Do you think Bell will be able to dance without falling over?"

"If it is Lady Hestia in his arms, he won't falter." Haruhime said, "Oh dear..."

Our Goddess was slowly starting to steam from the ears between us, "You've danced with him before, no breaking."

"Poor Bell... If they are both like this, then they won't be able to dance properly."

"I know what we should do when he gets back..."

"Dance practise?"

"Actually, that too. But, I think I have an idea, to keep Bell from freezing up when he looks at Lady Hestia."

"I'm right here, you know."

"Do you think we can have it ready in time?"

"Hey!"

"I have all kinds of spare time right now."

"Hey! No planning things!"

Haruhime and I shared a look of determination, then wiggled about so that we could both face Hestia. "We are going to make you a new dress." We said together. "And then you are going to dance with Bell."

* * *

Six days left, and despite Hestia's original complaints, after a good night's snuggle, and a little breakfast, She was a little less reluctant to be at Haruhime and I's mercy. Mercy being a little ominous sounding, but we did have Her in the workshop, with all the lights up, all the windows locked, and the door closed and barred. We wanted to get Her dress exactly right, and for that, we needed perfect measurements.

"It's odd, you know." I thought out loud, "You wear this dress all the time, and Bell has no problem with it. Even though, as two women to another..." Haruhime nodded in agreement, "It always seems one stiff breeze away from coming off of you. Not to mention it shows off your legs, yet never seems to show your underwear. And!" By this time, Hestia, who was naked in front of me, was blushing so hard I feared for my eyebrows. "When you lean down just so, you can get lost trying to find the bottom of Your divine bust." I called off a couple of numbers to Haruhime, who recorded them faithfully, "And, as someone much taller than you, it's a constant hazard."

Finally managing to stutter out a reply, Hestia said, "It's my favourite dress! Given to me by Hephaestus back in Tenkai."

"Oh I understand completely where you are coming from." I made ready to measure Her bust, "Pardon my hands, but deep breath please." She took a deep breath, and I continued, trying my hardest not to get distracted by Her divine perkiness, "I find the Hostess of Fertility boots to be the most comfortable, no matter how many pairs I seem to wreck. Let out your breath." She did and I took another measurement, "But, that's part of the problem."

"What do you mean?" Hestia asked, accepting a towel from Haruhime and wrapping Herself up.

"Well, your dress is fine, until something happens." Haruhime explained for me as I looked at the measurements she had written down and went to our cabinet with all the cloth materials, "Too much wind. Or when you lean over, or trip on something, or give someone a hug." She looked over to where I was, "In a way, your dress is too perfect. It fits you so well, it leaves no room for anything else."

"But... It's still my favourite..."

"Well, this is going to be for special occasions. And I think, we can make it so you can do things like hug someone, without well... Overstimulating them. Like Bell." I said, turning around with two sheets of fabric in my hands, "Light blue then white? Or white, then light blue?"

* * *

Hestia had long since re-dressed, and though She was still pouting a little over the facts about Her favourite dress, I caught her smiling more than once as Haruhime and I worked together almost without words. Never more than two tail lengths apart, we moved in synch as we put the pattern of our Goddess's new dress together. It would be up to me, with the crafting skill, to do the stitching, but Haruhime had, by far, the better fashion sense.

It was then, around lunch time, when we got a knock on the workshop door. We'd been so busy that I'd forgotten to unlock it, but since we did at one point, have a naked Goddess in here with us... "Love?" I looked to Haruhime, who's tails gave mine a hug before she left the work area to answer the door.

"I wonder who it is." Hestia asked, "I am getting a little hungry though..."

"It is around lunch." I said, laying out the pattern on the table, "Come look. It might look like scraps of fabric now, but..."

"Oh... This does look pretty. Hehehe." She cackled, that rare, but very distinct 'I'll show those other Gods and Goddesses just how special my Familia is' laugh.

"Lady Heista! Kodori!" It was Weine, "It's almost lunch! We are wondering if you are hungry and coming to eat Mikoto's sandwiches!" She saw what I was doing, then stopped in mid step, "oooo. What's that?"

"This is going to be a new dress for Lady Hestia." I explained, "Once I put it all together." I realized something, then looked to Haruhime, who blinked, then gave herself a very gentle facepalm. "Lady Hestia? Tell Mikoto we will be there soon. Wiene, can you hold off on eating for a few minutes?"

"Umm... okay?"

* * *

"We're back!" I heard Bell call from the front entrance, along with two other sets of boots, meaning Welf and Marius had also returned, "I hope we aren't late for dinner!"

"Yeah... Campfires can only go so far, when compared to home cooking." I heard Welf say.

"I do my best, with what I have." Marius said with a sigh, "Is my cooking really so... bland?"

"Maybe a little?" Bell replied in his usual 'try not to hurt your feelings/brutally honest' tone.

Everyone else was in the dining room already. Lilly, with the help of Ouka, who could reach all the shelves, Mokoto, our master of vegetables, and Hestia, our better than average bread maker, were just starting to bring out the food.

"Well, you're in luck then." I said, looking at the three of them, "Its... Wow... What were you guys doing?"

From head to toe, the three of them were covered in 'work'. Mostly dust and mud, they had random scrapes, a few bruises, some ripped clothing, and of all things, Marius had some feathers in his short cut hair.

"Just a little renovation, Ma'am." Marius answered, "But you are right, we should clean up before..." He sniffed the air, "It's taco night, isn't it?"

"Best timing for our return!" Welf did a little victory dance, then started to quick-step towards the bath, "You guys better save me some!"

"I look forward to it!" Bell said, pausing, "Is that a fox?"

* * *

Over dinner, with everyone making the usual reactions to Lilly's spicy food, we told them about the letter we had received, and introduced the messenger, Jinsoku, who accepted Welf's pat on the head, Marius's chin scratching, and Bell's pat on the back with equal grace. That is to say, he soaked it up as if it were his due. Kind of like a cat. We passed around the picture of Miyuki, and the three of them smiled broadly.

"I'm a little disappointed I wasn't here to meet them." Marius said.

"You were on the other side of the wall, wishing Ares wasn't such an idiot." I commented.

"I am a little worried on what I'll find on my return." he replied, taking a bite of food and shivering a little, "Aside from the bland food. My stay here will ensure that I will always want something other than army rations."

"Lilly can give you the recipe."

"And I am sure you can grow some of the things there." Asuka commented, "It's like alchemy to me, but I do know most of the spices are pretty simple to grow."

"Once I am king, I will have our best gardeners figure it out."

"One of the privileges of rank, is dividing up the labour, right?" Welf grinned, "I almost want your wedding to be over already. I should have most of that adamant ready for re-working by tomorrow."

"Actually, can I get your help with something else tonight?" I asked, "Need a little help with some leather."

"Eh? Sure. Don't see why not."

"And don't worry, this project isn't planning for the wedding. So it's approved already." I assured, getting a smile from Haruhime, and a faint blush from Hestia.

"That's right," Haruhime added, "It's for just before the wedding. Maybe after too."

"Now I'm curious." Welf said.

"Well, after you help me, you can see if it was worth it."

* * *

In five days.

HA! See what I did there?


	72. Chapter 72

Notes before I begin.

Many more thank yous to the people looking up my book on Inkitt. Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but if it gets a certain number of reads, the website might publish it. Like, really publish it. Which would be awesome.

Anyhow. :) Almost done.

* * *

Chapter 71

The early morning, five days before the big day, found me in the workshop. After spending a night cuddling with Asuka this time, I woke early, did my morning stretching alone, then hurried to the workshop to continue working. Hestia's dress would need to be just so, and once it was done, it would probably need a little alteration.

Wiene's robe was simpler, yet had some non-fabric materials to account for the scales on her back and shoulders. They were wickedly sharp along the bottom edge, and sadly, I couldn't fix that without hurting her. I'd tried using a file on one of them, and the poor girl said it felt like she had fallen and scraped her knee.

That gave me a few ideas, but sadly, I didn't have time to research them. Like making a mild acid or something to try and 'create' a more natural wear. I told her that the next time, or first time? She shed a scale, to give it to me so I could try a few things.

So for now, I was using some specially treated orc leather as a lining for her back, and light battle cloth for the rest. Just so she would match, it was similar to Lilly's usual robe. It would hide all but the gem on her forehead when it came to her 'monstrous' features.

There was a tap on the door, just as I put two bits of carefully stitched fabric down.

"Kodori-san?" It was Takemikazuchi.

"Perfect timing." I said, "Come in."

"Even when you are on vacation, you are working." He commented, seeing my workbench covered in material and tools. "You said you needed me for something last night?"

"Indeed." I gave him my best 'Mikoto is serious' look, "While I appreciate your usual mode of dress, being both practical and fitting for an Eastern God. It is simply... Too normal, not to mention very well loved."

He looked down at Himself, his tattered Eastern 'priest' robe and simple black belt looking just as worn as the first day I'd met Him. "I suppose it can't be helped. This is my usual mode of dress, yes."

"Well." I picked up a length of rope with little knots in it at regular intervals, "I'm going to fix that."

"I see I'm not the only one, who will be... dressing up for the occasion. Is that for Lady Hestia?" He submitted to my measuring, holding out His arms and the like without me needing to ask. "I do like the colours."

"Speaking of." I grinned, "All I've ever seen you wear is undyed wool."

"I am but a simple God of war. I've never thought to be fancy."

"You don't need to be fancy. Just not plain."

He thought on this a moment, then replied, "As with my Familia, I will trust the Fox's wisdom."

"Very well. As with your Familia, I will do my best."

We bowed to each other, and I sat back down, turning over ideas in my head as my hands rapidly sewed things together.

* * *

Thanks to my crafting skill, I had finished the first stage of Hestia's dress by lunch. Using a little trick Aisha had told me about, I had a way for Hestia to look just as 'divine' without risking a concussion if She tried to say, do a jumping jack. I had also used another trick, this one from Haruhime, to make Hestia's dress look like She wasn't wearing underwear. It made getting in and out of the dress a little more difficult, but it prevented 'accidental' exposure.

"What do you think?" I asked, as Hestia looked at herself in the full length mirror I had snagged from the bathroom. Done with in her usual white and pale blue, it was a mix of Chinese dress, or Cheongsam, and a cat suit. The 'cat suit' was under the dress itself. The bust was supported by a double layer of fabric, that kept her divine assets in check, without risking the usual tells of going braless, like say, cold air, or excess friction. The lines of the underlayer were hidden by the pattern of the outer layer, the pale blue stripes hugging her curves without announcing them.

Not that Her curves needed much announcing... But this was done in an effort to encourage Bell to dance with her.

"It's... A little loose... And umm... I'm really not supposed to wear panties?" She commented, twisting this way and that to look at Herself, "It really does look nice though."

"It's a little loose because I wanted to see if I got it to at least fit. I just have to add a couple of extra stitches to tighten it up. And no, no panties. If you need to use the bathroom, you can just undo the little button..."

"Ohhhh, so that's why it's there..."

"Ha-chan isn't supposed to wear panties with her kimono, but she does. She gave me the idea for that."

"You two... It's like you hardly need to talk to understand one another."

I took hold of the dress on the back, and pinched the fabric just a little, "How's this? And yes... I'll tell you a little secret about that..."

She took a deep breath, "Oh, that's perfect. A secret?"

One of my tails, until now forbidden from visiting Hestia while I worked, flopped over Her shoulder, "Our tails kind of talk to each other. It's almost like reading someone's face, which she is also really good at."

"I think your tail is saying... Pet me."

The rest of my tails found places to perch on Her while she played with the fur of the first one. "Close. It was 'pet me first'."

* * *

Lunch came and went, with Welf passing through the workshop and locking himself inside the forge. He only paused to look at my work, say 'damn, Bell's a lucky guy', then 'No peeking', before the latch of the forge door closed.

I was curious. But, in the spirit of not ruining a surprise, I didn't do anything to learn what was going on. I mean, I could have opened the door, I did have a key. Or broken the door, it was only made of iron bound wood. Or even sent one of my ghostly foxes into the room, the little gap under the door more than enough space for it. But, instead, I simply got some more potions started, then went back to sewing.

A little later, I did make one of my ghostly foxes, and sent it to find Wiene. She was sitting against Gros's side, who was sort of curled up around her, while she read a book. Upon my interrupting, she said, quite seriously, "It's reading time. I'll be done soon. Boop!." The last being said as she booped my little fox's nose, making me sort of feel it too. I listened in to what she was reading while I worked on the first stages of Takemikazuchi's new outfit.

* * *

Just before dinner, probably on purpose, Ganesha showed up with Shakti. Smiling and happy as usual, He dropped the bubbly airheaded act as soon as the door closed behind Him. "Ah, it is good to see you well." He said to me, as a few of the Familia gathered behind me to greet Him. "I bring news, and a decision about your small unhatched guests."

"We were starting to wonder." Hestia said, idly patting one of my tails as it perched on her arm, "Mr. Gros said we might have... a week?"

"Yup!" Weine said, "But, he said that five days ago?"

"When I got back, yeah." I said, "Come in, you're in time for dinner, and tea."

"What did you and Mr. Lido decide?" Bell asked.

"Well..."

* * *

"That's an interesting idea..." I mused, a potato puff on the end of my fork. "It deals with two problems at once, kinda sorta..."

"I see you've improved your Chai already." Ganesha replied with a wide smile. "Mr. Lido is a clever person."

Shakti continued, "Tonight, we are going to meet them at one of the unused entrances. By the artificer's quarter. The surrogate mother will come with us to the zoo, and watch over the eggs."

"You mean the Lamia who was there that night? The one you let out?" Bell asked me, "It's good she's still alive..."

Mikoto nodded, "It seems to solve both problems. Where to put them, and who to look after them."

"And they get to be up here in the sun!" Weine said excitedly, "I can visit right?"

"Why yes, little Weine," Ganesha said in his best radio announcer voice, "So long as it is okay with your Familia, you can visit any time!" A pause, "I hear you got something made for you by Lady Hephaestus!"

From her robe, she took out a simple looking hoop of metal. Black and silver with a small indent in the front, it had no visible means to open it. But, with a little tug, Wiene did so, and placed the loop over her head, setting her gemstone firmly in the gap. After a little fiddling with her hair, she touched the two ends together, and it closed without a visible seam.

"See!" She said, "It doesn't even itch or anything!"

It looked good on her, and even when I leaned over a little to get a better look, it really did look like a tiara. Like any number of adventurers I'd seen about the city who wore such a thing. "It looks good on you, Weine-chan." Ouka said, "It's kind of a shame we can't just bring all the Xenos up."

"Doing so would be... Too much." Shakti said, "As well, Lido has several ideas on how to use the dungeon to their advantage. As Miss Kodori suggested."

We finished what was on our plates, as well as our tea, our two guests leaving shortly afterwards. I escorted them out, as was the Captain's duty, stopping by Gros's enclosure to pick up the box of eggs.

"Take care of them, Ganesha." Gros said seriously, using one big clawed hand to carefully deposit the box into Shakti's waiting arms. "What do you plan to do with the mother's stone?"

"Mr. Lido has... a place for it." Ganesha said quietly, "With the rest of the recovered fallen."

"That is like him, yes." Gros nodded to them both, then simply stalked away, heading for his shelter. "Be well."

Ganesha looked at me, and whispered, "He is sounding much more social."

"It's the sand." I whispered back with a smile, "Take care Lord Ganehsa, Shakti." I bowed to them both, walking with them to the gate and locking it behind them. I was tempted to ask if I could go with them, but I didn't want to get any more angry glares than I was getting every time I mentioned the word 'plan'. Besides, I had work to do.

* * *

Four days, and I think it was finally sinking in that I was going to get married. Sounds silly, but with everything going on, planning, putting things together, actually surviving the crazy things that had happened, I was finally realizing it.

"Mornin' sister. Good to see you smile, but your face might stick like that if you aren't careful." Welf mumbled as he entered the workshop. "Smiling like that so early in the morning... urrg."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Welf?" I looked at the light outside, the sun just starting to rise in earnest, "The Welf I know is never out of bed this early. Unless, he didn't actually go to sleep."

In an unusual show of affection, he looped an arm around my shoulders, and ruffled my hair, much like he did with Bell. "Well, someone is in a gawdaweful rush to get hitched, so I gotta work a little more." As rough as he was, he didn't actually touch my ears, so I suffered through a little more hair mussing before I made a token effort to shake him off. "Heh, you really need to get your hair looked at. Wow."

"Says the one with incurable bed head?" I teased, "Chigusa has promised me that would be done today. Along with my dress."

"You in a dress. An actual dress... Who are you? What have you done with my captain?" We both laughed, "I think you'll polish up nice, like a copper coin."

"Hope so. I mean... Honestly? Looking pretty isn't as important to me as just... Making sure it all works." I sighed, "I mean..."

"Oh I get it." Welf grinned, "But seriously? From when I joined, you've done some incredible things. Lived through things that would have killed others. Found, or simply invented what you needed to succeed. And honestly... You got back up, and into the fight... I can't think of a single person, other than MAYBE Bell, who wouldn't just pack it in and retire after that."

We both knew what he was talking about, so I simply nodded, "Yeah, but... This isn't just about me now. I mean, sure, as captain, its never just about me. But this isn't a dungeon thing, its a life thing."

"Doesn't matter sister. We're all here for you. Anyhow, enough of the mushy stuff... Work to do." He turned, yawning so wide his jaw cracked. "Oh, and no peeking still."

"Yeah yeah. Don't burn your eyebrows off." I replied, returning to my sewing.

"If I do, I will dedicate it to you, since you can't get near the forge." He gave me one last grin, then closed and locked the door behind him.

* * *

"Hey Welf!" I called through the door.

"Yo!"

"Stay in there until I say. Doing a fitting!"

"Right!"

That taken care of, I turned to Wiene, who was looking at me, then the door, then me again. "Has Welf done something wrong?"

"No." I said with a smile, "Ha-chan has explained 'modesty' before, right?"

"Yes... But I still don't really get it." She scratched her head, then one of her ears. "Hiding your body seems strange."

I sighed. No one except maybe Welf, Ouka and Chigusa might have any idea about talking about sex. Haruhime might have a good idea on modesty, and even what goes on behind closed doors, or... Reasonably secluded places... Aisha was never asked...

"Heehee." Wiene interrupted my train of thought, "Kodori has her thinking face on."

"I suppose I do." I said, lightly ruffling her hair. "Remember when I explained the 'life' of 'instinct'?"

"Yup! Born, eat, find a mate, have children, die." She ticked the points off on her hand, sitting on a stool in front of me.

"Part of the 'find a mate' and 'have children' goes with 'modesty'. An animal has a way to attract a mate. Some birds sing, or have a way to show off feathers. Some lizards have bright scales they can show off. Some wild animals will bring food to a potential mate, to show they can provide for them."

"My scales aren't very bright..." Going against what I was trying to explain, she nudged her robe off her shoulder to expose the scales there, along with one of her palm sized breasts.

"People." I didn't bother trying to redress her, instead taking hold of her hands and standing, prompting her to do the same, "Have more ways to attract a mate. Amazons like strength more than most other things." I helped her out of the rest of her robe, letting her stand there in a pair of boxers that were much like my own. "Some people look for wealth, others look for intelligence, and others still look for beauty." I held up her new robe, and she put her arms over her head, "No no, this one you open here..."

As I helped her put on the new garment, I continued, "Being naked, for people, is kind of like a bird showing off its feathers. Especially to someone of the opposite gender."

The new robe was more like a double layered shirt/cape. She could put it on like a shirt, and it would cover her down to the knees, while the cape could either hang behind her, or double over and hide her down to the ankles. The orc leather on the inside would resist her scales, as well as keep her warm and dry. It had minimal buttons, and as far as I could tell, nothing to irritate her skin. And just like Lilly's robe, it was white with red trim.

"So... A girl showing a boy her body is like... asking to mate?"

"If she does it on purpose." I added, "That little accident at the pool for example wasn't on purpose."

"Ohhh... So... If I want to mate with Bell, I should..." I put a hand on her shoulder just as she started to turn around, one hand going to the buttons on her new robe. "No?"

"That is more of a last step. People usually start with words. And, you are too young I think."

"But..."

"Ask him for a hug. Actually, go do that now. He could probably use a good hug. But until you and him both agree, you can't mate with him." I sighed, "That is another part of being a person."

"Both people must choose together?" She brightened, "Like you and Haruhime!"

"That's right."

"Okay!" She took her hands off the buttons of her robe, did a little twirl in place, then said, "I like this! It's comfortable! And doesn't itch anywhere!"

"Go show it to Bell, ask him for a hug, THEN!" I held up a finger, handing her the old robe, "Put this back on before you go play again. When the wedding happens, you can put the new one on, and wear it from then on."

"Because... You want it clean for that day?"

"That's right." I said, "Can I have a hug before you go?"

"Thank you big sister!" She said, hugging me tightly, then running off.

A moment later, I called through the door again, "Being a big sister is hard!"

"But you're so good at it!" Welf called back. "And I still have my eyebrows, just so you know."

"Showoff!"

* * *

"I see you are done." Takemikazuchi said as he entered the workshop, "I must say, Wiene-chan's new robe looks quite fetching on her."

It was a little while before dinner, my day pretty much consumed by sewing and other fire-free artifice. I had sent a little ghost fox to find and get the War God's attention, before letting it play with the orphans in His stead. Even now, they were playing hide and seek with it. I was getting better at keeping my attention split.

"It's also made of battle cloth, because she is going to get it dirty, and roll around, and generally be an energetic child in it." I said, "But yes, your new outfit is done." White with blue trim, it was basically a more fancy version of what he had already. If nothing else, He would look like His Familia was doing well for itself, instead of before they had joined us, and working up the rookie quests like their next meal depended on it. "For some reason, I felt like I had to put your Familia emblem over a catfish."

The only 'decoration' on the robe and loose pants was His Familia emblem on the left breast. A simple double edged sword stuck into the ground point down. I had replaced the ground with an outline of a catfish. All done in silver thread, it wasn't very flashy, but it seemed just right for Him.

"Actually, I think it is perfect." He said, holding the shirt up in front of Himself, "Maybe it is time to retire this for something more befitting our alliance's status." He folded the new outfit up carefully, "With all Mine, and Hestia's children looking so well outfitted..."

"My Lord, you are a humble God. And that is fine. Pride has no place on the battlefield." He nodded, smiling that calm little smile, "But showing a little pride in your family, that's fine. I am sure Mikoto-san will think of something small to add to your new garb. Be sure to take her suggestion seriously."

"The fox is wise, and kind." He said, the two of us bowing, "Ah, Chigusa would like to see you soon, before dinner, if you can."

"Well, yours was the last thing I had to stitch..." I paused, "Wow... It was the last thing... I'm going to have to find something to distract me tomorrow..."

* * *

"Yip." I was just about to get to the living room, when I was stopped by our newest member. Jinsoku the fox, seemed to have something to say about his current situation.

The current situation being that Chime was sitting on his head.

"Oh, well, at least you're getting along." I said, prompting the fox to give me that same 'I don't understand' look from before, except he didn't tilt his head as far. "Tomodachi." Friend. I said, picking up Chime.

Not saying anything, the fox brought up a hind paw and vigorously scratched its head and ears, sitting still when he was done. "Yip."

So I put Chime back on his head, and he wandered off down the hall as if all was well in the world.

"So that's what he wanted..." Chigusa said, her head peeking up from behind her usual spot on the couch. "How did you know?"

"I didn't." I said, "But so long as they are getting along... Now, you wanted to do something with my hair?" I made a show of looking upwards with my eyes, "I suppose 'bed head' isn't good for a wedding?"

"Unless you are Welf-san." She said, "I can't imagine him looking any other way."

"Me either." I admitted, bowing to her, "I submit to your care, Chigusa-san."

For once, she didn't shy away at my sudden switch to formality, and produced a pair of scissors from her simple house kimono.

* * *

"Not bad Fox." Aisha said at dinner, "Now you just have to keep away from fire a little while longer."

"You guys won't even let me cook." I said with a sigh, earning a comforting pat from Lilly, "It's even supposed to be pasta night."

Chigusa had done my hair much like it had been when I first arrived. It lacked the length for a braid, or even a small pony tail, but baring that, it was neatly parted down the middle, with the sides thinning out as they got closer to the back of my neck. Not having ears on the side of my head meant that one could touch my cheek and slide their hand towards the back without a problem. Something both Haruhime and I did to each other... a lot...

For being so shy, Chigusa knew some pretty subtle tricks. I wondered if having her forehead rubbed was something she liked, and kept her hair long in the front for Ouka to brush away... I wondered if it would be worth her hiding from me for a week if I tried it out for myself.

Nah... I'd feel bad after.

"Kodori is thinking something naughty." Lilly said.

"Well, I haven't had any time alone with Ha-chan. And I've only gotten three hugs today. Four if you count sleepy Ha-chan hugs."

"Those are the best hugs!" Wiene said brightly, making Haruhime blush and nearly fumble her spoonful of stew.

"Are we missing anything for the big day?" I asked, getting a look from the women, "What? I'm not planning, I'm just making sure."

"We might need to get another table..." Welf said, "I mean, with us and the kids, we fill the chairs, but if we are having a bunch of guests..."

"Right." Marius said, "I am unfamiliar with how things are done with weddings here, but, it wasn't uncommon to simply have a buffet, and lots of plates at formal functions."

"We should send someone to the Hostess and get their thoughts on it." Bell said, making everyone look at him, "I guess I'll do that."

"We'll still need another table or two..." Ouka said, "And more plates. I'm pretty sure the ones we have aren't... fancy enough."

Ideas about how the dinner at the wedding should be served went back and forth, and I simply listened in. At one point, Haruhime and I locked gazes, our hands toying with our rings. Lilly giggled quietly, but didn't draw attention to the fact she noticed, and one of my tails visited her for a hug.

"Oh!" I said, interrupting the topic of food, "How's the dress?"

"It's very nice." Haruhime said, "I think you'll look good in the one I didn't choose."

"Hime has a good sense for these things, Fox." Aisha said, giving Haruhime's hair a little ruffle, "And wow, that dress maker of yours knows her stuff."

"Good. I suppose I'll do that after a bath." I smiled.

* * *

I was... in a dress. An actual... Well, not quite... But still close enough. As per my instructions to the dressmaker, both of the dresses were adjustable to fit the two sizes given. The only difference being that which ever one I got, would show my feet and ankles. As for 'not quite' a dress... Well it was basically a fancy kimono. Black and white, with a kind of 'skirt' instead of just the normal wrap for the legs. Half Eastern, half Western. Since people kept telling us we were like night and day, I had drawn up a kind of 'light over dark' and 'dark over light' pattern. Haruhime had chosen the 'dark over light', with the under layer of the kimono being white, and the top being black, then the poofy skirt thing, what ever it was called, being white, with the black under layer. I suppose this matched perfectly with her hair and tails, being gold, then black.

I was the opposite, with my black hair, then white over black top, and black over white poofy skirt thing. I suppose my only clash in style would be the single golden tail I had.

"Yup... Still never going to tease a woman about her clothing." I mumbled in English, getting a raised eyebrow from Aisha who didn't comment, but helped me fit all my tails through the back.

"Curious." Aisha started, earning her a raised eyebrow. "Have any fancy underwear for later?"

"I dunno... I mean, just going to be taking it off later." I said.

"Really? Still going to wear boxers? On your honeymoon?" She sighed, "You're hopeless you know that?"

"What? I just can't stand how panties try and creep around... It is the wrong kind of distracting." Thankfully, it was only her and I in the room. Otherwise we'd probably have scared everyone else off.

"You could just wear garters or something, I mean, aren't these supposed to be worn without underwear?" She countered, adjusting some fabric. "Wow, you look good. Just wait until we do the makeup..."

"If I were to go without, why complicate it?" I chuckled, "Besides, it's not like we are getting married and then instantly running off someplace." I took a few steps in my new outfit, "I am so glad I didn't make the bottoms like a kimono... I have no idea how Haruhime walks so... dainty."

"Have you figured out where you two are going?"

"They forbid me from planning, remember?" I gave her a glare, "So no."

"Well, if that potion you mixed does what the book says, you'll be heh... occupied for at least three days."

"I had half planned to find a cave in the nearby mountains. We're foxes after all."

"A quiet place to make noise?"

"Lots of noise."

"I'm surprised no one has mentioned it around here."

"Actually..."

"Is that why you've lined the walls of your room with blankets?"

"Haven't had a chance to test how well they work yet." Due to, ahem, interference, the layer of felt cloth I had put up all around Haruhime and I's room was simply there to keep in the heat right now.

"Aww, poor fox feeling a little antsy?"

"I'll manage." I gave her a light punch in the shoulder, "So, it seems I fit. And look good. Much to my surprise."

"You always look good. I mean... Well, there was that time you had your hair burnt off. With your ears, it looks... unnatural."

"And chilly. My poor ears. Well, I do have that super hair grow stuff... But I'm sure no one would let me near the forge anyhow."

"I still have rope you know."

"Wait until after you've asked permission."

Kodori 3, Aisha 10003.

* * *

Three days left. After waking up, with Lilly between Haruhime and I, I briefly considered closing my eyes again. Being so adorably tiny, Lilly just encouraged cuddles. But, if I did just close my eyes again, I'd have to work a little harder on making more tables. After dinner last night, Marius and Bell volunteered to find the wood needed for the project. But the market didn't open until just after sunrise...

"Ko-san." Haruhime whispered.

"Hm?" I met her eyes over Lilly's head.

"Sleepy Lilly hugs are best hugs."

"Yes love." And with a little wiggle to get closer and hug both of them, I closed my eyes again.

* * *

After waking up (again) with Lilly between Haruhime and I, I was greeted by sunlight slowly edging its way into the room. Usually out of the room by now, it was kind of a nice feeling. Aside from the times I was injured, I think this might have been the first time I'd slept in... for a long time.

Old habits seemed to stick, even after coming to this world. Once I was set to a wake up time, I almost never needed my alarm. But, if the sun was rising, then the boys would be at the market by now.

As quietly as I could, I dressed, did the usual morning things, had a quick breakfast, and went to the practise field.

Of all things, I spotted Gros, rolling around on the practise field, the morning dew on the grass spraying around as he wiggled about.

"Morning Gros." I greeted him as I did my stretches.

"Oh!" He sounded surprised, stopping in mid wiggle to tilt his head towards me, "I did not hear you."

I chuckled, "Too busy soaking up the morning?" I teased, "It's no trouble."

"You are out here every morning, but the others are not. Why?" He slowly wiggled and rolled his way towards me. It was kind of funny to watch something the length of a bus roll about like a dog.

"Usually, we are all out here to train. But, I suppose with my wedding, and the dungeon being closed still..." I hmm'ed, "I suppose once I get back, we'll have to return to training like we used to."

"Get back?" He rolled to his feet, then crouched down to watch me as I did some light acrobatics.

"It's tradition, after a wedding, to go someplace with your mate." I explained, "Ideally, one mates for life, and after a wedding..."

"Ah." He nodded, blinking at me slowly with those massive obsidian eyes of his, "We had... Several pairs, before the raid happened. Occasionally they would... distance themselves from the rest, and return later."

"Probably the same idea." I agreed. "The Xenos aren't so different from the rest of us up here." I stopped and put a hand on his 'beak', "Hm, I'll have to send a message to get more sand."

"I'd like that." He admitted.

"You're not planning are you?" I heard Asuka say from behind me. "That sounded like planning to me."

"Not wedding related." I said, holding up my hands in surrender, "Since you're here, care to spar? We've been kinda lax on morning training for a while now..."

"Go easy on me." She said, "Lots to do today."

* * *

My spar with Asuka wasn't really challenging, but, with me at the outer edge of level four, and her maybe mid way to level 3... it was still fun. Neither of us was trying to 'win' really, just 'out skill' the other. Being the only other bare hand fighter in the house, she was pretty good.

"You know, if you ever get the chance, you should go to the Hostess, and ask Luniore for a lesson." I said after we stopped, took a step back from one another and bowed. "And you know... Just because I'm limited to plain old gauntlets, doesn't mean you should be."

"Well, once you are able to use the forge again, we can work on that?" She smiled, the normally quite girl sounding excited, "I mean... Your armour is amazing. Even with everything we've done, I still haven't worn it out."

"Good." I grinned back, "Wonder where the boys are... I have tables to make."

"Would Kodori-dono like to go another round then?" A new voice, this one belonging to Mikoto, asked. "I have been told you must be kept occupied for just a little longer."

"Oh?" I was curious.

"Bell-san and Marius-san have returned, but, Welf requires the workshop for something and requires some level of secrecy." Mikoto explained.

"Well, let's see how you've progressed then?" I assumed a fighting stance, and looked at them both, "Work together."

The two of them bowed to me, then looked at each other and nodded.

* * *

It wasn't often I had to get 'acrobatic' while fighting. My technique was simple, efficient, and straightforward. Part of that was from previous training back in my old life. I had an instructor who often said, 'if both feet leave the ground, you've lost'. But, as the two of them alternated between high and low attacks, switching with each other the instant I started to go on the offence, I had to get really creative to gain advantage.

By the end of our match, I was starting to sweat, but the two of them hadn't quite managed to lay a hand on me. I had to give them both full marks for teamwork, as well as tactics. The praise was taken with a humble thank you, but they were both smiling.

"Wow, you guys look worn out." I heard Welf say as the three of us gave each other a bow.

"One day Welf, you are going to join morning practise, and you will learn." I said ominously, "I'd almost bet Asuka could beat you with one arm."

"Almost?" Asuka pouted.

"Welf is still much stronger than you. You wouldn't get a second attempt if you missed." I said, "Mikoto... Same problem. Barehanded, you are actually less skilled than Asuka." I looked to Welf, "But with a sword, you'd stomp him flat."

"Of course she would, I made the sword." Welf grinned, patting my shoulder, "Don't worry, once you guys stop breaking my weapons, I'll be able to join you for the morning spar."

"Well, I could help if..." Asuka and Mikoto glared at me, "Well... After the ban is lifted."

"Yeah. Looking forward to it. Anyhow, workshop is free, wood is here, and the secret project is still secret." Welf grinned, "I even sharpened your wood working tools."

"Excellent."

* * *

Tables and chairs are a simple project. Once you know what you're doing, it's one of the simplest things you can do. Flat top, four legs. Smooth, sand, apply finish, done. Chairs? Almost the same. That being said, the boys had fetched the exact wood we needed to match the already existing tables we owned. Not that it really mattered, we'd be covering it with a table cloth and all, but still, any other, less formal, guests we had would see we at least had matching furniture.

Lunch was quick, though I noticed that Marius and Bell had vanished again, along with Ouka. Asking had only gotten me a 'its a secret', so I simply shrugged and went back to making things.

"Hey Fox." Aisha called out to me from the workshop door, "Busy?"

"You're just in time for a test." I said waving her in, "You've got a solid build and a nice butt, sit in this for me?" I motioned to the chair I'd just finished, but hadn't put a finish on.

"You've made a half dozen already, why don't you test it?" She countered, though she sat in the chair anyhow. "No creaking, no groaning, doesn't feel like my ass is going to go numb the instant I sit down..."

"Well, now that you're sitting, what did you need?" I grinned, I'm so glad your rear approves of my crafting."

"Now... I know you've been forbidden from planning." She said, looking around, "But, I have to kinda ask, since this is yours and Hime's wedding."

"Hm?" I looked inside the pot with the wood finish, and sighed, "Need to make more I guess..."

"Well, who's going to do the actual ceremony?"

"Oh... Well, let's see... Ganesha would be around others, and probably be acting like an idiot. So hearing 'I am Ganesha, and you may kiss the bride', wouldn't do." Aisha chuckled, but I continued, "Loki would try and fondle us both, and wouldn't remember the words. Freya... Honestly creeps me out, and might not even be there." I paused, "Lord Takemikazuchi might be good, but, I'm honestly not familiar at all with how an Eastern wedding goes, and what I do know, seems very stiff and formal."

"They are kinda dull, honestly." She shrugged as I gave her a questioning look, "I was part of Ishtar Familia, lots of people, and with all the love and sex floating about in the air over there, I've run security for more than a few weddings."

"Ah, suppose that's true. Then there is Lady Hestia, who... Would be appropriate, but is too..."

"Innocent?"

"Sort of. I'd be surprised if She could say the word 'kiss' without blushing. No, I think I know who I'd ask..." I smiled, "I'm not planning! But I'd bet if you went to see Ryuu, and said you wanted to meet 'Her', you'd know who I was talking about."

"You trying to get rid of me?" She leaned forward and gave me a half hearted glare, prompting me to boop her nose, "Hey... My nose is not for booping."

"Tell that to Wiene. But seriously, if I were to ask anyone, I think She would do just fine." I paused, "That, and I'd bet Ryuu would want Her to meet her friends."

"So you're not just trying to get rid of me."

"Well, I can't finish that chair until you get out of it." I said, brandishing a brush and the pot of wood finish. "If She says no, then I'd ask Lady Hestia or Lord Takemikazuchi. Why did you ask me anyhow? Ha-chan would have an idea too."

"She actually told me to very quietly ask you break your 'no planning' ban." She grinned, "Though aside from who ever this is you want me to meet, she agreed with you almost exactly, word for word."

"Well good. I'll have to find her and give her a hug when no one is looking."

"Careful, or the girls might put you in separate rooms."

* * *

Two days left, and once again, I was trying to find things to do. The new furniture was done, save for the wood finish curing. I had run out of potions to make, except maybe a few odds and ends that were more 'for fun' instead of 'for work'. I was obviously still banned from anything fire related, and the only thing I could think of that needed doing... Was the actual wedding.

"You seem restless." Gros commented as he watched me stretch near his enclosure.

"I'm out of things to do, and many of my favourite activities have been barred from me for the moment." I replied, touching the back of my head with the flat of my foot and holding it there with both hands. "A few other things come to mind, but... I have too much energy to sit still that long."

"What is Haruhime doing?" He asked, "I am sure not all things involving your mate are barred from you."

"She's sleeping in." I chuckled, "And after... Well, I'm not sure. They have been keeping us apart for all the planning."

"Seems silly to me." Gros said, "Though, much of this seems silly. We don't have... marriage."

"Part of being a people, is ritual." I said, "Be it saying thank you before a meal, or bowing to a sparring partner. This is just another ritual. Honestly? I am doing this for her. All for her. While I admit, the thought of having it all official makes me happy... The thought of giving her something she's always wanted, makes it even better."

"That, I can understand." Gros nodded, swishing a hand over the grass and sprinkling me with morning dew.

"Oh... I wonder..." I rubbed a hand over my hair, pausing to give my ears a little scratch, "Maybe I can talk to Lido, or visit the zoo... With an escort, of course." I sighed.

"I am sure the lamia you saved would have words of thanks for you." Gros said, "And I know many of the others would welcome a visit from you."

"I think that's the best part of being a hero. Being welcome."

"Too much effort." Gros shrugged, curling up hiding his head from the slowly rising sun, though his wings stretched out a little more to capture the warmth, "But, having a home is nice."

* * *

Notes!

Okay... I know I know, you're all getting impatient. But my word processor is saying this one is 16 pages long already.

Please don't hate me. x.x See you all soon.

If nothing breaks, the next chapter will be quite long. And, if nothing goes wrong (other than stuff breaking) it will still be five days! :P


	73. Chapter 73

Notes before I begin.

This is it. Aside from a side story, this is probably the last chapter. Thank you everyone who's been reading. Thank you for all the comments and suggestions. Thank you for making me feel like my hobby means something.

And don't worry, part of the 'side story' will introduce the *ahem* effects of the potions Kodori made, since people have been asking about tiny fox children.

Oh! And just another reminder, if you like my writing, I have an actual book on a site called 'Inkitt' under the title, Were too? :)

* * *

Chapter 72.

"You want to visit the Xenos?" Hestia asked, giving me a raised eyebrow.

"Or the zoo." I said, "I mean, I have nothing to do except umm... yeah, wait for the wedding. And I'd like to at least see Lido and the others when not trying to save them. It's either that, or I visit the zoo and say hello to the Lamia who's taking care of the eggs."

Hestia pondered a moment, starting to pace. One of my tails visited, and She held onto the end while going back and forth. "I'll go fetch the occulus. But you have to have someone else with you!" She let my tail go so She could waggle a finger at me.

"Of course. I mean, it was a group effort."

"Grr, you're always so easy to get along with." She complained, "I can't get mad at you."

"I could... I dunno... plan something."

"No!" She promptly gave me a Karate Chop of Justice. "Meet in the living room, I'll be there in a moment."

"As you command." I smiled, getting a second Karate Chop of Justice.

* * *

"I wouldn't mind going." Mikoto said.

"Me either." Chigusa added.

"I'd love to bring Ha-chan too." I started, but got a pair of raised eyebrows. "What?"

"You can wait two more days." Mikoto said seriously, "We allow you two to sleep together, only because Haruhime-dono would pout if we did not."

I sighed, not wanting to push the 'nontraditional' point any further. "Well... Maybe Ha-chan can go to the one I don't? I'm sure she'd like to get out of the house a little too."

"Oh, that's... a good idea..." Chigusa mumbled, "Umm... Who goes with who?"

"I wouldn't mind visiting the Xenos." Takemikazuchi said as He entered the room with Hestia and Haruhime. "And, Mikoto, would you like to join Haruhime-chan and I?"

"Y...Yes my Lord." Mikoto answered, getting up from the couch and standing at attention.

Haruhime and I shared a look from across the room, our tails waving about behind us, and we both smiled at each other.

"Well, then who's coming with me to the zoo?" I asked.

"I'll go." Chigusa said, "Maybe... Do you think we can take Wiene-chan?"

"She's in the pool right now with Asuka." Hestia said, "But that's not a bad idea."

* * *

They had allowed me a slight compromise, and one of my fox images was currently resting in Haruhime's arms, as Takemikazuchi Mikoto and her walked towards the artisan district, where the Xenos would meet with them. With the nearly invisible thread of magic trailing off my tails, myself, Hestia, Chigusa and Wiene walked towards I AM GANESHA.

"So many things out side..." Weine said excitedly, looking around at everything she could, her new outfit making her look like just another young adventurer. "And... I smell food..."

"You'll spoil lunch." I said, "But, maybe we can pick up something on the way back." I looked to the others, who nodded.

* * *

"I AMMMMMMMM GANESHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Ganesha showboated for us, picking up Wiene around the hips, spinning her around once, and putting her back exactly where He'd gotten her. "I am pleased to see you today!" He gave the now giggling dragon girl a pat on the head.

We were inside the main building, on our way to the zoo itself, when the God had spotted us and done his usual introduction. The staff of the building, did various sighs of dismay at their God's antics, but payed us no mind otherwise.

"Is your newest guest settling in?" I asked.

"Indeed she is! Would you like to see her?" He grinned, half turning, "This way this way!"

* * *

Shakti had come to drag Ganesha off by his ear as soon as we got to the enclosure holding the Lamia. Before He was however, He said, "Just go through the bars, you'll be fine, please don't pull so hard Miss Shakti!"

Doing as instructed, the first thing I noticed was that the enclosure looked to be empty. I mean, it was fairly large, taking up about half the area of the Hearth Manor. But as we slipped through the bars, it was simply an open field with a few large rocks and trees dotting it.

"Where is she?" Chigusa asked, "Was Lord Ganesha wrong?"

"No." Weine said, "She's... behind that big rock over there." the dragon girl pointed, and the four of us turned and started walking towards the boulder she was pointing at.

Hestia was holding one of my tails. I could tell She was a little nervous, but with a couple more of my tails perching on Her, She seemed to calm down a little. As we got closer, I spotted a tail tip curled around the underside of the boulder. "Hello?" I called out.

"Oh!" The tail slipped out of sight, and from the other side of the boulder, a head popped up, "It's you!" It was the same one I'd rescued, looking much better. Her hair, long and dark was clean, her face was unbruised and calm, and she was wearing a dark blue shirt. "Who... Oh! Little Wiene!"

We let Wiene go ahead, the two of them hugging, "I'm so happy you're safe!"

"It is thanks to The Fox." She said, her long body slowly slithering out from behind the rock. I hadn't realized just how much of her was there in that cage. All told she was probably longer than Gros, though far less massive. I was happy to note that she was fully healed, and her dark black scales were nice and glossy. "Thank you for the opportunity, though... I am sad I am only to be a substitute."

"They will have someone, that's important." I said. "Oh, this, is our Goddess, Hestia." I said, the rest of my tails clinging to Her and bringing Her to stand beside me.

"Hello!" Hestia was still nervous, but She extended a hand all the same. "Pleased to meet you!"

"Likewise." The Lamia said, her body lowering so she wasn't towering over us. She carefully took Hestia's hand, and touched it to her forehead, "I am thankful for your Familia's help. Takemikazuchi as well, if you could extend my thanks?" She let Hestia's hand go, and looked at Chigusa.

"I will!" She said with a smile, then, "How are they?"

"Any time now..." She replied, slowly turning and slithering back behind the rock, "I am keeping them as warm as I can, and tending them as I should."

They were still the same four eggs, though the colour had changed slightly, from a sort of off white to a stone grey. "I can feel the life in them, waiting to come out."

"Good." I said, smiling, "Since we are here, let's chat a while, maybe we can tell you a little more of what to expect up here."

"I'd like that." the Lamia replied, smiling. If it weren't for her snake body, and the two slightly over pronounced fangs in her mouth, it would have been the smile of just another happy person. One day, I hoped she could share that smile with anyone, not just people 'who knew'.

* * *

"Ah, it's good to hear she is doing well!" Lido said, his big lizard face filling the vision of my little fox.

"Gah too close!" I said, putting a paw on Lido's snout and pushing feebly. "Still not used to everything looking so... big when I do this."

"Sorry." Lido backed up, Haruhime and the others chuckling. "Oh, since you're... here... sort of..." He stepped aside, the low light of the warehouse we were in revealing Fear and Ray, and behind them, as low to the ground as she could get, was Chani. Even then, she had to bow her human half to avoid a wooden cross beam. "Ladies?"

The three stepped forward, all smiles and looking much better. Chani still had seven legs, though the stump of the eighth looked to be almost fully healed now. Ray, the gold feathered siren and Fear the green feathered harpy looked fully healed, and while they were both wearing cloaks, the feathers I could see looked healthy. "We wanted to thank you, though I suppose this is as in person as we can get right now." Fear said, her voice making my little fox ears tingle. "We wanted to thank all of you."

"I am glad my Children, along with Hestia's, were able to succeed." Takemikazuchi said, "All people are precious, no matter the form they take."

"You're very welcome." Haruhime said, her free hand petting my ghostly fox between the ears, "I'm a little sad you have to watch through the occulus, instead of being able to attend."

"We understand." Chani said, putting a hand on both the bird girl's shoulders. "But..."

"Ta-daaaaa!" The two Avian's said at once, holding out a pair of small baskets. "We made you these!"

My little fox image put both front paws on the edge of one basket and peered in. Ribbons. Thin strips of fabric, much like what Hestia wore in her hair. All kinds of colours and shades too, gold, green, white, blue, rust red, black, even pink.

"I used my silk, and everyone at our new colony used a little of themselves to add colour. It's a simple idea, to go with your 'be useful' plan. What do you think?" Chani said proudly, clapping her armoured hands together happily.

"Love? I can't really feel anything like this..." I turned my pointy fox nose to Haruhime and nudged her chin.

Reaching a hand in, she took out a blue ribbon and hmm'ed at it. "It's very smooth. And the colour is perfectly applied." She handed me to Mikoto, and tied the ribbon around my neck. "Heehee. Perfect."

"We will deliver these to our Familia." Mikoto said, idly patting my head, "I am sure everyone will wear one."

"Yay!" The three monster girls said, Lido, behind them clapping as well.

"Oh... Now that I am here. Do me a favour Chani?"

"Hm?" The spider woman blinked at me.

"Could you lower yourself as much as possible, and stand between Mikoto and Ha-chan?" I hopped to Takemikazuchi, the war God catching me easily, "Lord Takemikazuchi? Could you walk in a circle around them?"

"But... Why?" Chani asked, hunkering down as best she could and getting between the two women.

"I promised I'd make you some armour." I said as Takemikazuchi did a circuit around them, the shorter Haruhime, the taller Mikoto and the sort of in-between Chani in the middle giving me a good estimate on size, while the side view gave me a comparison on bust and torso dimensions. "And since I'm not actually there..."

"I suppose this doesn't count as wedding planning, so I will allow it." Takemikazuchi said seriously.

"Lord Takemikazuchi is understanding." I said, just as seriously. "Hey Lido? Want to stand next to Lord Takemikazuchi as well?" I hopped over to Fear, who nearly dropped me, but managed to recover and pet my ears happily. "Hm. Wow you're tall..."

Hopping back and forth between people, mostly for free ear pets, which was getting me strange looks back at my real body, who's ears were twitching happily for no apparent reason, I got a good guess on everyone's measurements.

"For payment." I said, getting a raised eyebrow from everyone in the warehouse, "We'll need the cages. Welf and I will melt them down and make sure they protect the ones who they once tried to hold."

"Oh, that's a good idea. That's... Irony, right?" Lido asked, getting a nod, "Heh. The fox has a sense of humour." He laughed, "Sure, we'll umm..."

"Ganesha has bought this warehouse, and secured it well against intruders." Mikoto said, "And, given us the key as well."

"We'll leave the parts up here then." Lido said.

"It's a shame you are banned from the forge for now." Takemikazuchi said.

"No it's not." Haruhime replied, taking hold of my little fox form again, "I like her hair where it is!"

* * *

Lunch was had out on the streets, Wiene getting her treat of vendor food, and very happy for it. I had to promise to make meat skewers at some point as well, since she liked them so much. After getting home, and having my little fox clone jump back into my tail, I went straight to the workshop to start drawing up things. Just because I couldn't use fire and steel, didn't mean I couldn't draw blueprints and cut leather.

I noticed, as I got Chigusa to hand me tools, or hold things up, or otherwise be an interactive chaperone, instead of just having her sit and make sure I followed the rules... That Aisha wasn't around.

"Oh, she hasn't come back yet." Chigusa replied when I asked, "Do you think something is wrong?"

"Hardly. Just a little odd. Here, hold this corner here..."

* * *

Dinner was another short staffed affair. Marius, Bell and Ouka were still absent, and, Mikoto and Asuka had wandered off as well. No one would tell me anything, even when I picked up Lilly and threatened to tickle her. So, I put Lilly back down, and helped Hestia and Wiene make dinner.

No sooner had the three of us brought out a massive pile of sandwiches, on freshly baked bread no less, did Aisha and Ryuu arrive.

"Hm, smells like bread." Aisha commented as she entered the dining room.

"Good evening, everyone." Ryuu said, walking in beside her. "Lady Hestia? Lord Takemikazuchi? May I introduce my Goddess, Astraea."

I perked up as the two women separated and revealed Astraea standing behind them. She was dressed in the same functional travel clothes, though, they were perfectly clean now, with the copper leaf I had made Her being used as a cloak pin. "Lady Hestia, Lord Takemikazuchi, I hope I'm not imposing?"

"Not at all. Ryuu is a good friend of our alliance, her Goddess is welcome where ever she is." Hestia answered, smiling her brightest smile and waving a hand at the table, "And since Aisha knows when meal time is, we welcome you to the table too."

I raised an eyebrow, and so did a few others, at just how... formal Hestia was being. "Lady Hestia, you know her don't you?"

She stopped in mid pose, and 'urk'ed. "Well... Yes."

Astraea smiled, sitting down with Ryuu at her left, "We occasionally talked back in Tenkai. I am pleased you are doing so well, Hestia." She said, "Maybe later, we can catch up? I owe your Familia, for convincing me to come back to my own Familia."

Ryuu and I shared a smile, and we all started on dinner.

* * *

"You did some planning!" Hestia used both hands to give me Karate chops between the ears. "Bad Fox!"

There were a few giggles as I tried to look suitable chastened, but Aisha came to my rescue and gently took hold of Hestia's hands, "I asked her who was going to do the actual ceremony, and she suggested I ask Ryuu's Goddess. No actual planning."

"We have been kind of stuck on who to ask..." Chigusa admitted.

"True." Mikoto said, "And so has Haruhime-dono."

"I only know how it works back where I'm from. Never had an actual God involved, just some paperwork, a priest or government official, and some more paperwork." I said, "But, here, we have an abundance of Gods and Goddesses."

"The guild can officiate as well." Ryuu said, "Though, that is more for those who have no Familia."

"Well..." Hestia gave me one last Karate Chop of Justice, then played with my ears, "I suppose I forgive you then. But... Why didn't you ask me?"

"Repeat after me." I said seriously, "You may kiss the bride."

"You m...may... k...k.k.k.k.k..."

"Oh dear." Astraea said, smiling the same smile Ryuu did, "Just like back in Tenkai."

"I'm the top virgin Goddess!" Hestia snapped back at the other Goddess.

"And I was the second. Though, I suppose that was then." Astraea giggled, a quiet 'fu fu'. "It would be an honour to perform the ceremony." She looked down at herself, "Though, I've only this to wear..."

Haruhime and I, as well as Chigusa, looked up at her, eyes gleaming. "We can fix that." We said together.

* * *

"Welf! Stay in there!" I called through the door of the forge room.

"Aye cap'n!" He called back, the sound of hammering resuming a moment later. "Still have my eyebrows!"

"Showoff!" I called back, turning to Astraea, "I'm curious. What sort of Goddess are you?" I asked, getting another quiet giggle from her.

"Innocence and purity." She replied quietly. "Though, I've... relaxed a little since descending."

"White and green okay then?" I asked, looking to Haruhime and Chigusa.

"Maybe a little red too?" She offered.

The two girls nodded, and I stood up. "We can do that. Down to your underclothes please?" I asked, pulling out some measuring rope.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up alone. Well, I had Chime in the room with me, but she didn't really count. I had been given a little bit of a speech by Takemikazuchi about at least attempting to observe traditions. So, I relented and slept in one of our many spare rooms. Though, Haruhime managed to hand me her pillow, instead of my own, so I at least got a decent sleep.

"Well Chime?" The little rabbit was napping on the corner of the borrowed pillow. She opened her eyes slowly, and swatted a paw at my nose lazily. "No problem. You can sleep in." I gave Chime a gentle pat between the ears, and carefully got out of bed. "Find me later, I have something for you."

Chime simply rolled over, falling into the indent my head had made in the pillow, and closing her eyes again.

* * *

Welf stepped out of the workshop just as I was getting there. "Whoa... This late... early? Damn."

"Must be some project, if you forgot the time. Good thing people let me bring food to you." I replied, tapping knuckles with him.

"It's gotta be ready for tomorrow... It is tomorrow right? I didn't work through it?" He yawned massively.

"Yes, it's still tomorrow." I said, "Go get some sleep. Oh, right." I handed him a ribbon, this one red like his hair, "A gift from the Xenos. I think this one suits you."

He took it and his sleepiness was washed away a moment, "Wait... Drider silk? Ohh... I know who made this... You know, on the open market, even this much is worth a fair bit."

I was only a little surprised. I mean, I knew how difficult it was to gather without a friendly Xenos around. But it was only about thirty centimetres long and maybe three centimetres wide. "Well, She and the other Xenos made us a bunch. I'd like everyone in our alliance to wear one."

"Sounds good." He said, "I'm gonna tie this to my sword..." He yawned again, his shoulders sagging, knees bending a little more, "After sleep."

I waved at him as he left, and went to work on the last project I had before tomorrow.

* * *

"Ah! Miss Kodori!" It was Bell. "You're skipping lunch?"

"Who are you? Bell would never ask that silly a question." I replied with a grin, "Not planning to skip, but..." I motioned with my chin at the formal gown I was sewing. "I'm doing the longest seam ever..." This particular seam was from the shoulder to the floor, and I had two of them to do, "If I put it down, it will be a pain to start again..."

"Wow! Is that for Lady Astraea?" He asked, "Here, want me to hold this end?"

"Could you please?" He helped me straighten out the two parts, and I got back to stitching, "Yes is it. You've met her then?"

"Ryuu's Goddess seems nice." He said with that honest smile of his, "A lot like Lady Hestia... just..."

"A little more 'worldly'." I offered, "Lady Astraea has been down here much longer than Lady Hestia."

"Yes, that's it!" Bell nodded, "Just like you've said, 'there is no substitute for experience'."

"That's right." One of my tails gave him a pat on the head, since my hands were busy. "Back from your secret project?"

"We are, yes." He grinned, "It was a lot of work, but we hope you two like it."

"Do I get to know what it is yet?" I probed.

"Nope!" He was grinning, "It feels good to be able to surprise you. You always seem to know everything..."

"Well, part of a good surprise, is playing along." I said, "I could have tried to peek at whatever Welf was doing. Or tickle Lilly until she told me. Or bet you that I could beat you in a sparring match, and if I won, you'd tell me."

"Well... um... Actually."

I blinked as I realized what he was leading to, "You're level four now, aren't you?"

"Yes." He said, though, he wasn't smiling, "I... wanted to wait until after the wedding, but... I got my level through failure..."

"And I got mine through murder." I said, patting him again with a tail. "You surpassed limits that night, even if you didn't kill the black minotaur, you impressed him enough that he wanted to fight you again." I finished the stitching finally, and set the dress down. "Now, you know after the wedding, Ha-chan and I are going to take a vacation, right?"

He blushed... Like... Tomato red, but didn't stammer, "Yes. I kind of expected that."

"So, you'll be captain again. For at least a year."

"I understand."

"So, accept your new strength, and build on it. Just as you've always done. You will have two Familia depending on you, just as you do with them. Don't ever doubt that you've earned every shred of power you have." This time, I used a hand to pat his head, while my tails and free arm curled around him for a hug, "It is written on your back, Little Brother, with the ink of our Goddess's blood."

"Thank you Big Sister." He returned the hug, and looked at the dress, still not quite done. "Say... Have you gotten an update recently? Not since just before fighting Gros, right?"

"No, not yet. But, I think I'll wait until after Ha-chan and I get back."

"Why?"

"Because one of the things that can qualify you for a level, is personal growth. And while my stats are just on the edge of levelling, I will be doing something I would never even have considered, back where I'm from. And, really mean it."

"Was your old home really that... cold?"

"I think it's more that my home now, is much warmer." I grinned, "Lets get lunch before I start chewing on my tails."

* * *

"Well?" I asked Astraea as she observed herself in the mirror. "If I knew your Familia emblem, I'd have put it on there someplace, but..."

Her gown was a mix of 'catholic priest' and 'ball gown'. With that flat panel like top, accounting for her modest bust and slight build, I'd done white over green, adding in a red stripes over the tops of her shoulders, starting from the neck and going out to her cuffs. I suppose it almost looked a little like a military style... Or something... I wasn't sure where I was getting all my inspiration from. Back when I was a man, black went with everything, and colours were just something that got ruined or faded at work.

The bottom of her new dress was done like a pleated dress. Down to the ankles, it was the same white over green, though the red stripes went down the back from above the butt to the floor. Just a little bit of flash, for an otherwise 'ceremonial' outfit. You could at least dance in it... I think...

"You look a little nervous." She said, poking my nose to get my attention, "It fits wonderfully, though, just a little loose up top..."

"Oh, that gets tightened with a couple more stitches once I know you can take a deep breath without hurting yourself." I replied, rubbing my nose, "And yes... I guess I am. You would understand this I think..."

So I told her my reasoning. Why I was rushing this like I was. We'd know each other less than a year, but we'd done so much in that time. Including almost getting killed, more than once. And even when I'd been, literally, a bag of flesh and bones, Haruhime had risked everything to bring me back.

"I understand the regret of waiting." She said, stopping me with a fingertip over my lips, "Still, it's a big step. But..." She giggled, "I think you're ready. Little Haruhime too."

"That means a lot." I sighed, "Now... Hold still and take a deep breath."

* * *

"Well..." Ouka started, "Tomorrow is the day huh?"

Dinner was a simple thing tonight, I think with the Hostess of Fertility catering the wedding, everyone was saving their appetites. As per the last few days, Haruhime was on the other side of the table, instead of by my side. But, Lilly, as usual, was on my other side, giving my tails someone to perch on.

"Are you both ready for tomorrow?" Mikoto asked, "Is everything in place?"

Haruhime and I looked at each other, nodded, though we stayed silent while the others chatted about all the little details.

"Guests will arrive fairly early." Marius said, "Anyone who was free went to confirm with the various guests in person today."

"The ceremony will be just before lunch."

"After the food it laid out, we'll have the dance."

"Music is taken care of too."

"And if nothing goes wrong." Welf, at this point, rapped his knuckles off the wooden table, "Everyone will be out around dinner. And if they aren't we'll have leftovers from lunch."

"Lilly is hopeful it goes so well." She heehee'ed as my tails slipped off her.

"Seeing our friend get married..." Asuka started, "After all that's happened."

"It's thanks to everyone's hard work that it can happen at all..." Haruhime said, getting a pat on the head from Aisha.

"That includes you too, Ha-chan." I said, "We all work together, we all succeed together." I looked to Hestia, "Lady Hestia? You have the occulus ready?"

"Mr. Welf made little stands for them, so the Xenos can watch, as well as Fels." She paused, "Hey no planning!"

* * *

That night, I didn't sleep very well. I was a mix of eager, nervous, and under worked. I had been so busy with preparations, that my body, used to constant physical labour, be it fighting or sparring, or working at the forge... I had too much energy. Such a total reversal from before, where I'd come home and just... not want to move.

* * *

"Kodori, what are you doing?" Bell asked as he spotted me out in the training field.

Balanced, upside down, on one hand, I couldn't really turn to look at him. "It's just before sun up. What's it look like?" With all my tails, constantly moving about for balance, keeping them still for balance was really hard.

"You have a wedding in a couple hours." He said, coming over and kneeling next to me, "Though... That actually looks kind of hard."

After a couple of tries, Bell managed to mimic me.

"You look silly." Gros said from his enclosure.

Ignoring him, I answered Bell's question, "I'm doing this, because I can."

"Heh. Reminds me of when we first started."

"Doesn't it though." I chuckled, slowly bending my elbow, doing one handed, upside down, pushups. The effort wasn't the problem, I could probably do this with an elephant resting on my feet. But my balance was taking a lot of concentration. "Besides, I'll be taking a bath and stuff before I get dressed."

"Only Aisha knows what you two look like in the dresses." Bell commented.

"Oh? Interested in seeing us?" I teased.

"A little..." He stammered, but kept his balance, "Miss Haruhime usually dressed in her kimono, when she isn't training. But I've never seen you really dress up before, except... the first time we were here."

"It's a shame that dress was ruined." I said, "The fight with Bete, and Gros kind of ruined it."

"I wasn't right in the head." Gros commented.

"I forgive you, you big lug." I said back to him, "And what you did was nothing to what Bete throwing me through part of a house did."

"So..." Bell started.

"Hm?"

"How long are you going to stay upside down?"

* * *

"Now hold still Fox." Aisha said as she sat me in front of a mirror, a small kit of makeup nearby. "People are already arriving, so in the spirit of not making them wait too long..."

"Just long enough to feel expectant?" I asked. "I saw the Hostess crew arrive, just before you got hold of me."

"And they should be doing their job of keeping people amused with food." Aisha replied. She took a bit of makeup, and sat in front of me, "Now, hold still, and stare at my cleavage. And no talking."

Trying not to raise an eyebrow, I did as instructed. It was very nice cleavage after all, and being invited to stare was a nice change. That, and with both my eyes looking at the same place, she was able to do my eyelids with something.

"Hime wanted you to look... imperious." Aisha commented, "So..."

It took maybe a half hour. At least, it felt like it took that long. But Aisha's touch was light and swift, and by the end of it, when she moved out of the way of the mirror, I had to admit, I looked... Imperious. To go with my now slightly tanned face, she had added dark accents. Highlighting my cheekbones, darkening my eyes, whitening my forehead slightly, I looked...

It looked as if, more than ever, I was half fox. Just shy of 'fearsome', not quite 'aggressive'. It reminded me a little of when I was looking in the mirror with Ryuu, telling me to get angry. But, with the lighter shades mixed in, it wasn't quite the same. Even my lips, a little darker with a hint of red looked like a smile, or frown, would change a person's day.

"Wow." I commented, "I almost feel like glaring at someone, just to see them tremble in fear or something."

"For as long as I've known you, you've always been the type of girl to get what you want, through your own strength." Aisha said, "So, now that you're all dressed up... No fire, no water. Not until after."

"But... What if she wants to throw me into the pool?"

"After the ceremony, sure."

"You're almost no fun."

"Almost?"

"I had a nice view the entire time."

"Now who has to ask?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

"What sort of wise fox would I be, if I declined your offer?"

"Okay, that's fair."

"I suppose I'll umm..." I stood, looking at myself again, "I almost want a fan..."

"Just so long as you don't do that stupid laugh nobles do."

"No worries there." I replied, "Hm..." I looked at my tails, "I'll go brush my tails until I'm called then..."

* * *

I'm not sure I could take much more waiting. I could hear the guests down the hall. I could smell the food, and it was making my stomach rumble. I was basically sitting in one of the small rooms we never really used, waiting for someone to come get me. I knew Haruhime was in a similar room, and would join me shortly after I'd arrived at the little altar that was set up in our main hall/dining room. Being the 'proposer' I was the one who waited for the 'proposed'.

A tap on the door a moment before it opened. "Kodori?" It was Hestia, and to my surprise, Mia was standing behind her. "Your... Mama is here." She looked perfect in Her new dress too.

I stood, the skirt of my dress ruffling, "Since I wasn't allowed to plan anymore..." I looked to Mia, "Are you giving me away then?"

Dressed in the usual Hostess uniform, though this one was perfectly clean, pressed and smelling a little like flowers, the big woman smiled, "Even if you're in Lady Hestia's Familia, you're still one of my girls."

"When I'm not wearing makeup, I'm going to give you a really big hug later." I said, making Hestia laugh, "And you too. Just because."

"I suppose I'll let you too." Mia said, "Since it's a special occasion and all."

And, with Mia in front of me, and Hestia behind, I started my walk.

The first thing to change, was the music. Takemikazuchi had asked a few of His friends, other lesser known Gods, if they had any musically inclined Familia members. While they were from three different Familia, they were playing well together. Now, instead of a quiet background music meant to relax and be social, they changed it to a more formal one. Almost like a march, but with a hint of ceremony, and a dash of celebration.

Most everyone I knew was there. Ottar, with his massive, perfectly tailored tux, had Freya by his side, the Goddess wearing an elegant gown that looked to be made of a patch of a starlit night, and somehow looked more revealing than Her usual dress, even though the gown covered everything but her shoulders and arms.

Ganesha was there, wearing almost as much gold as He had that one day, but as He nudged Shakti, who was wearing something like a ballgown, still in dusk orange and with a much less puffed out skirt, Ganesha's adornments didn't make any noise.

Sweeping my eyes over a little more, I spotted Soma and Chandra. The God was mostly oblivious, though He did look up from his wineglass, His expression changing from disappointment to something that looked like a smile. For Soma, I nodded to Him, glad that He had stepped away from the hermit like living for at least a few hours. Chandra was still dressed like a brewer, but a perfectly clean one.

Hephaestus and Tsubaki were looking at me from one end of the buffet table, the two of them matching in stylish black pants, white shirts and fire red vests. They looked like a pair of pirate captains, with their matching eye patches.

The Hostess of Fertility staff all gave me smiles and little waves, mindful they were still on the clock. I tried to ignore the little tears of happiness in their eyes, and gave them a smile as well.

Eina was there, along with Royman, both in perfectly clean and pressed Guild uniforms. Royman even seemed to be growing all his hair back now, the formerly overstressed and overweight elf looking almost like an adventurer now.

Loki and Ais were there, the Trickster Goddess looking smug, while the Sword Princess looked... just as perfectly statue like as usual. Both were dressed in simple cream coloured gowns, though poor Loki didn't fill Hers out nearly as well as Ais.

As I got to the stairs, the 'altar' being on the first landing, well within sight of everyone, and large enough for our purposes, I almost didn't see Miach and Naaza. The two of them were well dressed in dark blue and white, with one sleeve of Naaza's dress being longer than the other.

The rest of my Familia was standing around the base of the stairs, just off to the side, all in formal clothing, or kimono. While Takemikazuchi Familia was on the opposite side, also in formal clothing. It was kind of funny to see Welf's smoothed red hair slowly perk up randomly into his usual spiky style. And impressive to see Marius in a tux. I almost think his armour made him look smaller.

And, standing at the altar, was Astraea. Behind a simple white painted podium, with the Hestia Familia emblem stencilled in black outline on it, She looked perfect in the dress I'd made for her. Her smile, as I took my place, Mia and Hestia now behind me, Astraea gave me a subtle wink, and a brilliant smile.

Then, the music changed again. The undertones of 'march' were hidden further as the stringed instruments became more vivid and celebratory. And Haruhime entered the room.

Ahead of the three, was Wiene, in her still (amazingly) clean new outfit. The hood was down, her tiara was on, and not a single person in the room, even those who knew what she was, seemed to mind. Very deliberately, the dragon girl was dipping her hand into a wicker basket, and sprinkling flower petals in front of Aisha Haruhime and Takemikazuchi.

With Aisha, in probably the second most clothing I'd ever seen her in, (the first being her new armour) in front, Haruhime in the middle, and Takemikazuchi behind her, I felt my heart twitch as I looked over Aisha's fully clothed shoulder, and at Haruhime's face.

If I was 'Imperious', then she was 'Inspiration'. Her bright blond, almost gold hair framed a face that, normally milk white, was now accented with gold and silver. Green eyes looked out from a face who's smile could inspire the coldest heart to action.

" _don't drool._ " I heard a whisper from behind me, making me blink and snap out of the trance Haruhime's new radiance had put me in.

Aisha caught my eye and winked at me. Kodori 3, Aisha 10004.

Wiene split from them to join the Hestia side, and the the three climbed the steps, Aisha and Takemikazuchi standing behind and to the side of Haruhime and the altar.

Then the music stopped, the crowd below us fell silent and Astraea held up Her hands and began to speak.

"Today, we are gathered to celebrate the union of two who wish to travel the same path. Not just as friends. Not just as Familia. But as the foundation for a family of their own. Orphans both, these two have held each other up, kept each other close, and denied death itself just so that they could stay together.

With the support of friends, new and old, they have been accepted by ones not of blood, and taken in as family. Kodori, of Hestia Familia, is your mother, not of blood here?"

"Yes." I said simply, stepping very slightly to the side to allow Astraea a clear view of Mia.

"Mia Grande. You took Kodori in, when she had no home or family of her own, but now, you are asked if you can let her go, to start on a path of her own, with the partner of her choosing. Do you do this freely?"

Mia's big hand rested on my shoulder, warm and comforting, "Yes, I do."

"Lady Hestia, Goddess of Hearth and Home. You accepted Kodori as your Child, and given her your strength, so that she could in return, give her strength to others in your name. Do you accept this union?"

Hestia's smaller hand rested on my other shoulder, "Yes I do."

Turning to Haruhime, Astraea kept going, "Sanjouno Haruhime. Lacking mother and father both, you too are an orphan. But, you are guarded by a protector most noble and kind." I noticed Aisha blush slightly at the complement, "Do you, Aisha Belka, wish to share your responsibility of guardian with Kodori? Do you deem her worthy of the task?"

As with me, Aisha placed a hand on Haruhime's shoulder, "Yes." The Amazon said proudly, looking first at Astraea, then me.

"Takemikazuchi, God of War. Your Familia were Sanjouno Haruhime's first friends. Do you speak for them? Do they approve of this union?"

Placing His hand on Haruhime's other shoulder, He said, "They do, as do I." He looked to the Goddess as well, then to me, that faint ever calm smile in place.

"Your closest friends and family approve of your union." The hands on my shoulders gently turned me to face Astraea, while the hands on Haruhime did the same. "Do the two of you, vow to uphold the trust placed in you, by your Family, and Familia, and make them all proud? Will the two of you, together, borrow each others strength, share each others burden, and walk the same path? Together, always?

"Yes." We said together. I could tell that Haruhime was just barely able to keep her tails still. I was too.

Astraea smiled brilliantly, "Then exchange your rings, symbolic of your hearts, and keep them safe and close, even when the other is not near enough to do so."

Turning towards each other, we clapped our hands once as if in prayer, then slipped off our rings. Then, I took her left hand and slid the ring with my memory in it onto her left ring finger. "A thousand years." I said to her.

Her delicate hand took my left hand and slid the ring with her memory onto my ring finger, "A thousand years." She said back.

"By the grace of your Goddess, your family, and your friends, I, Astraea, declare you wed, seen by the Divine, I declare it So!"

I could feel, as Astraea said those last four words, a kind of energy. A subtle tingle that filled the air between Haruhime and I. The two of us smiled at each other, lost in that divine bonding, and each others eyes.

" _kiss her you fool_ " Aisha whispered, rousing a few titters of laughter from the group at the bottom of the stairs.

So I did.

* * *

Having been unable to eat since breakfast, Haruhime and I were allowed to eat before the dancing began. Having never eaten with make up on, I did my very best to be 'dainty' about it. Haruhime too, was nibbling her food to preserve the amazing artistry on her face.

"Ko-san..." She paused, but my tails wrapped around hers, silencing her for a moment.

"No need for more than that, Ha-chan... Unless it's a formal occasion, you don't need to call me anything else."

She giggled, her tails responding in kind to mine. It was a wonder we never got tangled. "I wanted to try it at least once..."

I very carefully sipped a little of the Hostess of Fertility's famous cloud fruit wine, then said, "As my love wishes. Haruhime-tsuma." I hmm'ed, "Ha-tsuma? Hime-tsuma?" I tried a few versions of her name with 'wife' tacked to the end."

"Ko-tsuma is funny." She giggled, also carefully sipping some of the wine. "I must be careful with this... This got me drunk last time..."

Hestia, the dress Haruhime and I had made for Her hugging her form yet not threatening to suddenly expose Her, came to the two of us, "Congratulations." She said with a smile, "But, if you two are ready?"

Our tails ruffled apart from each other, and we both nodded. Hestia then turned to the musicians who were idly playing in the corner of the big room, and gave a nod to the lead man. It was time to dance.

* * *

"Lord Soma." I said, gently guiding the slim figured God of Wine making around on the dance floor. "I am glad you could make it."

"I..." He paused, His usually blank expression twisting a little, "I owe you much. For helping me keep my Familia intact, and inspiring me to try my craft with something other than grapes." In another show of emotion, He added, "Which are still far superior to work with."

"I look forward to trying those inferior drinks you are making, all the same." I said.

* * *

"Hear your about to try working adamant for the first time." Tsubaki said as we partnered up. "Hope you don't mind growing new eyebrows again."

"Wouldn't be the first time." I chuckled, the Samurai Smith leading me around, "Wonder how long it will be until I can handle the heat with my bare hands..."

"Showoff."

* * *

"You are new to the dancing stuff, ain't cha?" Loki said to me as we paired off and started to dance about. "Maybe you should try dancing on your hands?"

"If you think my hands are good, my wife is the one who taught me. She might be a little shy if you ask for anything else though."

"Oh, I might ouch!" Loki was interrupted by a dancing Ais, who passed behind Her, and gave the Trickster a Karate Chop of Justice.

* * *

"Your gown looks interesting." I said to Freya as we spun about the floor. "I'd love to know what its made of."

"Oh? Did you want me to take it off and let you look closer?" She smiled, Her eyes meeting mine and looking mischievous.

With the thumb of my left hand, I guided Her fingers to wrap around my ring, "Close your eyes and ask that again, if you can, Lady Freya."

A moment passed, as we waltzed past a few other pairs of people, then, "That was rude of me." She said, though She was still smiling.

"I forgive you, Lady Freya. You're an excellent dancer, by the way."

"Lots of practise."

* * *

"Having fun?" I asked Wiene, who was a surprisingly good dancer.

"Yes." She said with a smile, "Everyone is being nice to me. And the food is so good." She paused, looking a little nervous, but said, "A little better than yours, but not much!"

"They were the ones who showed me how to cook." I said breaking form for a moment to pat her head, before taking her hand again. "Just how you're not quite as good at making tea as some of the others yet."

"heehee." She pushed away from me, bowing deeply while still holding one of my hands, and spun away to take some one elses hand.

* * *

"Now I kind of want to find some one..." Chloe said to me, her Hostess uniform's dress expanding as I spun her once by the hand, then brought her close again. "You and Haruhime make me a little jealous."

"Well... If you stopped throwing everyone who touched your tail across the street..."

* * *

"We should spar some time." Luniore said as we bowed to each other then took each others hands.

"So long as I don't have to wear this dress." I smiled, "And can bring you some others who want a lesson from the one who taught me."

"Heh, fresh meat. Sure."

* * *

"Fishing, fighting, and even dancing." I commented to Ottar as he expertly led me around the dance floor, "Looks good in a suit, and practises proper hair and fur care."

"Practise." He said simply, though he was smiling.

* * *

"Won't be long before someone will try and get you to join their Familia." I said to Royman as we bowed to each other and paired off.

"I am far too old for such things." He replied, though he had a faint blush, "But thank you."

"What did you think of your dance with Wiene?"

"I hope some day, that others like her can dance up here in the sun." He said seriously.

* * *

"I've gotten more compliments today, than all my days in Orario." Takemikazuchi said as we danced. No surprise that He was light on his feet.

"You do look good in that." I replied, "Maybe I'll make you a slightly less formal one, just so you can properly retire the other one." I noticed that He was wearing a dusk blue ribbon, made from Chani's silk, through His belt where His sword would normally hang. "Mikoto's suggestion?" I nodded towards it.

"It would be attached to the pommel of my sword, but we are dancing."

* * *

"Having a good day off?"

"Day off from what? I told you my schedule was clear." Hephaestus said.

"As you say." I grinned, the Goddess chuckling back.

* * *

"One day." I said to Naaza, "I am going to brush your tail." The chill of her metal fingers on my hip was a welcome feeling with all the dancing I'd been doing. "And, apply some of the fur conditioner I've made."

"Only if you're gentle." Naaza replied, her tail swishing exactly once, "But only if you let me brush your tails again. Your fur is really useful."

* * *

"Well brother, did you get your dances?" I asked Bell, who, to my surprise, didn't blush tomato red.

"Yes." He said with a smile. "Ais and I have come to an understanding about what happened." He paused, "And Lady Hestia..."

"Didn't threaten to explode out of her dress when She hugged you, so you could dance properly?"

Now he blushed, nearly stumbling. But he recovered, "Yes."

"Best little brother."

* * *

"Get your practise in now, Marius." I said to the Prince as we held hands and started dancing, "Just think, when you return. All the formal meetings. Galas. Official business... _administration_."

"Ma'am, did you hear something? Sounded like someone trying to tease me." He looked down at me and raised an accusing eyebrow, "Might have been my imagination though."

* * *

"You know, I didn't think you'd be dancing in that." Astraea and I spun about each other, then clasped hands.

"My compliments to the tailor." She giggled, "You have such interesting guests, and all friends. God and mortal alike." Her ceremonial robe was not really made with dancing in mind, yet, She pulled it off flawlessly.

"My sister among others," Here, I spun with her, the Hostess of Fertility's staff behind me for her to see, "Helped me keep a positive outlook, from my humble start in the city."

"Thank you for including me among your friends then."

"Not a problem. Thank you, for returning, and bringing a smile back to my sister's face." It might have been a little improper, but I gave the Goddess a hug, before taking her hand and bowing low, and finding my next partner.

* * *

"I am **Dancing**!" Ganesha said, His idiot persona toned down just enough to stop Him from posing.

* * *

"I have only one complaint." Hestia said as we partnered up.

"My lady?"

"I need better sandals to go with this dress." She smiled up at me, though it was a little strained.

"If you sneak into the workshop later, there's a pink bottle by my alchemy bench."

* * *

"Thank you." I said to Ais as we paired up.

"Hm?" He usually passive expression changed to a puzzled one. "Why?"

"You know why." I did the same trick with her as I did Astraea, putting Wiene behind me for Ais to see, "A fair chance is all they need."

"She showed true conviction." Ais replied, "Just like Bell."

* * *

"Well my love?" I said to Haruhime as we took to the centre of the dance floor, all the other dancers making space for us. "Separated by the trails of life, we return together." We had both danced with everyone else who wanted to dance, but not with each other yet.

"We return together, to show them all what we are capable of." She replied, taking my left hand in hers, and together we bowed to each other deeply.

Now, I'm no expert. Or actor. Or even a good dancer. But. With our wedding dresses both a negative image of each other, our hair, makeup and tails (sort of), a reverse of the other. The two of us danced. Yin and Yang together, we orbited each other, never separated, be it just our fingertips touching, or the ends of our tails holding onto the other. When we finally came together one last time, hugging each other close for an instant, then separating in a last deep bow, we stood back to back as the crowd gave a cheer and clapped their hands.

"A thousand years." She said softly over the noise.

"A thousand years." I replied back, finding her hand, curling my fingers with hers and giving it a little squeeze.

* * *

NOTES!

Well, there you have it. This is it. End. Done.

Aside from a side story, where Marius returns to Rakia, and the introduction of small foxes, the main plot is over.

That being said. You can stop here, if you don't want to read the wedding night/epilogue.

* * *

 **Epilogue.** (yeah, some of this is going to be so NSFW... Just putting that out there now, before someone points at it and calls me on it.) **(no really, you've been warned.)**

* * *

"Oh boy." Welf said, "Cleanup is going to be epic."

Still in my dress, I, along with all the others, looked over our converted ball room, at... the mess. To be fair, our guests were all pretty clean. No one tried to start a fight. No one got so drunk they couldn't control themselves. But, there were still a few spills here and there. Then there was the food. The ladies of the Hostess of Fertility had brought the food, but unpacked it onto our plates. So we had a staggering amount of dishes to do.

Then there was the decorations. The tables. Chairs. And all the things we had put into storage to change our living room into the ball room.

"Miss... heehee. Lady Kodori is thinking again." Lilly corrected herself, taking hold of one of my tails and hugging it. "Lady Kodori is still going to share her tails with us?"

"I would never stop Ko-san from showing her affection to others." Haruhime replied, one of her tails visiting Lilly too. "It wouldn't be fair to my friends if I did."

"Kodori Haruhime..." I said to myself. "Feels good to have a last name."

"So!" Ouka said, "Is it time?" He looked to the other men.

"I believe so." Marius said, nodding.

Welf turned to face Haruhime and I, "Well, we got together, and put together a little place for you two to have a little alone time." He looked to Bell.

"Y..." He blushed, but Mikoto very calmly stomped on his foot to snap him out of it, "Yes!" He rubbed his foot like it was the most normal thing to be doing at the moment, "Remember the castle? Where we had the war game?"

"Hard to forget." I said with a dry chuckle. "I mean... all that planning, falling from the sky, Bell turning an entire castle tower inside out..." I laughed, "The prize was worth it though." I hugged Haruhime and Lilly close, reaching just a little further and snaring Hestia with my tails and Ryuu too.

"Well." Ouka said, "We went there and fixed it up just a little. Not like we could make it like it was... You know, before Mikoto-san and Ryuu-dono... then Bell-kun... But!" He looked to Marius.

"With Welf's expertise, you will have running water, heat, a shower, and a good place to sleep."

I was stunned. So was Haruhime. Though, I could feel she was blushing as her head rested against my chest. "You... Oh... That's amazing! Thank you." I said finally.

"It's not perfect, but it'll be clean, warm, and have almost all the things you'll need for a comfortable honeymoon." Welf grinned.

"You guys are the best." I said to them. "Speaking of though..." I looked down to Haruhime, "My love? We should pack?"

"Actually." Mikoto said, stepping forward. "We have taken the liberty of doing so for you." She looked to Asuka, who grinned.

"Clothes, bedding, various things a person needs. It's all packed." Asuka said. "Food too."

"And..." Chigusa mumbled, perking up as Mikoto put a hand on her shoulder, "It's waiting in a waggon hidden just around the corner of the entrance, out of sight."

"Wow. I stop planning, and nothing goes wrong..." I grinned, "Makes me want to let you guys do it more."

"Kodori-dono has taught us well." Mikoto said with a smile.

"That being said." Aisha said, "You can leave the cleanup to us, and go get ready."

* * *

That evening, Aisha drove the waggon along, with Haruhime and I sitting in the back with our supplies. In the little black box, I had the two potions, along with some others things, but otherwise, everything was set. Aside from the moon. Tomorrow would be the first of the three days.

"So... Why are you coming along?" I asked Aisha, "Not that I mind, you're good company, and you are advertising my work, wearing that armour."

Haruhime and I had taken a bath before getting ready, and we were both without makeup again. It was an interesting experience, and I think the next time I had something official to do, I'd call on Aisha again.

"What the boys didn't tell you, is that some bandits had taken up residence. Nothing serious, especially for them, but just in case, I'm going to camp off at the tree line." Aisha said, "Hence why I'm fully armed."

I'd been wondering what the box marked 'camping' was for.

"Oh..." I hm'ed.

"Well, you two might be *ahem* distracted, so just in case." She laughed as Haruhime and I both blushed. "I even brought one of those signal flares you made." She reached into a pocket and offered a red bottle back to me carefully.

"It seems kind of sad that you'll be out alone." Haruhime said.

"None of that." Aisha said, "I'll be fine. Just making sure your little getaway stays safe." She laughed, "I'd considered not telling you, but ehh... If I did that and trouble did come along, I might not get there in time."

"Thanks Aisha." I said.

* * *

"Wow." I said, stepping off the waggon and rubbing my butt. Best company, worst seats. "Now that I'm looking at it, we really did wreck the place."

"Magic sword and magic will do that to a place not built to stand up to it." Aisha said, also stepping off and giving the horse a pat on the nose for its troubles. "From what I've been told, that hallway over there." She pointed to what was pretty much the only unmarked part of the outer wall, and a small internal mini-tower next to it. "And that little building, are where your creature comforts are. Welf was sure you could figure out how to get the shower to work, and there is a magic stone stove there too."

Half listening, Haruhime and I were looking around. The tower, where Hyakinthos and Bell fought, was leaning slightly, but looked stable. I wouldn't want to have a dance party in it, but... The main gate was still a total wreck. And that corner, with the only OTHER intact wall, was a small collection of broken tents and other garbage.

"Yeah, if you're wondering, they just piled the stuff the bandits left behind, over there. Just torch it before you leave, along with any other trash you might make." Aisha said, "The boys left little markers around, for any really dangerous parts. So, at your own risk, if you find time to explore." She looked up at the sky, and came over to us. "You two play nice, I'll be within running distance if you need me."

Haruhime and I smiled at her, and we both wrapped her up in a hug, "Thank you Aisha." Haruhime said, hugging her even after I let go, "For this, and all the time you've been there for me."

"Feels good to be appreciated." Aisha laughed, ruffling the golden hair, then gently scratching an ear, "I'm going to make camp while I have..." She looked at the near-dark sky, "Well... I guess I'll just use some lamps." She shouldered the box marked 'camping', rummaged one handed in another box to get a magic stone lamp, then headed for the broken wall Ryuu had made with her two magic sword.

Turning to Haruhime, and finding myself unable to resist giving her a hug, I said, "Lets get this inside then."

* * *

With everything unpacked and the horse hobbled outside under an overhang in case it rained, the two of us settled down for a small meal. Aisha hadn't been kidding when she said I could figure out the water pump and all that either. Welf had outdone himself, and learned some fairly complicated (for this time period anyhow) engineering.

After the meal, a simple thing of rice, a little meat, and pickled vegetables, we had a shower in the simple stall that the boys had installed, and made ready for bed.

"Feels a little..." I started, trying to find the words.

"Not quite lonely..." Haruhime replied, "But... We have each other right?"

I touched the side of her face with my fingertips and ran my hand over the side of her head. She sighed happily as I put my hand on the back of her head and tugged her towards me for a hug. "Yes. Hm... Aside from Aisha, we're the only two people here for quite some distance..."

"That's... OH!" She jumped as I used my other hand to cup her rear and squeeze, just hard enough to make her moan quietly.

"I know, from what the book said, we are going to be very... involved for the next three days..." I didn't relent, my other hand moving under her robe and reaching around to find that one spot just above her tails. She buried her face into my bosom, but it couldn't muffle the noise she made as I rubbed those two spots. I completed the set by leaning down and gently taking the edge of an ear between my teeth and mumbling, "Would my lady mind if I kept going?"

Shivering, her hands tried to distract me from teasing her three most secret spots, but, I'd already, literally, gotten my teeth on her. So she simply leaned a little harder on me to try and push me over. Relenting, I fell backwards and landed on the bedroll with her on top of me. No longer needing to focus on standing, her hands found the string holding my own robe closed and ripped it open. "Baka." She moaned, mouth descending biting one of my breasts just hard enough to leave a mark.

* * *

Feeling pleasantly numb all over, with the heat of Haruhime laying over my chest, and the cool night air teasing my limbs, I sighed happily. "I feel so good..." I mumbled, flopping an arm over Haruhime's back and gently scratching at the soft skin there.

"baka." She mumbled. "If we... If we tire ourselves out now..."

"I brought something for that. Just in case." I pet her hair, "Don't worry... We take the potions in the morning, as the sun rises. Rest all day, then at night..."

"Since we have this entire castle to ourselves..." She lazily drew small circles around the nipple she wasn't laying on, making me shiver a little, "heehee... So strong, yet still so sensitive."

"Is my lady asking for more?" I stopped her hand, then pressed it against me.

"They kept us apart for over a week..." She tried to hide her face against me, "I may be secretly very naughty..."

* * *

When we finally did sleep, I managed to remember to cover us up with the blankets. It wouldn't do to have one of us get a chill or something when the timing needed to be so exact. As usual, my body woke me up just as the sun was starting to creep into the room's window. I really didn't want to wake my lover, the look on her face and the lay of her two tails telling me she was deep asleep. But, we had about an hour before we had to take the potions.

"Love..." I gently shook her. Getting no response save a tail twitch. "Ha-chan." I tried again, moving my hands down her back. This got a small smile from her, her hands lazily gripping and relaxing on my shoulders. "Tsuma." I tried one last time, taking both sides of her perfectly round behind in hand and squeezing gently.

"so naught...y..." She mumbled finally, wiggling against me. "hands... so warm..."

"It's almost time... We should eat before hand..."

"But... if I get up, your hands will move away..."

I laughed quietly, "Fine then." I said, my tails looping around and wrapping her up. Precious cargo secured, I stood. Both of us naked save for the long fluffy tails that were wrapped around each other, I went to the little box that had our toiletries in it. "If you aren't awake enough to eat by the time I'm done cooking, I'm having a cold shower."

"but... isn't that for when you don't want..." she paused, arms hugging me tighter, "sex."

"Sometimes, its so you can motivate some one for a busy day." I teased.

* * *

Slightly more awake now, we sat beside each other, another simple meal in front of us, resting on top of one of our crates. Also there, were the two bottles, each with the pearly white liquid inside.

"It kind of looks like..." Haruhime started.

"I blame the creator of the recipe." I said, "It was an Amazon, after all, and well... Imagine how long it would have had to be for her to need to make it?"

"And we were only apart for a week... poor girl." She giggled, taking one of the bottles and carefully undoing the wire I had used to lock the cork in place.

Doing the same, I uncorked my bottle and waited for her. Then, "Sanjouno Haruhime, my love, my wife, are you ready?"

"Yes." She smiled, brightening the room. And together, we downed the contents of our bottles.

It tasted kind of like soap. But thankfully, didn't react with my stomach like it. It was also really thick, and it took effort to down it all in one breath. But, we finished at the same time, making similar faces of disgust.

"It feels heavy." She said, patting her tummy, "But... now what?"

"Well, it said, more or less, 'to relax'. But... We're in a castle. And I only saw it in the dark."

She giggled, "Well, then... Let's clean up breakfast, and go exploring."

* * *

The castle truly was a wreck. Age, and our assault hadn't done the place any favours. And while Apollo Familia had cleaned up a little, they only really pushed most of the dirt out of the way so they could get from place to place without tripping on things. That being said, we went up the tower, looking out the windows, and spotting Babel in the distance. Or even Aisha's camp and her lonely little camp fire. Next, was under the tower. They hadn't really cleaned up at all down here, so we could only find what was left of a wine cellar, and a small room that had nothing but broken bits of wood in it. A storage room maybe?

It was about two hours later, when I felt... something. Originating around my belly button, there was a definite tingle. Haruhime was feeling it too. But, since it wasn't at all painful, we simply held hands and found some place else to explore.

Around lunch, we found some interesting, if broken, bits of statues. The tingles were getting more focused, and were too distracting for us to do more than take guesses at what the statues were supposed to be of. A griffon was my guess, though Haruhime thought it might be a gargoyle like Gros.

* * *

"Ko-sannnnn..." Haruhime moaned as we tried to make lunch, but failed. What ever the potion was doing to us, it was so distracting that I was only just able to keep standing.

Holding her, I joined her on the floor and loosened my kimono top and undid the string on my pants, "huh..." I mumbled, a little breathless. "feels like..."

I'm sure, that if this were a manga or something, the *ahem* sudden emergence of my newest bit of anatomy would have come with a 'spong' noise, or maybe a little fanfare. I had just enough time to poke the small hard lump just under my belly button, just above my still hairless vagina, before a red, veined and very non-human penis sprang out of me. Complete with its own little pouch for... storage? It twitched in the cool air. I 'knew' I wasn't human. But I suppose this really drove the point home.

"Ko-san... you have a..." And she fainted, foaming at the mouth.

* * *

My new anatomy had almost hidden itself by the time I had roused Haruhime. I'd loosened her top and pants, and she too had the same thing, proudly throbbing with a heartbeat all its own. "Ko-san..." A pause, "I have a..." And down she went again.

* * *

I think, that the instructions told the lovers to 'relax' so that they could get familiar with their new, if temporary, anatomy. But, since we were now... well, on a timer...

"Let's see..." I mumbled, Haruhime cradled in my arms, "Warm up the stone... Fill with water..." I was reading the note on the side and turning levers on the mini shower stand Welf had made, my tails helping me reach the pump that was connected to the castle's well. "May need a minute or two to warm up, have fun, Welf."

"I owe that man a drink." I said to myself, holding Haruhime up, just off the floor, seeing as she was still limp in my arms. "Sorry love..." And I turned the water on.

"EEP! GAH! COLD!" She came to all at once, trying to get away, but unable to as I was still holding her.

Turning and blocking the cold water with my back, I set her down, "Give it a minute." I said, taking her hand and placing it over my new lump, "Don't look." I said, "Just use your hands."

Her touch had caused it to stir, and slowly come back out, even with the slowly warming water on my back. "It's..." I took hold of her chin to keep her eyes up.

"Don't look yet." I said again, "Just..." I shivered, the new nerves lighting up as her fingers teased the rest of me out of its sheath. "Now..." I lowered a hand and started to do the same to her.

"N...nnnn." She whimpered, "Feels so strange. Like... its part of my body but... not..."

I couldn't really answer. Her hands were sending all the wrong signals to my brain. Just like when I first arrived and tried to get used to having a tail. It was there, but didn't really belong. From a logical (a rapidly crumbling logical) mindset, hers felt hot, and I could tell water wasn't the only thing making it wet.

"I kind of..." She gasped, "want to look... now..."

"If you faint, I will turn the cold back on." I managed to say.

She tried to giggle, and turned her eyes down, just as her hands found and wrapped around the growing blub at the base of my penis. "Eek!" She managed, turning her face so she didn't catch what felt like all of my body's water in the face. "O..." Then she did the same, as my hands twitched around her own, hot fluid splashing against the underside of my breasts.

* * *

We found it easier, for the first few hours or so, to just stay in the shower. Aside from random bits of us going numb, legs mostly, but tails and ears were on the list too, our new anatomy seemed to be tireless. After what felt like the tenth time, the brain under my ears was wedging itself into place again and telling me we should drink something. Or maybe stop, for just a few minutes, and drink something. Eat too, seeing as we missed lunch.

"It feels... a little wrong." Haruhime said, holding up a hand suddenly, "Not bad! Just... the feeling... its in the wrong place?"

I nodded, reaching up and finally turning the water off, the chill of the air suddenly taking over for the now absent hot water. "Brr... We should eat, and drink... And then maybe..." I hugged her, helping her to her feet alongside me. "But yes... It's not a bad feeling at all." I grinned. It wasn't quite the same, from before I changed bodies, but...

Wrapped in nothing but towels, we managed to eat, drink, and keep our hands off each other long enough to do so.

* * *

What followed, obviously, was more of the same. Both of us simply... discovered each other. Nothing we hadn't done before, but, I think the reason we were delaying the real reason for drinking those potions, was because... well, we didn't want to decide for the other, who went first. After eating a late dinner, mostly because we were finally reaching the limits of our stamina, and felt we had to at least try and observe our bodies other needs, we made ready for bed.

"I am going to be sore after this..." I said with a grin.

"Like the day after I first put on the weighted clothing you made for me." Haruhime agreed.

"But..." I rolled over, then over a little more, putting her on her back and looming over her, "It's a good feeling. Like we accomplished something." I took the most dominant position I'd ever felt comfortable with, laying over her, my hands on her wrists though not squeezing, just holding in place.

"Oh..." She said, blushing just like the first time we'd ever done this. "Are you..."

"No..." I leaned down and kissed her, a long, slow, slightly tired but very passionate kiss. Then wiggled my body up hers a little, feeling her member warming up again against my belly. "I think you deserve the first..." I wiggled a little more, feeling the point of her poke against me, then I lowered myself back.

* * *

The next day, the morning of the full moon, started with a slow awakening to more of what happened the previous night. Between hastily eaten meals, LOTS of water, and a little more exploring, we basically carried towels around with us so we had something to cover the ground, any time we felt like coupling.

Some of the more interesting conversations, that of course happened AFTER we were in that post coitus moment, went as follows...

* * *

(After my first time...)

"Ko-san... I'm stuck." Haruhime whined, "Does your grip..."

"Seems so... but..." A pause, "After you do that again... I have something in the little box." I wiggled my hips a little, then rolled over, encouraging her to take the lead this time.

* * *

(after HER first time.)

"Now do you believe Aisha?"

"But..."

"My blood's back over there."

"baka..."

* * *

"That was fun, Ko-san... But... How do we get down?"

"Carefully." I said with a happy sigh, "These rafters might not all be stable."

* * *

"Boing!"

"Really love?"

"It seems so happy though."

"Sigh..."

* * *

"I think we should just stay naked... I mean... Look at the mess we've made..."

"But... I feel kind of cold..."

"Easy way to fix that."

"Eep!"

* * *

Morning of the third day, the day after the full moon. My body felt like lead, but I still had to get up and make sure I didn't wet the bed. I mean... Any more than we had already. I was really glad someone was thoughtful enough to pack extra blankets.

"Ko-san..." Up with me, Haruhime clung to me a little tighter, "Still early, more hugs."

"Always." I replied, laying back down and figuring I could hold off on my morning routine just a little longer. "Wonder how Aisha's doing... Hope she wasn't too bored."

"Yeah... Poor Aisha. Always looking after me..." She paused, kissing my cheek, "She's been such a good friend to me. I feel kind of bad, leaving her out alone like that."

"I wonder... Has she mentioned our little verbal sparring?"

"Something about asking me a question..."

* * *

A little after breakfast, Aisha appeared in the single window of our 'bedroom'. A short sword in either hand, a dagger in her teeth, and shrouded in the red smoke of the signal flare, she looked around the room quickly for any threats.

"Hey Aisha..." I started, Haruhime and I under the last of our clean blankets.

The Amazon blinked at us, the dagger falling from her mouth as she tried to speak.

"Aisha..." Haruhime said, holding my hand tightly for courage, "Did you have a question for me?" She extended her other hand out from under the blankets, while I did the same.

* * *

 **AHEEEEEEEM**. Right, yeah. Extreme fanservice/epilog/hentai.

Now that's it. All done. The word processor says 32 (31 cause my final notes are in the last bit here) pages. That's like... 3 times the normal size for an update. My fingers hurt. x.x

But seriously. Thank you for staying on, reading, commenting, and generally being awesome people. Hardly had to moderate my comments section at all, and the people who asked questions were easy to chat with. You know who you are, go treat yourself to a cookie.

That being said, the next part will be a little trip to Rakia, with a tiny, some what abbreviated slice of life of what usually follows a scene like the one above.

In five days. Cause even with this mega update, I AM **GANESHA!** Oh wait... I mean, I AM **A WRITER!**

:)


	74. Chapter 74

Before I begin/end?

So, here's the final wrap up. There might be a few chapters of this, but other than that, this is the last step before I jump to DxD.

There is going to be some minor fast forwarding, since, while I'm sure I could write it, it would be needless stretching of the story.

Anyhow. :)

* * *

Chapter 74, In Blood and glory arc.

Aisha was humming a quiet tune while she drove us back home. For someone who just had been put on the spot, she was being rather smug about it. That isn't to say we three didn't all have fun. A lot of fun. But like everything else, Aisha had just taken it all (ahem) in stride and didn't seem to need to ponder about it.

Haruhime and I however, were exhausted. Even if I was some kind of super powered fox girl, I had my limits. Haruhime was asleep in my arms, with me sitting on the waggon bed, and her in my lap to cushion the various bumps in the road.

"So Fox." Aisha said quietly, looking back at me. In the fading light of sunset, her face still had that smug looking grin on it. "Do you think it worked?"

"If it didn't, I have enough to try again. But..." Logically, I knew exactly what went on, but emotionally, I could feel a little... something. "Considering I'm still *cough*... I'm going to need to change my boxers again when we get home."

"No kidding. Let's hear it for Amazons!" She cheered quietly, "We don't do things in halves."

"Ha! No, I suppose you don't. Would even say you do doubles."

*snerk* "Cheeky."

We were silent for a short while, the tower of Babel still the only sign we were going the right way.

"Hey." Aisha started again.

"Hm?"

"I'm glad you went so far for her."

"You saw how far she went for me. Why wouldn't I do the same?"

"Not what I meant... There was a point where she was kind of... hesitant. She loves you, but she knew she might one day have to turn away." A pause, "I told her to trust you."

"I'd kiss you, but you're over there." I chuckled, "Thank you."

"You're a girl who finds how to get what she wants. Haven't seen you fail yet. I mean, not totally..." She met my eyes with one of hers, "And you already did. Are you sure you want more?"

"Maybe when her and I can feel our legs again..."

"Suit yourself Fox."

* * *

"And so." I said quietly, Haruhime still in my arms, and Aisha opening the door of the Hearth Manor, "I carry my wife over the threshold."

Aisha chuckled, giving me a gentle punch in the shoulder, then a kiss on the forehead. Bending down, she treated Haruhime to the same kiss, then turned, "I'll be around if you need me. I should probably clean myself up too."

"Thanks again, Aisha." I said, "you're welcome any time. Just remember..."

"Survive my year. No worries." I watched her walk away, stopping by Gros's cage to wave to him, then walking through the gate.

"Wow..." Ouka said, "You look terrible." He shook his head as I turned back around, "I mean, really tired."

"Probably because I am." I chuckled, "Any dinner left?"

* * *

From that night, it took another week before the dungeon was open again. During that time, not much had really changed. Haruhime and I returned to sitting next to each other at the table. We got our room back all to ourselves. It was like we just came back from a shopping trip or something. Not that I expected much to change. And honestly, I was glad we were treated no differently.

The only exception however, aside from a few extra naughty jokes from Lilly, was Lady Hestia. The day we got the message from Eina, who looked very tired, but pleased none the less, that the dungeon was opening again, Hestia pulled me aside after dinner.

"You all seem very excited to get back into the dungeon." She started, looking back at the dinner table where most everyone was talking about preparations. "I..." She blushed, "I have to talk to you."

As we walked down the hall, then up the stairs towards the living quarters, Her face just kept getting redder. Curious, with my tails perching on Her shoulder and around Her hip, I stayed silent until we were in Her room.

Then She locked the door.

"Lady Hestia?" She never locked the door.

What followed was kind of hard to describe. She started talking, Her face flushed, body shaking, words tumbling over each other so badly, I had to get Her to stop several times. Eventually, I had enough of an idea of what She was trying to say.

"So..." I was holding Her hand, as I sat in the Chair (3.0) facing Her as She sat cross legged on the bed. "You felt what was going on, and that feeling won't go away?" She nodded. I could almost see steam coming off Her head. "And you don't know what to do about it?" Again a nod. "Can't sleep properly, can't look at Bell, and people accidentally touching you makes you go numb?" Another nod.

Can a Goddess who is thousands of years old have a big sister?

"Okay..." I started, "You're going to deny this, but, I'm pretty sure I know exactly what's going on." She looked hopeful, but didn't reply. "You say you feel some of what happens to us, right? Extreme emotions and the like, right?" She nodded, "And when Ha-chan and I went out for three days, you started feeling like this?"

"Yes..." She finally said, "I mean... I sometimes... Kind of feel something when you two are home at night too..."

Yup. I knew. Oh boy...

"Well... Let me try and explain, but, I warn you, if you faint, I'm going to put you under cold water until I finish explaining."

* * *

"Ko-san?" Haruhime looked at me as I entered our bedroom. "You look troubled."

"I hope, my love, you can forgive me, but, I just had to teach Lady Hestia how to m..."

* * *

Even with Haruhime and I most likely being pregnant, the next three weeks saw us in the dungeon daily. Nothing too serious, but we stayed around the eighteenth, helping rebuild when we weren't heading down just a little further. We were getting quite adept at killing the mid level monsters, like those huge beetles. Even the sword-like dragonflies were proving to be almost no problem for us. With all the excitement with the Xenos, we had to recover our house funds. I personally was pretty much broke. With the wedding, even at a discount, the Hostess catering wasn't cheap.

It was around the start of the fifth week after the wedding, just around lunch time, as we ate around a small campfire on the eighteenth, I knew for sure. Mostly because I had to stop eating, and quickly dash over behind a tree to vomit. In the back of my mind, I thought this was a shame, as Mikoto had made cloud fruit with rice again.

"Well..." I said, returning and accepting an offered canteen, "Looks like I'll be heading topside."

"Hm." Mikoto said, smiling, "Hime-chan will be pleased."

"Well, since she started doing that yesterday... Now she'll have a companion again." Asuka said, "Misery loves company? Was that how you said it, Kodori?"

"Yes, but I think we'll hardly be miserable."

"True enough. I mean, the little Fox was glowing, even before she rinsed her mouth out." Welf said. "More time in the forge for you then." He grinned at me, accepting my punch on the shoulder stoically.

"Lilly wonders..." A pause, "Will they have long tails too?"

"At first? I hope not... I mean..." I looked back, my tails weaving around slowly, "I would trip on these if they were any longer... Could you imagine some one even shorter than Lilly with a tail like this?"

"Lilly would never be cold!"

We all laughed, then Marius spoke up, "I wonder if you'll be able to come to Rakia, when I return."

"You still have half a year." I said, "I'm sure a few of us will want to visit, considering Lord Takemikazuchi will need to be there to transfer you back to Ares."

"Hm, I'm not opposed to a little travel." Mikoto said.

"I could visit the old man." Welf said. "And my dad I suppose..."

"Well someone has to stay and mind the house... And the guests..." Ouka said.

"I'll stay too, but, only if you bring back something?" Chigusa said quietly.

"We've also got to put together some things... Can't have you returning in that collection of scrap that your armour is right now." I said, "Still have to replace your shield. And try and help your alchemy division, and..."

"Kodori is planing again!" Lilly said.

"It's after the wedding. It's okay now." Bell said with a grin.

"Well, my next plan for the day, is heading back up. I'm sure that if I stayed, I'd be grounded until it was over." I sighed, "Hm, I'll have to talk to Naaza too."

* * *

The 'talk' with Naaza got me a frown, and a sigh. One big problem with having an unbreakable grip, is that sometimes, I didn't mean to grip something. Haruhime and I needed to get creative on our honeymoon, just so we didn't hurt ourselves. I'm sure trying to give birth would be even more tricky. It was best to find the right kind of surgeon before we found out I needed one.

On the up side however, there was something I could make for morning sickness.

* * *

During the next month, I stayed out of the dungeon, taking over all but the weapon related tasks for Welf, trying hard to keep up with potion demand, giving (and getting) lots of back and belly rubs to/from Haruhime, and visiting people who I figured needed visiting. I also started really learning Eastern. Since I had all kinds of time with a willing teacher.

The Lamia was one such person. She had four healthy, highly active, VERY curious, and pretty friendly kids now. All the eggs had hatched with no difficulty, and they were like any other young child. I mean, they had a long snake tail, twice as long as their upper body, but aside from that.

The Xenos had been using the storehouse on the artisan quarter. As I had requested, they had brought up and left the various cages there for us. And with my massive amounts of free time, I was hard at work making things out of it. Welf was impressed that I'd managed to get the hang of adamant so quickly, but he was still just... better at it than I was.

However... It was at the end of that month, just before the full moon, where we had our first... complication.

* * *

It was just before lunch when Haruhime stumbled into the workshop. I had just enough time to put down the mortar and pestle I was working with so I could catch her.

"Ha-chan?" She was a little warm to the touch, but she always felt a little warmer than me, so that was normal. No sweating, skin looked normal.

"I feel it." She gasped, panting and hugging my arm tightly. "Like the first time."

Thankful that everyone else was down in the dungeon, I half lay her on the floor, supporting her back with one arm, and felt around just below her belly button, "Wait... But it was only supposed to be once..."

With the sudden hitch in her breath, and the feeling under my fingertips, it apparently wasn't. Making sure I wouldn't set anything on fire if I left it alone, I carried Haruhime back to our room. Again, thankfully, there was no one to ask questions on the way there. Then, door closed, Haruhime put down on the bed, I got her mostly undressed.

"Huh." I said, staring, "It did come back."

"But why?" She asked, "I feel... just like the first time... I know it's early, but, please?"

"My love is so spoiled." I said, "Just once, then I'll see if the book has anything to say about it."

* * *

The book did indeed have something to say about it. When I had found exactly what I was looking for, I didn't question it. I simply started translating. The instructions AFTER the translation were more like 'author's notes', not the actual instructions. The page before that, where I hadn't looked, had the real ones. More clinical, much like the ingredients.

"Well..." I turned to Haruhime, who was still laying on her back, though her temporary 'addition' had withdrawn into her body for the moment, "I have good news... And... umm... Just news?"

"Oh?" She asked lazily, "Is something wrong? Will it..."

"No, it shouldn't have an effect on us past what's already happened." I assured her, "The potions we drank, well... They were meant for two people each. Basically, we took a double dose, and... I think this might be a side effect."

"Then... What's the good news?"

"If this is permanent, we can have more kids if we wanted to?" I scratched my head, putting a hand on my just slightly swollen belly, "I mean..."

"heehee. I suppose... But what will I do for the next two days? And the rest of today? I mean..." It seemed her 'addition' knew we were talking about it, and it decided to stop hiding.

"Well... It's not like I can get any more pregnant than I already am?"

* * *

Month three, with the two of us slowly showing more. Since we were 'grounded' from actual combat, the two of us instead sparred with Takemikazuchi. While He only had a normal mortal's strength, He had so much to teach when it came to bare handed combat. If I couldn't go into the dungeon, I would gather strength any other way I could.

Haruhime also took her lessons VERY seriously. She actually spent almost double the time or even more learning from Him. That, and playing with the orphans. They were all excited about a new little brother or sister.

I myself was busy in the forge most days. I was determined to get better at the crafts I knew. It wasn't so much I wanted to outdo Welf. But I wanted to remain part of the team, even if I couldn't join them. I also had several promises to keep, and had several half finished armour projects in the 'big projects' room, just waiting for me to finish the pieces. Armour wasn't the only thing I was learning. I found that my fur wouldn't mix with it. This would make enchanting a little harder, since I always depended on enchanting the base metal.

And it was the full moon of THAT month, where the potion's effects happened to me again. Haruhime was her usual self, and just as understanding as I was about it all. I was also pretty much useless for the full moon, locking myself in my room to have either Haruhime tend to me, or me to take care of myself. Thankfully, I had soundproofing set up around the room, and not even Lilly made fun of me when I finally came out of seclusion for dinner on the third day. I gave her a hug for that kindness.

We also commissioned an artist, to draw a small picture of Haruhime and I. Much like the picture of Miyuki, we sat together, shoulder to shoulder, both hands on our lower abdomen. I'm sure the letter Haruhime wrote would raise a few eyebrows when it arrived.

* * *

Month four. With the help of Fels for the idea, and Welf for the implementation, we figured out how I could use Ko-steel to enchant adamant. The best example would be for Marius's new armour. Etching grooves into the adamant, then filling them with enchanted Ko-steel, I laced his new Lorica Segmentata with a sort of anti magic. Much like how I could ground out or even redirect Bell's firebolt, if it worked, it would allow Marius to defend against the one thing that could get past the armour normally. It wasn't a question about the adamant surviving, but the person under it.

"Are you sure this will work?" He asked, as Welf and I helped him strap into the new armour. "I mean... Oh, little tighter there, yes thank you. I mean, I trust your skills completely. But..."

"Don't worry." Welf chuckled, "Bell has a good handle on his magic, and since sister here is pretty much making potions all day..."

"I even have really good hair grow cream." I added, "Any problems?"

Marius did some simple flexing, pretend sword swinging, and a few torso twists. Aside from a little creaking from some of the leather, and a couple quiet rattles from the shoulder plates and tassets on his thighs, it sounded good. "No pinching, no real restriction. It's heavy though..." He did a couple small jumps in place, and I could feel the 'thump thump' of his landing through the bottoms of my feet.

"You're level three now, you can manage." Welf gave the centre plate a tap with his knuckles, "Oh, the other reason this is a 'live' test, is... Well, Enchanted or not, it's still magic. It needs some 'will' behind it. Or it's just fancy metal."

Marius hm'ed, then plunked his new helmet on, tightening the chin strap with a practised motion, "It does look good."

"I'll go make sure Bell is set. You help him with the shield." Welf said, heading out.

"I really can't thank you enough Ma'am." Marius said, holding out his arm, the massive tower shield loosely strapped onto it.

I was very much a 'function over form' person, much like Welf. But, I had to admit, the new shield looked good. Since we were out of drake scale, I had gouged out a scale pattern, and filled it with Ko-steel. So now it only looked like it had drake skin over the front. But, if this worked, it would protect him far better. Deep purple with black scales, two bracing studs on the bottom, a crest in the middle to break things like giant stone clubs, and probably thick enough stop some one like Ottar. Maybe.

"All set?" I asked, stepping back and putting a hand on my belly, as was my new habit when I wasn't doing anything else with my hands. I was also ignoring his comment. Not because I was being impolite, but because nearly a year ago, I took him in, and promised to sent him back prepared to rule.

"Yes." He smiled, "Like I could take on all of Rakia, whether they wanted me to or not."

"Good. Now go stand in front of Bell and think 'this won't hurt me' thoughts."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

* * *

Month five, and with the (eventual... Poor Marius) success of the new adamant armour enchanting, I started to branch out and add that same sort of enchantment to the Xenos armour, as well as parts of our Alliance armour. I was just finishing up a new bracer for Bell, when I felt it.

It was weak, but I was sure it could be no other thing. I'd just been kicked. Later Haruhime knew why I was grinning like an idiot at dinner that night, but we simply held each others tails and didn't comment about it.

Bell especially, but everyone else too, had been training extra hard. Dungeon expeditions were extending to several days at a time. And Haruhime actually started to help me nearly full time in the workshop. The Xenos were slowly (very very) slowly becoming known in the dungeon too. At my suggestion, as well as Ganesha's and even Royman, we encouraged the Xenos to occasionally help adventurers who were in trouble. But, never to stay for a thank you. Simply show up, allow the fit to help the fallen, then leave again. Slowly, they were starting to become known.

Gros had gotten several more shipments of sand by this point, and was looking almost glossy on some days. He had asked (yes! Grumpy Gros, asked!) Takemikazuchi if he could join the orphans (and Wiene) in their lessons. Learning about the world, reading, writing (though for him it was 'etching' as he couldn't hold anything but a really BIG pencil or brush) and numbers. The kids were thrilled they could learn with the big gargoyle.

Weine had actually grown a little. Just a little. Like maybe a few centimetres. I only noticed it when I saw that her robe didn't quite fit exactly right. Chime also grew a little, though for her, once palm sized, was now hand sized. Almost doubling. Still very fluffy, with no reduction in table manners.

I also visited Syr and her little batch of orphans. Spot, the hell hound puppy, had ALSO doubled in size. But, aside from being almost to my hip at the shoulder, he was just as friendly, gentle and aware of his size and strength. One of the orphans, the little elf girl, was holding his leash, but it looked like it was more a formality than anything else. Spot was also curious about my swollen belly, and even put an ear to it.

The Lamia and her brood were doing well too. The four kids were looking like six or seven years old now, and excitedly told me all the things they were learning and doing. Apparently Ganesha was bringing in 'people in the know' and having the five of them schooled like normal city kids.

* * *

Month six. Neither Harhime and I had another 'occurrence' on the last full moon. It looked like the effects were random on that count.

Marius was going back near the end of the month, so we were all scrambling and pulling in ideas on how to help him when he returned. We were restricted by the Guild on simply sending magic stones. Certainly banned from sneaking a Xenos along, though, we considered doing that anyhow. The harpy and siren could certainly pass for human, more or less.

But, we had all kinds of processed magic stone goods we could send along, but instead, we opted for medicine. Naaza and I put our heads together, along with Daphne and Cassandra, and thought up all the different medicines we could make without dungeon specific materials. Marius also suggested anything to do with farming would also be helpful, since occasionally crops would fail.

In the end, we had a small caravan. Four wagons total, two for 'living' which we made ourselves, and two for 'gifts'. If we worked on rotation, we'd have four people driving, four people resting. Even Haruhime and I, about two thirds of the way to term, would occasionally be driving, but since we had made the 'living' wagons, they had much more comfortable seats.

"So... Lord Takemikazuchi, Marius, Haruhime and I, Mikoto, Asuka, Welf and Lilly." There were some nods, "This leaves a dungeon team of Bell, Ouka, Chigusa and if Wiene really wants to..."

"And I'll take care of the orphans while you're away Take'." Hestia said with a smile, "I think I've got all your notes in order... And if they are a problem, Gros can bury them in the sand."

"And I can cook!" Wiene said proudly, "Well... So long as I have some one to help."

"Aisha and Ryuu will make the occasional visit, and I've encouraged Lady Astraea to do so as well." I said, giving Hestia a hug, my tails sweeping around Wiene to get her to join in. "Last check. Do we have everything? Bell? Have all the weapons you'll need, just in case?"

"Armour too." He said with a thumbs up.

"We have lots of potions too. And other tools." Chigusa said, "The Hime's have been busy in the workshop."

Yes, that was our new nick name, when the two of us were together. I tried not to wince the first time I heard it, but it had grown on me a little.

"All the shopping is done, the house has been cleaned, and nothing that can't wait a month needs to be looked at." Ouka said. "And Gros has all the sand he needs."

"Such nice sand." Gros mumbled from his enclosure.

"I've double checked everything on the wagons." Marius said, "Horses too. Aside from looking very bored, they all have proper shoes, blankets, brushes, and feed."

"Have a safe trip everyone!" Wiene said with a wave, as we all got mounted up and started the horses moving. Bell got ahead of us, and opened the main gate, and with that, we all headed towards the west gate, and Rakia.

* * *

The last time I'd been this way, was to try and save Hestia, after getting captured by Rakia soldiers and Ares Himself. That had not been a really fun trip, filled with mud, rain, dodging arrows and getting stabbed a few times.

Much more relaxed, the horses trundled along steadily, heading towards the same mountain I'd fought Hyakinthos on.

"We can't take the same way towards the pass the soldiers did." Marius explained over his shoulder over the first 'cargo' wagon, "Too narrow for the wagons. But it's only a little detour overall. And so long as we are careful, there should be no issues."

"Bah, we've got tools, we can probably clear any path we want." Welf, walking beside the first and second wagon, said, "I mean... if we weren't under a little bit of a time limit." He looked at me, "We could just make a new pass."

"Sure, but I'd like to get home before next year." Marius said. "I have heard no word from home since I left. At all. So I have no idea how things are."

"None at all?" I asked, getting a shake of the head, "I agree then, we should take the best path. No digging." I looked to Welf, who chuckled and shrugged.

* * *

Marius was right. We were able to take a slightly wider path, that was a little north of where I had sat in the rain that night at the bottom of the cliff. It still lead to the same pass, where Bell and Ais had ambushed the Rakia soldiers and saved Hestia. It was nearly nightfall by the time we'd gotten there though, since the horses were just normal everyday ones, and not superhuman adventurers running like the hounds of Tindalos were behind them.

Probably for the best, those would be some scary horses.

"I kind of miss travelling." Takemikazuchi said, making friends with one of the horses as we unhitched them for the night. "I do not however, miss the sore rear from sitting so long."

"I packed just the thing." I said, rubbing my own rear a little to get the feeling back. There was only so much careful crafting could do when you were carrying a little extra. "Any problems?" I asked everyone, "Aside from a sore rear."

A bunch of shaken heads, "Well, it's my turn to cook." Marius said, "So that might be a problem, if no one helps."

"I'll help, Mr. Marius." Haruhime said.

"Lilly too!"

* * *

The travelling was more of the same from there for almost a week. It was a little boring, though we had thought to bring a couple of books and the like for amusement. The landscape wasn't all that interesting either, though I could appreciate the raw nature of the place. Rolling mountains that tumbled into rugged foothills, with open plains in the distance. Very majestic, yet, something seemed missing.

"Ko-san?" Haruhime interrupted my window gazing as we both sat inside the first 'living' wagon. "You seemed troubled."

"All this empty space. But hardly any animals." I said. "I mean... A horse way over there... A few birds... I just expected... more?"

"Ko-san is used to the dungeon. Small place with lots of life." She smiled, taking my hand, "Speaking of that..."

I put my hands on her belly, feeling a little swell of pride as my hands touched her warm skin. "Oh... Very active it... Oh wait..." I put my hand on the knot of her kimono, and she helped me uncover her a little, exposing her belly. Again I felt with my hands, and watched as the smooth taunt skin bulged out ever so slightly in more than one place. "Oh... **Oh!** "

"Yes... At least two... But I think maybe one more?" Haruhime said, patting my head as I leaned down and nuzzled the side of my head against her, "What about Ko'san?"

"I... Honestly haven't tried to count? But if you'd like to help?" I smiled.

"Only if you're dressed in an hour." We heard Asuka as she peeked her head through the small door at the driver's seat, "It's almost time to switch."

* * *

As our trip neared the end of the second week, just like before the wedding the reality of my situation was sinking in again. Gentle pokes and rubs allowed us to guess that the both of us were carrying three. Each. Everyone in the caravan took the news with a smile, Lilly even made a joke about not being the shortest, at least for a little while. Takemikazuchi, though smiling, said He would take care of them, if it came to that. But He would rather not have to.

"How much further?" I asked, my rear slowly getting its feeling back after the last shift of the day.

"Technically, we are in Rakia now." Marius said, stirring the big soup pot as it hung over the fire. "I mean... So far as anyone cares. With Orario not really a nation, and Melen the port town so close to Orario..."

I thought about it, and shrugged, "I suppose Orario doesn't really have a 'lord' or 'sovereign'."

"Most nations, like Rakia, simply understand that, if you can see Babel, you are on Orario's land." Marius explained.

"I've been curious." Takemikazuchi started, "While I appreciate a quiet trip, the lands are rather... lifeless."

"Lilly has noticed too!"

Most of us nodded, though Marius and Welf sighed, "Rakia isn't run very well." Welf stated, "I mean, no offence to our prince here, but his father is an idiot."

"He is." Marius agreed.

"So the land is over hunted. The huge army is constantly sent out to kill monsters that pretty much don't exist. And the land out this far is no good for farming. Most of the land is like that. Crops failed often, and the people wouldn't... really... starve, but close." Welf grumbled, "Unless you are in the military, there is no guarantee you'll have food on the table year round."

"Well, when you become king, Marius, you'll know how to fix that." I said, giving him a light punch in the shoulder, "Even if you still can't make an interesting stew to save your life."

"He is getting better." Mikoto said accepting a bowl.

"Small steps." Haruhime said, "Perhaps when you plant some of the other things, Rakia can improve its cooking?"

"Lilly hopes so." Our supporter said, "But Miss Mikoto is right. This is a bit better."

* * *

Being given the entire night to sleep, meant I had first shift in the driver's seat in the morning. After a quick breakfast, mostly left over stew with a little extra added in from our dried meat stores, our last watch, Takemikazuchi and Welf, went for a nap, and the rest of us got the wagons underway.

"Lady Kodori's tummy sounds funny." Lilly said as she rested her head on me.

"You hear that?" I said to myself, "That's Lilly. She's the perfect size to nibble on when you start growing teeth." I ruffled Lilly's hair, "Still no luck with Bell?"

"He is better at hugs now." Lilly said, "Almost never freezes now."

"Progress." I said with a grin. "Surprised you didn't stay behind."

"Lilly wanted to travel!" She said, sitting up straight and squinting off into the distance. "Miss Asuka! Look left!"

I followed her pointed finger and shielded my eyes a little from the sun. "Looks like..."

"A patrol." Marius called from the wagon behind me. "Heading this way I think."

"Should we do anything?" I asked.

"We'll stop if they ask." Marius said, "I mean. I am prince, right?"

It took the riders, six in all, about ten minutes to catch up to us. The area we were travelling through wasn't the flattest, so they couldn't gallop without risking the horses, and as far as I could see, we were on the only road.

All of them were armoured much like Marius used to be, that sort of roman Segmentata, along with the bright crimson tabard. The lead rider had a fancy helmet too, also reminding me of a roman commander, with the bright red broom bristles on top.

All of them were armed too, but they made no move to draw. The leader just held up a hand for us to stop.

"Hello caravan!" He said, "We are expecting no merchants this way. What business do you have?"

Marius got off his wagon, expertly hiding the slight limp from having a numb butt, and replied, "I am Marius Victrix Rakia. Crown prince, returning after his year and a day in service to Lord Takemikazuchi."

The lead man looked left and right at his companions, then as one, each of them took a crossbow hanging behind them on their saddles, and pointed them at Marius.

"Our prince is dead. Imposter, you dishonour him by using his name."

* * *

Notes.

That felt good. Leaving a little cliffhanger there.

But seriously, this is the beginning of the Rakia arc. I hope (I probably did somewhere) I didn't miss any of the things I wanted to cover in the really fast month by month time compression there. I just didn't want to spend ages doing it all bit by bit.


	75. Chapter 75

Chapter 74 In Blood and Glory Arc.

At first, I kind of wanted to laugh. They clearly didn't know who they were dealing with. But, I was sure that even a level 3 couldn't shrug off six point blank shots from a crossbow. None of us were expecting trouble, especially from Rakia soldiers, so no one was wearing armour. And the closest weapons were either beside us on the wagon seat, or stowed away in the living wagons.

Marius chose diplomacy, though he showed absolutely no fear towards the weapons pointed at him. "As you can see, I am not dead." He replied, "And, if you would look to your right, Lord Takemikazuchi is sitting in the seat of the fourth wagon."

"We have our orders." The lead man said, nodding slightly to his right, where one of the other soldiers took out his crossbow bolt, swapped it with another, then shot it into the sky. Expertly, the man reloaded the discharged weapon, hooking a boot into a hoop at the front of the crossbow and drawing the string back.

I looked up and saw the bolt explode with a burst of red smoke. I wondered if someone owed me royalties for that, or if I owed someone.

"We will detain you here until the closest patrols arrive." The lead man ordered, "Everyone line up outside the wagons, now."

Marius replied, "Two of my caravan are with child. Promise them no harm, and we will co-operate."

Marius caught my eye, nodding slightly, and in turn, I looked to Asuka, nodding as well. I had just given the Rakia Prince approval, and let Asuka know it. As I carefully stepped off the wagon, I caught Takemikazuchi's eye, and Welf's as he climbed out of the second living wagon, and repeated the nod.

"We're not savages. Even if they are not human." The Captain said, "They will not be harmed until last, if it comes to that."

Haruhime leaned on me a little, her tails brushing against mine. The Captain sounded honest, or at least, like he was just doing his job, and not posturing like some one who held the advantage.

"As a God. I disapprove of this." Takemikazuchi said, Mikoto stepping in front of Him.

"That is fine, Lord." The Captain said, "So long as your Familia behaves."

* * *

Three more groups of six arrived shortly after, and we were all rounded up and put onto one of the cargo wagons, once it was checked for weapons. It seemed none of the men knew who Marius was, or even me, who handed a bunch of them a solid beating all those months ago. True to their word, none of us were harmed, or even poked hard. Simply asked at crossbow point to do as we were told, and would you like a hand up Ma'am?

"You wanted diplomacy." Welf said quietly, "But why?"

"Something is very odd." Marius replied, equally as quiet. Being all level two or higher, our senses were sharper than a level one. Whispering was enough, even over the sound of the wagon as it trundled along. "I look much like my father. And I trained along with nearly every soldier in the army." He paused, "I do not know any of these men."

"At least they are being polite." Asuka mumbled.

"A kind word and a loaded crossbow, will get you more than an angry word and empty hands." Marius said, "If we must fight, then so be it, but, these are my people."

Welf chuckled, "No one knows me either... You'd think hair like mine would be a giveaway."

I looked around the circle, "Well, on your order then, unless some one becomes impolite."

They all nodded to me, then to Marius.

* * *

We travelled through the night, the soldiers giving us blankets, while still keeping us at crossbow point. I had to admit, they showed discipline. The caravan was lit on all sides in a square pattern, with a torch barer at each corner, and those who were 'off shift' were simply dozing in the saddle, a weapon across the pommel of their saddle. We, the 'prisoners' were waiting for answers, and had decided that we'd get them easier if we just asked the right people. That didn't stop us from being ready to spring. Haruhime and I took shifts, keeping our magic warm. In an instant, I could summon my foxes, or she could give her power to any three of us.

As the morning light started to crest the horizon, I looked to the nearest guard, "Forgive me, but, are we there yet?"

"No talking." He replied, though, he nodded with his head towards the direction we were headed.

Turning to look, I was a little surprised. We were only a few minutes away from what looked like a... massive... like... a near endless field of wheat. The light from the sun was just starting to catch the tops of the wheat, and the gentle breeze was swishing the stalks around slowly.

Not everything was perfect though. I was no expert, but I could see, and smell, patches of missing or bad vegetation. Past that, I saw a small barn, with a low squat sort of pyramid, though it looked to have eight sides, not four. A granary then? I was picking up other smells too, aside from the smell of horse, soldier, and our slightly stale party. People. Industry.

"Just a little farther." Marius mumbled, looking towards the field. "Hm, shame we have to wait to help this field... Likely lose over half the crop if the farmer doesn't harvest before week's end."

"It isn't ripe yet." Asuka replied quietly.

"Some now, or none later." Marius replied, "Orario, for it's size, holds all the advantages when it comes to research. Rakia is too concerned with war, to tend its own people properly."

"Ares wasn't listening then... A shame." I mumbled, hugging Haruhime, who was still snoozing against me.

"Lilly wonders about that..." She said cryptically.

* * *

We past several more barns and fields, some growing other things, like corn or potatoes. Other, smaller fields were dedicated to cows or horses. But, many of the fields looked unhealthy. And much of the vegetation I could see was in some kind of distress, be it rot, insects or wilted.

"Now do you see?" Marius mumbled as I turned to him, "My father and Ares are the worst thing to happen to this country."

Haruhime gave his knee a pat, "We will help you fix it." She said with her best smile.

"Yes. We worked too hard to return you to... this." Mikoto said, looking past the nearest soldiers and sighing. "I see a wall ahead."

"Most pointless wall in history." Welf mumbled, "No one cares about invading this dump."

I was about to say something, when I caught the sound of galloping hooves. A rider was approaching fast.

"Hail patrol!" The rider called, "What business is this?"

The one who spoke to us replied, "A God and a small Familia. And one who claims to be our lost Prince, Marius."

The newest rider trotted his horse towards us. Like the captain, he too had that fancy brush on helmet, only it was blue instead of red. The face that I could see under the helmet was young but stern, with a vivid red scar that went from above his left eye across the nose and down his right cheek. "Our prince died in the care," He spat, "Of the Takemikazuchi Familia. We received word of his death six months ago."

I frowned, while Marius turned to look at the man, "I am Marius. Ask any soldier who was in the last attempt to take Orario, and they will tell you this."

"Those soldiers were banished to the fields for their failure by the King." Scarface replied coldly, "A fitting punishment for those who let our God and Prince get taken." He looked at us, then to the captain, "Take them to second keep." Then to us, "All you have here will be confiscated, and all of you are under arrest. Resist, and you will be punished, relent, and you will be unharmed."

Marius nodded, and looked to us, "Very well."

* * *

"They are so lucky I'm pregnant." I mumbled, getting a chuckle from Welf and Lilly.

"Something is very very off..." Marius replied, "Discipline is the same, but the methods have gotten... lax."

"Haven't even asked our names. Or even Familia." Welf nodded.

"Maybe I should have worn my old outfit?" Takemikazuchi commented, "This new one is nice, but no one knows who I am in it."

Mikoto and Asuka shook their heads, "No my Lord, keep that one." They both said together.

"If they shipped all the veterans off to the farms, then these are all green recruits?" I asked, getting a nod from Marius, "Might be for the best then... I am kind of responsible here..."

The wall of the main city was made of stone. Grey and bleak, it looked sturdy enough but I could probably have jumped over it with a little bit of a running start. Or if someone surprised me. Their were guards posted every ten metres or so on top of it, and a full half dozen at the actual gate. With a salute, Scarface motivated the guards to open the big double doors wide enough for the wagons to pass. I wasn't sure what to expect when I actually saw the city, but I was suddenly feeling very lucky to have arrived in this world in Orario, and not here.

That wasn't to say the place wasn't well constructed. The houses and buildings we saw first, as as we went along what was probably one of the main roads, were in a simple Roman style. Stone walls, flat rooftops, single or two story. As we got a little farther in, there was the occasional larger building, with a grand pointed roof, all done in pure white stone. The people seemed relatively well to do, wearing something similar to a Roman toga, though they wore proper pants and shirts under it, like the extra cloth was more for status or fashion than function.

I also noticed that there were no other races than human here. No Amazons either. Then I did see one, an elf, wearing an iron collar and carrying some ones groceries. He was wearing a simple white shirt that went to his knees and was belted by a rope around the waist.

"Another thing on my list." Marius said as he saw me notice the slave.

"Good." I said.

Slowly, our caravan took a turn onto another main street, and just a little up the road was a large building, almost like a very small fort. I could see that most of the windows were barred, and that the walls were not white marble, but red granite.

"Halt." Scarface said, bringing everything to a halt. "Group two, unload the flat beds, group three, search the other two wagons. Group one and four, escort the prisoners.

Again, we were (politely) herded by loaded crossbows. Haruhime and I even got a hand off the wagons by one of the soldiers. Even as pregnant as we were, we didn't need it, but it was amusing to watch the two young men blush as they helped us down. I hoped that the soldiers wouldn't break anything, or try and steal some of the equipment we had. I only brought my gauntlets, just out of habit, but almost everyone else had brought their newly forged adamant equipment. I could only guess what it would be worth here, even if no one but the person I'd made it for would fit in it.

The inside of the building was lit by torches and smelled faintly of bacon. The decor was bare stone, and made for pure function. If I had to guess, this was either a barracks, or police station. It even had a front desk, where an old grumpy looking man of at least fifty sat. Holding a quill awkwardly in his left hand. His right hand was actually missing, something I only noticed because he tried to scratch his chin with it, but looked at it like he'd forgotten it wasn't there.

"What's this then?" The old man asked, looking at us, "Quite a few guards for such a small party. Women and children too?"

"This man here claims to be Marius, our lost Prince." Scarface said, "He was on a merchant caravan headed here, with a God and His Familia."

The old man looked at Marius as Scarface stepped aside, and I could see that he knew him. But, instead of saying so, he said, "East wing is empty enough, I'll give them a talking to later."

"Are you sure? Even if you are a veteran, your hand..."

"Boy, I could put you, and your entire company over my knee and not break a sweat. I'm sure I could handle..." He squinted, "A pair of Easterners, two pregnant women, a little girl and those two muscle heads there." His eyes settled on Takemikazuchi, "And I'm sure the God will behave, with his Familia held like this."

I think we were all trying our best not to raise an eyebrow, but I was really curious now. With very little ceremony, the old man waved over his shoulder with the stump of his right arm, and we all followed him deeper into the building. A few soldiers got out of the way of our party, but said nothing as we were all divided up and put into different cells. Takemikazuchi got one of his own, Haruhime and I were put across from Him in another, Marius and Welf got a third next to mine, while Asuka, Lilly and Mikoto got a forth across from them.

The cells were at least clean, lit by a window, and any light that might be coming from the hall. The doors were floor to ceiling bars and probably made of iron, or something close to it. With only a simple bench for sleeping or sitting, and a bucket for a toilet, I hoped we weren't going to be here long.

"Right. Suspicious people put away." The old man said, glaring at scarface and his band of crossbowmen, "Now, bugger off. I'll file the paperwork myself, after having a chat with them."

"Are you sure sir..."

"Do I have to make it an order?" The man asked, his shoulders bunching up a little, "Make sure to treat what ever is in the wagons with respect. If they are merchants or the like, we don't want to have to pay them back for anything broken."

The younger man, and his squad snapped to attention, then turned and marched off smartly.

"Kids these days... Greener than a blade of grass, and about as smart..." The old man muttered.

"Is it really so bad, Constable?" Marius asked.

"It's Lord Constable to you." He turned and grinned, "I knew the news was a lie the moment I heard it." I watched the old man step forward and reach into Marius's cell, "You've gotten stronger, gained a bit of weight too I think."

"My year has been fruitful, and the food has been quite good." Marius admitted.

"Then these people here? I know the Crozzo boy, that hair has only gotten more unruly since I saw you last as a boy."

"Bite me, Lord Constable." Welf said, though I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Well, the two ladies are none other than the Demon Fox herself, Kodori. And her wife, Lady Haruhime."

The old man's face looked into my cell, "Last report said only one tail." He said to me, "But... one two three..."

"Six." I said, looking over my shoulder to get my tails to stop moving, "Bit of an incident with a magic book."

"I'll say." He switched his gaze to Haruhime, who waved shyly, "Not something we have around here, but, you two make a lovely couple." He ahem'ed, then moved back out of sight, "That would be Lord Takemikazuchi then? And those three?"

"Lilly, our supporter, who can carry all the things." Marius said seriously, making Lilly giggle, "You actually wouldn't believe how much she can actually carry. Then Asuka, who may look rather plain,"

"Hey!"

"But is one of the most skilled barehanded fighters I know."

"Oh, okay then."

"The one glaring at you is Mikoto, who is a highly capable swordswoman."

"Well... I promise you, I only look confident right now." The Constable said with a laugh, "Begs the question though, why'd you let yourself get caught? I mean... I'm sure even..." His head popped back into view, then went away again, "six? Months pregnant, the Demon Fox could have walked through anything we sent at her. But then you brought four more Orario adventurers?"

"Actually." I stood and made my way to the bars, though my tails were held by Haruhime, "Marius is a valued and trusted ally." The Constable politely stood in front of the bars as I talked, "And while our days are near an end, this is his home, and his people, so, I left the choice to him.

"That how it is then?" He made to scratch his chin with his right hand, sighed then switched to his left, "Well, if nothing else, I thank you for not filling our infirmaries." He sighed, "I'm very sorry your triumphant return ended up like this, but..."

He paused, and I could hear boots coming towards us from down the hall. Again, his tone changed, this time to an irritated one, "I don't care if you're pregnant, you half monster, you'll just have to wait until we find out what's in your wagons, and determine if you pose a threat." He winked at me, then turned, "What do you want cadet?"

"Sir, you would not believe what's on those wagons..." A young voice said, just out of sight. He sounded like he was just barely holding in his excitement.

"I'll go take a look in a moment. You better not have had any of it go missing, or so help me I'll hang you by your britches off the wall, upside down from a pike!" He stomped off angrily, calling back, "And I'll be back to continue our little chat."

I waited until the sound of boots was gone, then said, "Well, seems not everyone has forgotten you."

"I am... very disappointed that you are all being treated like this." Marius said sincerely, "But yes, something is very wrong here. That man taught me how to us a shield, and even one handed, he should still be out on active duty, or at least drilling the new recruits."

"Heh, I remember him from when I tried pulling out some of these bars for scrap metal." Welf chuckled, "Gramps tanned my ass so bad that day..."

"So, what do we do from here?" Asuka asked, "I mean... It's not like we can't just open the doors..."

"Do you trust me?" Marius asked, making us all reply with a unanimous "Of course."

"Then, please wait just a little longer."

* * *

Food was brought, a rather bland oatmeal that while filling, was almost tasteless. A short while after that, close to sun down, the Constable returned, though, he only passed by, handed Marius something, then left again.

After he left, it sounded like Marius unrolled a bit of parchment, then said, "How quietly can you open your doors?"

"Lilly picked hers hours ago."

"I'm sure Haruhime could bend these with no problem, they're only iron." I said.

"I trust you won't forget me?" Takemikazuchi said with a smile.

"At third bell, we leave. I know the way to where we're going to next." Marius said.

"And our cargo? Equipment?" Asuka asked.

"It's under the care of the Constable. But we won't have access to it."

"Will they have better food there?" Welf asked.

"Doubtful."

"Damn."

* * *

'Third Bell' was apparently a signal for both curfew, for the citizens, and the last guard change for the day. Military state that it was, I suspected they had little in the way of a 'night life' here. Unlike Orario.

"We have about five minutes to leave." Marius said quietly.

"Love? Would you like to try?" I asked Haruhime, who stood up and went to the bars. "Get a good grip, then apply more force slowly until they start to bend."

"Like..." She said, gripping two of the bars, then trying to pull her hands apart. "This..."

I watched as the thick iron bars slowly started to bow, then bend, then she let them go with a little huff of effort, "Almost." I said, looking at the bars, "Oh... Right, we need a little more space now I suppose."

"Stop fooling around love birds." Welf said, "I'll get Lord Takemikazuchi."

"Need a hand ladies?" Marius asked, looming over the two of us as Haruhime got hold of the bars again. "Here, you bend them a little further down." He took hold of the bars just a little higher than my head, then with a creak, the two of them forced them apart to allow for Haruhime and I's 'expanded profile'.

"Right, now?" I asked, stepping out.

"This way, light steps if you can." Marius said, heading further in to the building.

* * *

We met no one as we made our way down more of the red granite halls. A left, a right, down a flight of steps, then finally, through an thick wooden door. On the other side was what looked like a waterway, though the water was maybe ankle deep. There was even a canoe there, though it looked like it hadn't been used in a while.

"Most of the large buildings have this kind of thing. Emergency escape routes. Or, in a pinch, emergency water supply." Marius explained, "Though, I'd suggest not drinking the water around here unless you boil it." He shrugged, "Just one more thing Orario has that we do not."

He didn't wait for comments, as we were still on a bit of a time table. Instead, he took the first steps into the muck, pressed his foot down a bit, then nodded to us. It wasn't the worst we'd dealt with, the dungeon wasn't always the cleanest, but it was far from pleasant.

"Mia is going to give me a talking to again." I mumbled, hugging my tails to keep them out of the water.

"Lilly wonders why you don't just make better ones?" Marius had picked her up, as the muck was almost to her knees.

"You don't try and reinvent the wheel." I said, getting a chuckle from Welf and Marius.

"I agree." Mikoto said, "I would wear them too, if Mia-dono didn't guard the secret of the person who makes them."

"She keeps her cobbler secret?" Takemikazuchi asked, His pants just barely swishing into the water due to the gata sandals He wore.

"I tried to ask where to get them directly, but she just..." I shivered, "lifted her ladle and frowned at me."

"How much farther, Marius-san?" Haruhime asked, holding my hand as much for support as comfort.

"Not far." He looked ahead into the gloom of the tunnel, the torchlight behind us all but gone now, "There, see?" Ahead there was a faint light, not the yellow orange of a torch, but a white one, like a magic stone lamp. "Good." He said, "We're still in the clear."

* * *

"I hate wet boots." Welf grumbled, picking up the small magic stone lamp as we got to a small landing. Still made of red granite, the walls were old and damp. I kind of missed the dungeon and its self cleaning. "Hey, isn't this ours?"

"The Constable said our things were under his care." Marius said, "We're almost there..." He looked up a narrow flight of steps, "I think this is near the third garrison." He looked to Welf.

We all looked to the smith, and he sighed, "Suppose I'll drop in and say hello to the old man. Figures he'd be in on this."

Marius nodded, "I'm sure your father and grandfather have been pressed into service making weapons and armour. If the Constable is sending us to them, they can be trusted."

"Yeah yeah..." Welf grumbled, heading up the steps, "Hey Lil'e. Wanna pick this?" He tried the door handle, but it didn't move, "We're trying to be quiet still right?"

"Mister Welf has an anvil head." Lilly giggled as she climbed the steps and pulled a couple of small wires from under her robe.

* * *

I kept imagining the mission impossible theme playing in the background, as our mixed bag of heights weights and profiles moved from bushes, building corners, and even clung to a wall to avoid the occasional pair of guards as they patrolled the streets. That, or the Scooby Do gang trying to be sneaky.

But, after about ten minutes of ducking around white marble and red granite buildings, we came to a grey stone one. In the dark, at least. It might have been white marble, but with the smell of a forge coming from inside, it had probably been set on fire a time or two. Knowing Welf, and getting an idea of his habits from his family, I'd guess his father and grandfather wouldn't bother polishing the soot off the walls. Aside from a small wisp of smoke coming from a chimney, an a single light from a small window, it looked like no one was awake.

"Probably polishing something." Welf said, looking around, "Clear?"

"Clear." Marius said from the rear of our group, and we all did one last quick step towards the house.

"This door." Welf waved as he got to a side door near closer to the chimney. A stack of wood and coal were nearby, making me think this door was for the forge itself. "It's open?"

"Hurry in." A voice said from inside. I dimly recognized it as Garon, Welf's grandfather. "Going to be cramped in here..." He grumbled as we all filed in, "Prince Marius. Good to see you."

"And you, it's been a long while." Marius bowed to the old smith. "I'm sad to say I lost the sword you made me, all those years ago."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it was thrown off a cliff, after I lost a duel." The prince gave me a glance, "But, it served me well until the end."

"Can't be helped." He looked at our group as Lilly latched the door and we all tried to spread out and get a little shoulder room in the smithy. "Who's all this then? I know... You." He pointed at me, "Less tails, and not carrying, but I know you."

"Kodori Haruhime," I said, extending a hand, "I helped Welf make the black blade." We shook, his hand was rough, but even though he looked in his fifties, his grip was solid, and his shoulders looked like a collection of rounded bricks stuffed into a shirt.

"I'll be interested in hearing more, after. And this is?" He looked to Haruhime.

"Sanjouno Haruhime." She also shook his hand. I'm sure the sharp looking eyes of the old man caught our matching rings.

"Huh." He said, "Another story for later then. And..." He looked at the rest of us.

"The shorty is Lilly, our supporter. Asuka and Mikoto, two of our forwards, and that is Lord Takemikazuchi." Welf said, "So can you tell us what the hell is going on?"

Garon shook or bowed to each of them, then said, "It's... a little twisted. Let's move to the main room. Have to be careful with the light though."

The workshop was a neat place, with a pair of anvils, a large furnace, a small compartment just off of the furnace for smelting, and tools lining the walls. Much like our shop back home. The main room however was almost like a shop. Racks of weapons, stands with armour and helmets, and a single well abused training dummy. It did however, after a little quiet moving, have enough space for us to stand or sit. Garon helpfully got a basin of water so we could scrub our feet off and set up our boots near the banked furnace to dry out.

"Right." Welf started, wiggling his toes from his place in our circle. "Much better."

"Sorry I don't have more comforts, but they work me hard, and give me little." Garon said, "All I have is a bed in the back. Your father is at another one of the garrisons, in his own shop."

"Is it truly so bad?" Marius asked.

"A year ago, when we lost the war." Garon snorted, "Or what ever you want to call that utter insanity of an offensive. The king took the news badly." He handed out mugs to everyone, it smelled like mint tea. "Your father and I got back a little before the remnants of the main force. Lady Hephaestus simply detained us long enough to make sure you got home safe, then applied the boot at the nearest gate."

"Sounds like Her." Welf grinned.

"When Ares returned a week or so later, and gave the news of your capture, the King wanted to raise an army and try again. But, Ares actually said no. That before war could happen again, we had to make sure Rakia wouldn't fall to something simple, like hunger or disease."

"Huh, He did listen." I said, Haruhime patting my hand as we knelt together.

"Except... No one really knew how. In a flurry of construction, we improved our water supply, or repaired what was already in place. But the crops were still just as temperamental as usual, our livestock is still far short of what the people need, and we still don't have a way to treat many of the sicknesses that occasionally sweep through." Garon explained. "And, surprising everyone, the King, your father, didn't... disobey Ares, but certainly showed a little more initiative that usual."

"So the old line of soldiers?" Marius asked.

"Yes. As punishment, the troops you went with were sent to the farms, or even to the outer areas past that, to try and make the land productive. No surprise, they didn't have much of a clue on how, and many of them either came begging to be allowed into the ranks. Those were very quietly executed." He crossed his arms, "And those who didn't try and return, many fell sick and died, or starved, waiting for help from the King."

"He's... Gone insane..." Marius mumbled, putting a hand over his eyes and then scrubbing it through his short cropped hair.

"Then, we got a letter, saying you died." Garon said, "The King made a proclamation that day, saying that since the old soldiers failed, a new army would be raised. Ares was put to work that day, inducting all comers, and many forced recruits into his Familia. Your father and I were told at spear point to work for the King, making weapons and armour as quickly as we could. Anyone with even a shred of skill was there with us too."

"Surprised you agreed." Welf said.

"Had to. It was made plain it was that or death." The elder Crozzo replied, "For the next six months, until now, the people are either training for war, or hiding in their homes hoping they don't get pulled in. Ares hasn't made a public appearance for months now too."

There was silence for a moment, then, "I only sent one letter back." Marius said, "To my mother. And unless I've forgotten how to write, it said I was well and actually having a good time."

"Lilly has a bad feeling." Our supporter said, "Lilly also wonders, what about Apollo?"

"Them?" Garon snorted, "After their failure to protect Ares, the King banished them. They looked like they might cause a fuss too, and while they were low in number, they had that pretty boy... Hyakinthos? Yeah. Rakia's only level three was captured and divested, so we would have had no chance. But, Apollo simply replied, 'This place holds no beauty. We are leaving'. And they packed up and left."

"A shame. I kind of wanted to visit them." I said, getting a bunch of 'grew a second head' looks. "What? I wanted to make sure my package made it. I hate not keeping a promise."

"Has there been any other odd things happening?" Asuka asked, "I mean... I only know what Marius-san has told us, and what I've seen so far, but has anything else happened?"

"The timing of the letter bothers me too..." I said, looking to Marius, "We sent it... Almost a month? Before that thing with the Xenos got resolved."

"Well, there's the thing..." Garon said, all eyes on him again, "Another God delivered it."

Asuka, Mikoto, Welf, Lilly, Marius, Haruhime and I, all did a facepalm.

* * *

Notes!

So, I'm sure a few of you have noticed the big differences between Orario and Rakia. In the books (yes, I'm still doing this) Orario and the magic stones provided by the dungeon do so many things. Water filtration, magic potions, crops, plumbing, hot and cold water on demand, lights... The list is long. But, Orario has a near monopoly on the stones, and VERY tightly controls the supply.

If your wondering why I said 'near' it's because the Posiden Familia is on the literal other side of the world, where there's an underwater entrance to the dungeon. (If I recall right, at least.)

Rakia has none of those benefits and so they have to resort to technology appropriate for the time. Torches made of wood and pine sap, water that is exposed to open air most of the time, or well water, both of which are not really fit for drinking unless boiled or made into beer or wine.

But anyhow, explanation done. See you soon. :)


	76. Chapter 76

Chapter 75, In Blood and Glory Arc.

I wanted to swear. A lot. My golden tail was gently boffing me between the ears to remind me not to, but still, I really wanted to swear.

And find Hermes. Who else could have done this? I wanted to find Him, tie Him up, and give him a wedgie that Odin Himself would invite me to His mead hall to tell tales of. Then, while Hermes was thus occupied, hang Him off the lightning rod on top of Babel.

"Does she usually glow like that?" Garon asked, sounding a little worried.

"Only when she is very angry." Mikoto said. "It is something we rarely see."

"Lilly thinks Lady Kodori needs a hug."

"Ko-san..." Haruhime gave me a hug, and I felt my anger fizzle out.

"Haruhime-chan gives good hugs." Asuka said, "But... What are we going to do?"

"Well." Marius started, and I opened my eyes again to look at him, and wrapped Haruhime up in my tails. "We have a few options, I think." He said, "If my Captain would permit?"

"Let's see how much you've learned." I said wearily, putting a hand on my belly, "And if you have any food?"

Garon nodded, giving me a knowing smile, while Marius continued, "With just who we have here. We could probably walk into the palace and take over. I'd rather not, simply because a stray arrow could mean much more than an annoyance." Haruhime and I nodded, "We could, well... Some of us could, blend in with the locals, and find out where this other God is. It's probably Hermes, but if it isn't then... And find Ares."

"We haven't seen Him. Or any pillars of light signalling a return." Garon said as he entered the room again with most of a loaf of bread. "It's not the best you'll ever have, but, I've learned to use the forge for more than metal."

"Old man... That's sacrilege!" Welf said, shocked.

"Boy, if I don't eat something other than army rations once in a while, I'll forget how to swing a hammer."

Marius continued as Haruhime and I shared the bread, trying not to make too much noise as we gnawed the very crunchy outer crust. "A third idea... Master Garon. Aside from you, and the Constable, who else is with you?"

"You're sharp. Yes, we have a small... movement, I suppose. In opposition of the King. Since the army are all adventurers, it's not a very big group, but we have a few people." Garon replied, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well... We need information. I would rather avoid open conflict, even with Lady Kodori and Lady Haruhime tucked away safe..."

"We're pregnant, not invalid." I said.

"True, but, you alone, even as you are, could probably flatten the city. If I am going to rule, I'd rather it be over Rakia, not Rubble." Marius smiled, "How well guarded is the palace?"

"As well as it usually is I suppose. I don't get out much, as you can see. But your father has become a little more paranoid recently." Garon replied.

"And the Queen, my mother?" Marius asked, actually sounding hopeful.

"Also not seen for a time. But well, last she was."

"Very well..." Marius rubbed a hand through his hair. "Here's what I propose."

* * *

The next morning, Haruhime Lilly and I were hiding in Garon's workshop. We were actually helping him work too, but for the most part, being non-human in a human supremacist country would draw far too many eyes. Mikoto, Asuka, Marius and even Takemikazuchi were out in the city, dressed in either spare armour or civilian clothing. Asuka and Mikoto had to wrap up their hair, as black hair was uncommon here, while Marius and Takemikazuchi were in borrowed armour. If nothing went wrong, they would return by lunch.

"Lilly understands why Welf does so much sharpening. But it's not as easy as it looks."

Speaking of our smith, he also went out in borrowed armour, to visit his father. Mostly to tell him what was going on, and also, maybe, say sorry for beating him up so bad all those months ago.

Yeah, who was I kidding?

"I'm not allowed to sharpen stuff." I said, "Except maybe arrow heads."

"Ko-san? Is this okay?" Haruhime held up a blade carefully, "I did it just how Welf-san showed me."

"Actually, not bad at all." I said, examining the edge without touching it, and the blade itself too. Garon must have really hated his job... It was probably the best cheap sword I'd ever seen... But it wouldn't hold up a month in the dungeon, even against goblins.

"Not bad Goldy." Garon said as he entered from the 'store front' area, "And I know that look Fox." He sighed, "We don't have all those fancy metals you guys have in Orario. I do the best with what I got. And I don't got much."

"Oh come on... I know you can do better." I said.

"Sure, but it would take time I don't have. I have to have at least six of those done in a day. A day! With no apprentices! They hold up to hard training, and to them, that's enough." He grumbled, "I almost feel like I'm on vacation with you three in here, even if you're just a little better than a random scrub off the street."

I raised an eyebrow, "Random scrub huh?"

"Ko-san..." Haruhime sighed, tugging my sleeve.

"That's right. Spend all the time making stuff, but no weapons? Why not?"

"Well, I'm cursed." I said, "And, like your grandson, I'd rather not give something to someone I wouldn't trust myself. So, I do armour, not weapons. But..."

"Ko-san... You don't have your hand cream." Lilly giggled as Haruhime pouted at me.

She knew me well. It felt like Garon had poked at my pride as a smith. I usually didn't rile to things like that. But, like Welf, I felt like I could really respect this man, and I wanted to earn his respect in kind.

"You gonna show me something new? Or are you just going to bend armour into shape all morning?" Garon teased.

"If you find me some fine sand, and a small list of simple things, I will show you what I've learned under Welf's schooling." I found a scrap of paper on a workbench, and scribbled down a few things, "And a mortal and pestle."

He took the list and squinted at it. "You can't use this stuff for smithing..."

I rolled up my sleeves, letting Haruhime tie them in place, then reached with my bare hand into the furnace to pick up the block of metal Garon had heating up, "Less talk, old man, and give me that hammer."

* * *

"You teased her, didn't you." Welf said as he entered the workshop, still half dressed in Rakia soldier armour.

"I regret nothing." Garon said, his voice slightly awestruck. "I'll have to replace a couple of my hammer handles, but..."

Around me, still cooling, were a half dozen sword blanks. Basically bars of hammered steel, waiting for final form. This was as far as I was comfortable with weapon making. Any further, and a simple scratch on my arm or hand would dissolve the metal in to dust. I'd done this a few times for Welf. I knew how he liked his metal, so when he was in a rush, he'd just tell me 'make me a bar of steel about this long', and I'd do it.

"Hammer handles? Okay." I said, reaching into the forge to pull out a bar of steel and snapping it in half like candy. "I'll just make it out of this, and you'll never need to replace it again."

"Ko-san... Your shirt is on fire again." Haruhime swatted at me with a damp cloth to put out what might have been the fourth little fire I'd started on myself. "At least you still have your eyebrows and hair..."

"Thank you, love." I replied, my tails brushing against her as I used my hands to twist one end of the glowing metal into a handle, and crushing the other end so it would fit into the hammer head. "So any news Welf?" I asked.

"Well, father is still an idiot. But he's been keeping an ear out. Most of the soldiers he outfits are wondering what the rush is. The king keeps saying 'war war war', but isn't saying how they might win. Or how badly the last one went."

"And with all the old soldiers out in the fields, or buried in them..." I trailed off, "You don't use lead in the aqueducts, do you?" I asked Garon, "Or for metal wine cups?"

"Not since the last mad king." Garon said, "About... two hundred years ago?"

"Always wondered." Welf commented, "I mean, what's the problem?"

"Like gold, lead is soft. You know that. But, when it gets into the body, it's like a poison, goes to the head, but slowly." I explained, forming the last of the hammer handle, and checking it for balance, then cooling it in the water trough. "It doesn't rust, it's cheap and plentiful too, but very bad for you over time."

"Heh, you did say she was smart." Garon chuckled, "We're still waiting for the others to return."

"Shouldn't be much longer." Welf said, "Unless something bad happened."

"Lilly thinks you shouldn't jinx it."

A short time later, Asuka was the first to return, looking a little worried, but otherwise fine. Takemikazuchi was next, his calm smile missing from his face. Then Marius, looking about as angry as I'd ever seen him.

"Where's Mikoto?" I asked, carefully handing Garon a sword blank and finding a rag to wipe the metal slag from my hands.

"She stayed behind." Asuka started holding up a hand to stall our sudden alarm, "No no, nothing bad. She found a good place to hide near the palace, and told me she was going to hide there until evening."

"Lilly wonders why though?"

"Did she hide near a red brick shed? Between the palace and the gardens..."

"In the bell tower near that." Asuka finished, making Marius chuckle.

"I used to hide there all the time before I received Falna." Marius said, "So long as she covers her ears when the bell rings, she should be safe there. If she were one to drink, I'd buy her one."

"Oh... She's scouting." Welf grinned, "She hit me last time I called her a ninja, but she really is good at it."

Takemikazuchi's smile returned for a moment, "She has always been talented." He said, "I found little out in the city. People are worried. Those too young or old for the army are wondering if their fathers or sons will return."

"Much the same for me." Asuka said, "I couldn't really talk to many people... The market square is almost barren... The King has been 'appropriating' goods, so prices are high. People are starving out in the streets, at least, the streets that aren't patrolled."

"Begging was made illegal in public. But, the patrols stay off some streets just to allow those people to beg. If a person walks those streets, they usually walk out a little lighter of coin, willing or not."

"You have a big job ahead of you." Garon said, "When you ascend the throne."

"Well... The old man told me more or less the same. A few of the old guard are still in the city, like the Constable. 'Places of honour' they call it." Welf grimaced, "But, they are almost all behind a desk someplace, out of sight. They are however, still holding hope for you." He looked at Marius.

"Well then..." Garon scratched his beard, putting down a freshly sharpened sword, "Someone want to put a handle on that?" Welf took the blade, giving it a critical look, then went about putting a handle on it. "When the Constable comes by to pick up today's work, what should we tell him?"

We all looked at Marius, who blinked. "Well... I know what you feel like now, Lady Kodori."

"Being the captain is almost as hard as being the big sister." I said with a grin, putting a few things into the mortal and pestle Garon had gotten me.

"Well. I will guess, by Ma'am Mikoto's actions, she will be back around third bell. If she isn't, we will head to the palace to find her."

"And if she is back?" Haruhime asked, handing me a few more things to mix in.

"Regardless of her return, we will tell the Constable to notify the others he knows, that I am back, and intend to confront my father. If we must rescue Ma'am Mikoto, it will be... undiplomatic. If we don't, then I will find someone with the King's ear, and have them deliver my message."

"What about Ares?" Welf asked, "I mean... You're still bound to Takemikazuchi Familia. Not a bad thing, but part of the promise was to switch you back again, right?"

"Let's hope He can be found. If my father won't listen to anyone, then Ares might be the only one able to get through to him."

* * *

The Constable came and went with very little spoken. Simply, "Smith! Your work for the day is due." The rest of us waited very very quietly as Garon came back to the workshop, picked up the bundle of a half dozen finished swords, and returned to the front room.

"Here you go." Garon said. "Try not to break them all at once."

"You know how enthusiastic the new troops can be. I'll let them know to be careful."

"You do that." Garon grunted, followed by the sound of three pairs of boots marching away, then a closing door. He returned to the workshop a moment later, "Right, message sent. Let's hope he gets a moment to send it."

We all sighed quietly, "He had an escort then?" Asuka asked.

"Yes. He does only have one hand." The elder smith sat down heavily, "Lost it to rot. Something I'm sure you folks have never had to worry about."

"Early on Bell and I had to worry about it. Being too poor to be able to use potions without really good reason." I said, "I was also prone to getting bitten... A lot."

Haruhime giggled quietly, taking my hands and nodding her approval, "It was actually something we brought supplies for."

"You mentioned that. What did you all bring with you, anyhow?" Garon asked.

"Well..." Marius smiled, "Since they had an expert..."

"Two of them." Welf chimed in, bumping fists with Marius.

"To ask what Rakia needed," Marius continued, "Those wagons are loaded with simple cures, as well as seeds we can use to grow the ingredients. There are books with the knowledge to help our farms produce more reliably, as well as seeds for new things we can grow. Like potatoes."

"The second most boring thing you can eat." Garon said.

"Ah!" Marius sounded a little more excited now, "We also have onion bulbs to plant. And seeds for spices. As well as more books to tell us how to treat the soil so they will grow. As well as plans for something called... A..." He looked to me.

"A green house." I said, "Basically, a building you can grow what ever you want in, year round, provided you pay attention to conditions inside." I grinned, "And a way to make the glass you will need for the walls."

"A glass house? Really?" Garon frowned.

"Yes. The knowledge we needed to make Rakia prosper is freely available in Orario." Marius picked up again, "I simply needed to ask. With at least five years to adjust, we could have entire fields of crops we never thought possible, orchards too. People would be well fed. All the people. And we could actually have excess to trade to other countries! Imagine, Rakia prospering."

"I'm honestly a little more excited about the food." Garon admitted, grinning through his beard, "What about Ares? Do you think He will step away from trying to make war with everything?"

"If He doesn't." Marius said seriously, "I will return to Takemikazuchi Familia." He looked to Takemikazuchi Himeself.

"While I am a god of war, I have my place in Orario." He smiled, "But, I would be happy to either help you myself, or find one who will. Perhaps Lady Astraea?" He looked to me, "Do you think she might enjoy this sort of thing?"

"I'm sure She would enjoy getting involved with people again. Though, lets not surprise Her with it." I replied, "Let's hope Ares sees reason. Maybe you and Him could talk about the joys of raising orphans?"

* * *

"That was third bell." Asuka said, nibbling on some of that super hard yet quite filling bread. Garon had grumbled about how much we were eating, but he knew it was for a good cause. "Do we go looking for her?"

Marius thought for a moment, "Not yet. It takes about twenty minutes to walk from here to the palace." He did however, pick up his borrowed sword and tested the edge.

I was carefully rubbing Haruhime's shoulders, smiling. Marius would prove a very capable planner. All those games of chess with Lilly were paying off too.

Haruhime and I had switched places, her delicate hands applying just enough pressure to work out some of the new kinds of stiffness the extra weight of pregnancy provided, when Mikoto entered the workshop.

Except, she wasn't alone. Over her shoulder, facing towards us, was a butt.

Well, it was the first thing I noticed at least. Said butt was attached to a pair of well toned legs and dressed in a pair of simple rough cloth pants that went just past the knees. Carefully, Mikoto put the person down on a bench, and took the cloth she had used earlier to hide her black hair from the general public off the person's head.

Short, dressed in rough uncoloured cloth, the person was a young girl, maybe twelve to fifteen, with pointed ears like Eina's, light brown hair, and frightened green eyes. Just on the edge of a growth spurt, or perhaps simply underfed, she was kind of scrawny, but looked healthy enough. The most notable feature however, was the simple iron collar around her neck.

"Sorry I'm late. Mikoto said, bowing to everyone after putting the girl down. "But it took a little time to find someone Lilly's size."

"Lilly doesn't like the sound of this."

I caught on instantly, and Marius's face lit up a little a moment later, "I stayed hidden, making note of patrols and the like from the bell tower." Mikoto explained, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. The girl was shaking like a leaf at this point, but Mikoto's hand seemed to calm her just a tiny bit. She was completely silent, save for a little bit of teeth chattering. "I spotted several servants, like this one, through the windows, wandering the halls."

"Lilly really is going to pout now." Haruhime stopped my back rub, and went to comfort Lilly.

"At the sound of the bell, I saw her leaving a room, and brought her back with me. No one should miss her until morning, I think. I also took note of various rooms, and know where the servants sleep and eat." Mikoto knelt down in front of the half elf girl. "Worry not. We will not harm you."

"Ma'am Mikoto..." Marius started, then shook his head and moved to kneel down next to the samurai woman, "Here..." He gently took the girl's chin, "Please open your mouth."

Mikoto looked like she was going to be sick, as she turned away from what she saw.

"It is common here, that half breeds, orphans especially, are treated like this." Garon growled. "She's lucky they didn't clip her ears too."

I felt my stomach turn a little, but I had honestly kind of expected it. "Just another thing to fix, Marius."

"Indeed." He let the girl's chin go, and instead put his hands on her tiny shoulders, "Girl. Do you know who I am?" He very gently gave her a little shake to get her to focus on his face.

She looked at him, blinked, then hesitantly shook her head, then stopped, unsure, then shook her head again.

"I am Marius, first born Prince of Rakia. These are my friends. Asuka, Lilly, Kodori, Haruhime, Garon, Welf, and Mikoto who rescued you." He then pointed to Takemikazuchi, "That is Lord Takemikazuchi, one of the most kind hearted Gods in the world." He looked back to her, and the girl focused on his face again. "I need your help with something. In exchange for your help, I offer you freedom. Not just you, but all of the ones like you." He shuffled back a little, and extended a big hand, "Will you help me?"

She looked at the big hand, and instead of taking it, she jumped at him and wrapped her arms around him as best she could.

"Lilly feels bad about hating this."

"You're still the best supporter." I said, watching Marius push the girl away gently and pat her head.

"Now." Marius said, "Go with Lilly, and do as she asks. Then, come back here, and we'll get you some food."

* * *

While the girl and Lilly went into the next room, Mikoto elaborated on what she had found out. First, she said quite plainly, that the queen was alive, but had been locked in her room. She knew it was the queen's room, after very quickly asking the girl before escaping back to the workshop. Guard patrols were thorough, but regular. There was just enough time to slip between patrols if timed right too.

She had not seen Ares, or anyone else she recognized, and she could get no where near the main gates, closest to the throne room.

"To avoid capture, I took no risks, yet brought back so little information." She said, eyes downcast.

"No, you did well." Marius said, "I am glad my mother lives. And the patrols are actually a little lighter than when I was here last, if only just." He pondered, "Though... I am not sure how long our absence in Constable's care will go without notice."

"Might be best to move tonight?" I asked.

"We could..." Marius frowned.

"Lilly thinks it itches." We all turned to look towards Lilly's voice, and spotted two of the half elf girl. One in the rough cloth shirt and pants, the other wearing Lilly's robe. The iron collar was still on the slave girl however. "The collar has no lock... So Lilly couldn't take it."

Garon knelt next to the girl, making her hide behind Lilly. "Come here girl..." He said, his voice kind, "Hm. Simple enough." he looked to Welf, "Number four chisel, and the little sledge there."

The girl whimpered very quietly, the first noise she had made, but co-operated as Garon got her up on a stool, and bowed her head over the anvil, "Clench your teeth, and cover your ears." Welf said to her, holding the collar and chisel steady, then nodding up to Garon when she put her fingertips into her ears. A single strike was all it took, and with Welf's strength, he easily bent the collar open wide enough for the girl to slip out of it. "There, feel better?" He ruffled her hair, grimacing, "Old man, you got a wash basin?"

"Thanks to my work being so important," He said 'important' with enough sarcasm I could almost imagine it dripping all over the floor, "I have my own little well too. I'll get it ready while you guys plan."

"Lilly thinks this collar would look better in silver." She said, tilting her chin up so Welf could bend the collar around her neck and use a bit of wire to close it.

"Ma'am Lilly." Marius started, "Go with Mikoto, and deliver a letter for me." Marius sat down, finding a bit of paper and scribbling hastily, "We will wait until almost sunrise, before we head to the palace."

"Right through the front gate?" Asuka asked, her knuckles popping as she clenched her fists.

"Not quite. I was thinking of a side door." He said, looking at Haruhime and I, "Could I bother you two for a pair of foxes?"

I looked at the half elf girl, "Do you like animals? Cats? Dogs?" She hesitated, but nodded slowly. "Hold out your hands." She did, and I placed one of my tails over them. With a deep breath, I pushed a little of my magic out, and slid my tail over her palms, leaving behind a gold edged black fox.

"Ko-san is much better at that than I am." Haruhime said, brushing a tail over Mikoto, leaving a black edged gold fox perched on her shoulder.

"There." I said, patting the girl's head as my little fox sat in her hands, "What did you have in mind?" I looked up to Marius, feeling the girl timidly pat the mini-fox's ears.

"Well..." He said, folding up the bit of paper and handing it to Lilly.

* * *

Watching through my little fox's eyes, the little apparition clung to Lilly's shoulder as her and Mikoto ran towards the palace.

We had each gotten a little nap, and set off about an hour before daybreak. Marius, Welf, Takemikazuchi and Asuka were off gathering up the Constable's contacts. Garon, myself and Haruhime were still in the workshop, waiting for our part in the plan. The two foxes were only there for the extra eyes on the way there, and later, to look around for 'person's of interest'. Mikoto was only there to act as a guide for Lilly, and then she was off to join Marius.

"Remember the map?" I whispered in Lilly's pointed ear, "Hm... I almost want to try nibbling this ear."

"Lilly will pout if you do." She replied quietly, "We are almost there?"

Mikoto nodded, pointing just a little further ahead.

I wasn't sure what to expect. Sure, red granite and Marble seemed to be the two themes. However, I wasn't expecting what I saw at all. Well, sort of. The front of the palace seemed to be the standard from back where I was from. Thick pillars supporting a low triangle roof. It was elevated a fair bit too, with a wide red granite staircase leading up to the wide double doors of the entrance. The thing that surprised me however, was the bell tower, looking a little like the Big Ben tower of England, without the clock, and the two towers. With bottoms at the base of the staircase, they were wide, square, and had many small windows. A normal army, from a non-magical day and age, would have a hard time simply walking up to the front doors with towers like that. All manner of archers could be in there. The bases were red granite slabs too, building up to white marble as the towers reached the same elevation of the main building at the top of the steps. It looked good. But in the gloom, with my eyes not quite picking up all the colours, it looked like...

A castle dipped in blood.

"This way." Mikoto called my attention back to the present, "The left tower, just above the red stone."

"Lilly sees the window."

"There is a side entrance, for a kitchen, just around the back." Mikoto said, "You will enter there.

"Lilly better get a back rub later." She said to my little fox.

"We will both give you one." Haruhime's fox replied, hopping from one of Mikoto's shoulders to the other, then to the ground. "We guarantee you will be unable to move after."

"I will join the others. Be careful, Lilly-dono." Mikoto said, stopping at what looked like the last shrub nearest the tower. "You have... A count to thirty before the next patrol."

My little fox ran ahead, around the side of the tower and towards a door. Through my mimic's nose, I could faintly smell baking bread. As I got to the door, I could also hear someone humming quietly inside. Carefully, I pushed my ghostly nose against the gap at the bottom of the door, and sort of... melted my way inside.

To Haruhime, back in my body, I said, "One person. Large. Woman. Baking bread. Back facing door."

Hiding my ghostly fox behind a table leg, I heard the door unlatch, and watched as Lilly entered, looking tired, cold, a little damp, and using her very best puppy eyes. Haruhime's fox joined me under the table, keeping out of sight as we watched a thick pair of legs, clothed in plain uncoloured wool, but much nicer wool than Lilly's simple slave outfit, turn and spot Lilly.

"Oh dear! Where did you come from..." A pause, "Suppose it doesn't matter... told to sleep outside then?" Another pause, "Brutes, all of them." The lady's voice was kind, though a little angry, "I can't give you much... But here, something to start your day." There was a noise, then the sound of crunchy bread being broken, "Make sure no one catches you with that... But if you can help yourself, share with your friends." There was the sound of hair being ruffled, then "Shoo shoo, I still have work to do."

I darted out from under the table as soon as I saw the legs turn back towards the counter, and went ahead of Lilly. More red granite, lit well by small wall braziers, and a few heavy wood doors. Towards the end of the hall to my right, was a set of stairs, and to my left was what looked like a smaller hallway that led in the direction of the main building.

Lilly followed me into the hall, and with a quick left-right look, she spotted me and I led her towards the stairs. I could faintly smell oil, the kind used to coat weapons to keep them from rusting, as well as the pine sap smell coming from the braziers.

"There is probably a weapon store room through one of these doors." I said quietly.

Lilly nodded as I sniffed at one door, and pointed with a paw.

"Stairs clear." Haruhime's little fox said, before hiding herself next to a marble statue of someone who looked a little like Marius.

Up we went, Lilly's little feet making quiet 'paff paff' noises as she went up the red granite steps. As she reached the first landing, Haruhime and I checked the way up, and the second floor hallway, nodding to Lilly to signal the all clear, before she went up again. As the stone changed from red to white, I could hear, distantly, the sounds of the city waking up. I suppose all cities, no matter where you were, had that kind of... slow build of energy, as the population started to open its eyes for the new day.

Lilly paused at the top of the steps, waited for us to give her the all clear, then got her bearings and stepped into the hallway. Head down, looking downcast, she was playing her part, walking with purpose down the short hallway. The decor was much nicer here. The white marble walls were polished to a near mirror finish. The marble itself was that pristine white with not a single hint of darker stone mixed in. That alone was impressive. There was also the odd tapestry, mostly woven into scenery, but spaced out with the heraldry of Ares, or Rakia. Lilly stopped suddenly at the corner leading to where we were going.

I watched her hands, as she held up two fingers, then touched one finger next to her eyes.

"Two guards." I said to Haruhime, back in my real body.

Haruhime and I nodded to Lilly, and after a quiet breath, she walked around the corner. Meek looking, our supporter was able to walk up to the door, before she was stopped by the guard. Keeping my self low to the ground, I tried not to bump my nose against the wall as I looked around the corner awkwardly. Both were armed with a spear, and were wearing that mass produced roman armour.

"What's this then?" One guard, tall, but with the slender look of a young man, asked looking down at Lilly. "It had better be important."

"Slaves aren't supposed to be up past the second floor unless it is." The second one said, looking much the same as the first, though his hair was a little longer, just visible under the simple helmet.

Lilly didn't look up at them, but took out a bit of paper from her sleeve.

"A message? Give it here." The man ordered, but stopped as Lilly made a quiet noise, and looked up just a tiny bit.

Weaponized puppy eyes. Had to be. The man frowned, looking to the other guard.

"Ah, must have been told to deliver it personally." The other said, "That right?"

Lilly looked back down again, nodding exactly once.

"It's too early in the day for you to be punished, I think." he replied, standing tall again then tapping on the door behind him. "M'lady? Are you awake?"

Faintly, "Suppose I am now, yes."

"You have a message, your eyes only."

"Let them in then."

The first guard knelt, and put a hand on Lilly's shoulder. "You best behave, understood?"

Lilly didn't look up, or move, or even breath. I had a feeling I was going to need to give her a hug later. This was probably a lot like her treatment growing up with Soma Familia.

"Let her be." The other guard said, taking a key from his belt and opening the door, "She probably gets enough rough treatment after hours."

Lilly slowly walked between the two, the guard locking the door behind her. Haruhime and I, back in the shop, held our breath. It all came down to what happened after Marius's mom read the letter.

"Guards?" The voice from inside called out a moment later. "I don't suppose you can help me move something?"

Just around the corner, Haruhime and I made ready to move. I put my hands on her shoulders, back at our bodies, and took a deep breath, feeding her the magic she would need to make her little fox grow.

"Gently love." She said to me, "I can't hold too much magic at once."

As the guard once again put the key into the lock, our two foxes dashed out from around the corner, gaining speed, and size. Just as the second guard entered the room, the two of us were almost the size of horses. And just before the door closed, the two of us slammed into their backs, pressing them into the floor with a clatter of metal and grunts of pain, just as Lilly shut the door behind us with a click.

"My... I thought my son was joking, when he mentioned two foxes. Though, he said women, not actual foxes." Said the woman in front of us, not even blinking as our ghostly fox paws bounced the soldiers heads off the floor one more time to make sure they'd be quiet.

* * *

Notes.

This is, I think, the second last chapter. And, I might actually not make the next update in time. Thanksgiving (Canada version) is this weekend, and I actually have people to visit. And a wedding to go to.

But I'll try! Honest!

This also means, the next chapter might be a long one too. :) So look forward to it, one way or another.


	77. Chapter 77

Chapter 76

Lilly knelt at the door and listened while our ghostly fox forms bit into the soldiers carefully and moved them to a corner of the room. "Just a moment, M'lady." I mumbled through a mouthful of shoulder plate.

"I'll get a pillow case." She said helpfully, as if this were just something that happened every Tuesday or something. It was the work of about two minutes to tie them up, gag them, and make sure they wouldn't be able to make too much noise if they woke up.

Getting a good look at the woman, I was actually... not surprised at all really. Almost my height, she was a robust looking woman who wouldn't have looked out of place in the modern military. Almost like a shorter version of Mama Mia. Sandy blond hair, blue eyes and a mildly weathered face made me guess she was in her early forties, maybe, and while queen, hadn't shied away from work when it presented itself. Her clothes were of a finer cloth than what I'd seen on the citizens, but otherwise, it was a light blue nightgown. It was just before sunrise, so we had probably woken her up, though, she didn't seem like she minded.

"Lilly can't hear anyone."

"Good morning." I said, "The one at the door is Lilly, and these two foxes are sort of... ... oh drat, don't know the word for this one." I looked at Haruhime's fox.

"Avatar." Haruhime replied, batting my nose with a paw.

"Yes, an avatar of Haruhime, and myself, Kodori. All of Hestia Familia." I continued, "Marius is in the city with us, as I promised to return him, though, it's a tiny bit early."

"I had heard what happened... Well... Of a sort. My husband," She grumbled the word out, sitting on a reading chair and picking up a metal cup. "He took the news badly. 'Our only son! Lost to those fiends in Orario!' he would rant."

"And your thoughts on it?" I asked, sitting up like a dog, and resisting the urge to scratch my ghostly ear with a hind paw.

"Since I actually listened to that blockhead Ares, I got the impression my boy was being kept as insurance." She sipped the contents of the silver cup and frowned, "But, also that it would be a good opportunity for him, even if you did treat him roughly."

"No rougher than anyone else under my command." I replied, "Any word of Ares? And I assume, since you're so calm, you didn't believe the news of Marius's death?"

"I know a shit eating grin when I see it." She said flatly, "And even if my husband would set himself on fire for any god who might ask, I'm no fool." She looked to Lilly, "Could you be a dear?" She motioned to a pitcher, also silver, on a table next to a large bed. "He locked me up in here when I told him that god was lying to him."

"Did this god have say, a silly looking hat? Or a woman following him around everywhere? Blue hair, sort of resigned look?"

"Yes. Poor girl seems to be stuck with Him."

"Don't swear Ko-san." Haruhime said to me.

"I'm curious, why you aren't here in person?" The queen asked, giving Lilly a pat on the head for bringing the pitcher, but pouring the contents herself.

"Well, we're both close to seven months pregnant." I said, my fox self leaning a little on Haruhime's. "Not exactly made for sneaking about right now."

"Fair." She smiled back at us, "So yes, it's good Marius is here. But what is he up to?"

"I suspect..." I looked out the window as a bell started ringing. Not a deep gong of the bell tower, but a hammering 'clang clang' of an alarm. "Okay. Out of time. Marius is planning to tell his father to step down, so Marius can fix Rakia with what he's learned from Orario."

She sighed, "Well then..." Finishing off what ever it was that was in her cup, she stood and went to a wardrobe. Made of heavy dark wood, it looked a little out of place with all the light reds and whites of the room. "Lilly was it? I don't suppose you could help me put this on?"

* * *

Garon put his big hand on my shoulder lightly, snapping my attention away from my ghostly fox. "Lady, it's time to march. You sure you need to be there in person?"

I opened one eye and looked at him, "Just in case." I said, "Besides, Marius will be there." I looked around the shop with my one open eye, "Lord Takemikazuchi. Are you ready?"

"A warrior is always ready." He said seriously, his smile gone. "Is it Hermes then?"

"And Asfi." I replied, lightly shaking Haruhime's shoulder, "Love? Open one eye."

"I think I know why Marius-san is so intelligent." Haruhime said, slowly opening one eye.

"No kidding." I replied.

* * *

"We are on the move." I said to Lilly, then to the Queen, who was now dressed in a female version of the Roman Segmentata, complete with a helmet bearing a thin gold band around it. "We even got our equipment."

"Speaking of..." The Queen looked at her weapons, a spear, not quite as tall as she was, with a wickedly sharp point, and a Gladius that reminded me of the one I threw off the cliff when I'd faced Marius the day we met. "I kind of wish Garon wasn't so busy. This needs sharpening."

"I'm sure he'd be happy to look at it, after this is all done." I commented, "Do you know where Ares is?"

"Yes." She said simply, "Though, we'll have to... convince the guards to move aside. Ares Himself is no longer the real ruler anymore. My husband ate the news of Marius's 'death' whole, and Ares is basically locked in a room to update people's status. He's likely rather short of blood."

"How about Hermes?" Haruhime asked, who, even with her near legendary politeness leaving the 'lord' from the God's name.

"He, and that poor girl, have been rooming next to the royal suite." She growled, "Eating our best food, drinking out best wine, and apparently 'waiting for something important' to happen." Lilly looked up to the Queen and gave her a thumbs up, "You're really good at this." the Queen commented.

"Lilly is the Hestia Familia supporter." She replied, "Oh... Lilly doesn't need to look like this anymore..."

Slowly, her features softened, filled out, and shifted back to the adorable round faced Lilly, "Oh.. What of the one you looked like?"

"Safe at Garon's workshop." I said, "fed, bathed, and probably sleeping."

"Good." She replied. "Follow me. Try not to kill anyone, if you can help it."

* * *

My body marched with no more than two dozen men. All of them knew me too, as they were part of the force I'd 'dealt with' on my way to Ares. At the news (and proof) of Marius not being dead, they set aside all grudges, and fell into line behind their prince. That might also have been because he was in his new armour now too. All of our equipment had be brought back by the Constable, though, I was told that was what alerted the rest of the city to us.

"Marius." I called out, "Your mother is about to convince the guards to let Ares out. Do you think the new recruits will give us much trouble?"

With the alarm bell still being struck, and new bells sounding out throughout the city, I was a little concerned about just how many people we might have to wade through. Marius chuckled, a hollow metallic noise from inside his helmet, "We have around us, the veterans of the old army. As old as some might be, they are armed, armoured, and about as skilled as I was, before I came under your care."

I didn't doubt it. Some were going grey, or balding. Others bore scars so vivid that I wondered how they might have lived through it. But each was wearing their armour, each had a large rectangle scutum shield, emblazoned with the crest of Rakia. Even if there might not have been a level 2 among them, I could believe they all knew what they were doing.

"See old man?" Welf said from behind me to Garon, "This equipment is much nicer. It's almost criminal to rush you like that."

"Eh. I'm more impressed by Lord Marius's armour." Stuck in the middle of the small formation, he wasn't able to approach Marius in the front, "What's making it glow like that?"

"Wishful thinking." I answered cryptically.

"Ko-san scratched lines into the adamant. Then filled it with Ko-steel. Marius-dono is making it glow by using his will to make the protection magic of the armour work." Haruhime explained dutifully at Garon's puzzled look.

"Secret cookie boxes, and now my enchanting? Have I no secrets?" I pouted.

"Not from me." Haruhime giggled, "Oh... Welf-san, could you hold my elbow... I think the Queen is about to do something... undiplomatic."

"Asuka?" I looked over to Asuka, "Me too please?"

* * *

We, the foxes, Lilly and the Queen had been moving through the halls like we owned the place. We had encountered no resistance as we went down stairs, through the side door, and outside, but as soon as we crossed the lawn in front of the grand staircase, we were spotted and were met by a half dozen soldiers. The Queen paid them no mind, and simply ignored them as she walked towards the second tower's side door.

Until one of the young men asked her to stop.

It was here I asked for Asuka to help guide my real body, because I didn't want to miss a second of the Queen looking at the soldier, and kicking him in the groin so hard, he lifted off the ground almost a meter, before falling back down in a heap, not even conscience enough to hold his damaged equipment.

"The next soldier who gets in my way, will get the same." She said, levelling her sword at the downed man, "I am going to see Ares. Now."

Lilly, standing between Haruhime and I, looked at the downed man, then around to the other five, her eyes sharp and making sure they didn't make any sudden moves.

"My Lady." To his credit, the next one to answer her didn't flinch as she turned to face him. "We have been given orders, you are not to leave your room, and no one is to see Ares aside from the military."

"Are you going to try to stop me?" She asked flatly, putting a hand to the hilt of her sword, "And you should know, I AM part of the military. Woman or not."

"Ma'am?" I started, but she met one of my golden eyes and then looked away, so I shrugged and waited.

The boy seemed to struggle with the choice of obeying orders, or walking away from what was probably a severe beating. "I'm sor"

To my eyes, she was simply 'fast'. I could see clearly the sudden tensing of her shoulder, hip, and leg, as she took a half step forward and punched him. Even through the metal of his armour, she hit him firmly in the solar plexus, and he too went down, though, he managed to gasp as the air was smashed out of him, his armour bent inwards around the imprint of a fist.

"You two, get him out of his armour or he will suffocate." She said calmly. "You might be the new line of soldiers for Rakia, but I am Queen, and Commander. You will step aside."

* * *

"The Queen is quite the woman." I commented, making Garon laugh quietly.

"HALT!" Some one called out from across the field. With my one open eye, I watched as my ghostly fox walked into the second tower. But that was quite the distance away. Ahead of us, a patrol of soldiers had started to form a line, with others quick marching in from all sides. It wasn't long before we had nearly a hundred soldiers surrounding our two dozen plus Garon, Takemikazuchi, Asuka, Mikoto, Haruhime and myself.

Marius stood in front, dark roman armour with glowing purple channels running over it. Etched dragon scale shield, also glowing faintly, and a full helmet complete with visor on his head. No one in this world would have understood who Guyver was, or maybe Gowkaiser, but I think I had the look down. Expertly, the ones around us turtled up, locking shields together and pointing spears outwards against the rookies.

"I am Marius Victrix Rakia. Prince of Rakia." He shouted in that commanding voice he used when he needed to be heard over a dungeon battle. "Captured by Hestia Familia during the Rakia Orario war. Taken under the care of Takemikazuchi Familia. And now returned after a year and a day to take my rightful place as Captain of Ares Familia. Who DARES stand in my way?"

I recognized Scarface's voice as he called back from atop the only horse there, "All troops! Ready spear! They must not advance further!"

"You are all my people." Marius shouted back over the noise of rattling armour and readied weapons, "But if you insist, I, and those where were there at my capture, will push through you. I will meet my father, and I will end the insanity of a country that continues to go to war!"

"Archers ready!" Scarface called. "Our prince is dead! So said Lord Hermes, messenger God and witness to Lord Marius's fall!"

Without words, the formation around us tightened up a little, shields were raised overhead, and I was suddenly in the near darkness of total cover. Don't worry, Lady Kodori, Lady Haruhime." One of them said to us, "You kept your word, and we will let nothing touch you while we live."

I could hear the deep sound of Marius sighing, then the sound of him putting his sword away. "Very well."

"FIRE!"

A moment later, arrows started to strike the shields around us. From all sides, the rattle and skitter of steel on steel. But I also heard the sudden cacophony of a collection of pots being scattered over the ground. Followed by another, then another, then a scream followed by more orders. Marius, alone, was fighting them all.

The Lord Constable shouted an order, "Expand!"

All at once, the formation around us opened up. Light flooded in as the shields were lowered, arms locking into place, and they all rushed outwards into the soldiers surrounding us. Not quite as impressive as noise Marius had made, the grizzled veterans of the old military slammed into the lesser skilled lines of the new army. Archers panicked and fired wildly, spear men collapsed under the weight of heavy steel shields.

Marius himself, looked to have simply charged forward, using every scrap of his level three status to simply toss people aside like crumpled sheets of paper. With his armour, and skill, nothing could touch him as he finally got a hand on Scarface, and picked up him, AND his horse, heaving them both into the air to land in a pile of broken bones and screams of pain.

The battlefield froze, as Marius drew his sword, and put the horse out of its misery, leaving it as dead weight over Scarface.

"I am Marius Victrix Rakia. And I will see my father." To the rest of the new army, he said, "Go! Tell the people I have returned! Tell them to gather here and within the hour I will address them, not as prince, but King!"

A little bruised, the two dozen men of the old army formed up around us again, as those who were able to, peeled themselves out of the ground, and hobbled away, leaving weapons and shields behind.

* * *

"Let us pass." The Queen said to the two soldiers stationed at the door.

We had walked without challenge to the top floor, the Queen getting more irritated with each level we reached. "As if all these stairs would help anyone raise their stats." She had muttered.

The two guards took one look at the angry looking woman, then to the two ghostly foxes behind and to either side, and simply stepped aside. One of them seemed to realize something, and he stepped back, unlocking the door helpfully, before moving aside again.

"No more updates..." I heard a mumble from inside as we entered. "No matter how many times... Nothing will change..."

"Ares." The Queen said simply as light flooded into the room. "You have a duty to perform."

"No... Please?" Gone was the strong golden haired God. Ares, God of War, was weak looking and thin. Once thick muscles were lean and loose. Brilliant hair had turned thin and almost brittle looking. He sat in a chair, hardly able to hold himself up. "I have almost nothing left to give. A thousand updates a day..." He sounded short of breath too.

"Lord Ares." The Queen said, more gently, "There will be no updates today. My son Marius has returned."

"Marius... Yes... I knew he was alive..." Ares said, slumping forward, struggling to even raise his head.

"You two." The Queen looked out into the hallway and spoke to the two guards, "Help your God to His feet. Leave your spears and shields here, you won't need them."

"M'lady... The King gave us..." The two of them looked at Ares, "Right away, M'lady."

"I almost feel like a fifth wheel." I said to Haruhime.

"I would rather that, than plan B." She replied as we fell into step behind Ares and the two soldiers carrying Him over their shoulders. "Poor Lord Ares."

"That voice..." Ares mumbled, "The demon fox? Did you truly return Marius?"

"I did, Lord Ares." I said, "Your new Captain trained hard, learned much, and will help Rakia prosper."

"I tried." He replied, still sounding a little delirious, "But I am a God of war... I know nothing about the land, or the animals."

"Marius-dono knew you might not know." Haruhime replied, "And he wanted to return not just stronger, but as a proper leader, to make his home prosper again."

"Save your strength, Lord Ares." The queen said over her shoulder, "I suspect you will need it for what comes next."

* * *

"Mother." Marius said as we met up at the base of the tower.

"Son." She replied, looking up at him, "You look well."

The rest of the soldiers had taken to one knee, heads bowed towards the Queen in all her battle finery. Feeling a little out of place, I didn't take a knee, but that was because it felt like one of my children to be had just elbowed my bladder.

"I am well of body, but... Will you forgive me?" Marius asked.

"If it must be done." She replied quietly.

"Lord Ares." Marius looked away from his mother to the nearly broken God, "I have your approval?"

"It is... Not how I wanted it." Ares said, still being supported by the two guards, "But, yes."

"We cannot perform the transfer yet." Takemikazuchi said, "But I will hold his falna safe."

"Thank you cousin." Ares replied.

"IMPOSTER!" I heard shouted from the top of the steps, followed by the marching rattle of more soldiers falling into line. "I care not who you are! To assume my dead son's name and assault my castle is punishable by DEATH!"

He wasn't hard to spot, way up at the top of the stairs. Tall like Marius, broad shouldered, blond hair with a little grey, he was a vision of Marius twenty years from now. However, his eyes were crazy, the gold crown atop his head a little off centre.

"Father!" Marius snapped his visor open and shouted back, "It does not have to be like this!" He swept a hand behind him, "They all know me! Mother! Ares! I am your son!"

"NO! My son died at the hands of Takemikazuchi Familia and the Demon Fox!" He pointed to the two still manifested foxes, "I see her work walks beside you!"

I shook my head, this was just too much. I couldn't think of any reason for someone to simply refuse the evidence in front of them like this. Unless...

"Don't swear." Haruhime whispered to me.

"Marius-dono." Mikoto said before I could speak, "Would you allow us to step in? I feel... unsatisfied to simply stand here while my God is insulted.

"Can you promise their lives?" Marius asked, snapping his visor shut again and readying his shield.

"Yes." She replied, "Though, the stairs might not fare so well." And she assumed a posture of prayer, mumbling a quiet string of Eastern I actually understood now.

"I will advance. Follow afterwards." Marius said firmly, so all of us could hear.

"I respectfully speak to you, my War God that can break through anything," Above, the troops on the steps, a small circle of purple appeared in the sky, slowly expanding until it was just a little wider than the stairs themselves and covering most of the soldiers, "Lead me from the precious heaven. Give my petty body divine power of your grand body." Some of the rookie soldiers faltered, looking up and seeing a second circle appear, not quite as wide as the first. By now, Marius had started up the steps, his armoured boots heavy upon the red granite. "Rescue them, light of purification, sword of crushing evil." A third, then a forth circle now, Mikoto moving her hands away from her body to splay them out before her, "Sweep sword of suppression, sacred sword of conquest." Takemikazuchi put His hand on her shoulder, and she started to glow the same bright purple of the rings in the sky. The soldiers were only standing their ground now because of the King threatening them with death if they ran. "It arrives here now by my order. Descend from heaven, rule the earth - shinbu tousei!"

Marius was about four steps away from the effect, as a huge blazing sword fell from the sky, piercing the rings exactly in the middle. As each ring was struck, the soldiers under its effect looked like something heavy was being pressed down upon them. Yet even as the weakest among them fell to one knee, Marius kept walking. As the last of the circles was sundered by the ethereal sword, the point burying itself in the white marble of the steps, everyone but Marius was slammed to the ground. The prince however...

Just...

Kept...

Walking...

Like a juggernaut, he kept his slow steady pace. Until he stood in the middle of the field, in front of the glowing blade that had fallen from the sky.

"Are you..." I whispered to Mikoto, who shook her head no, even as she maintained focus on her spell. "That's impressive."

"Our Prince has shown us the way! Forward!" The Lord Constable shouted.

We advanced slowly, and Marius started to move again. Walking through the crackling sword, then towards his father. Over the noise of Mikoto's gravity magic, I could only make out that Marius was talking, but not the words. The King shouted something back, drawing his sword, but instead of confronting Marius, he turned and fled, back through the wide double doors of the white marble palace. Instead of following, Marius shook head head. Then, he turned, and made a throat cutting motion towards us with his thumb.

And the magic winked out, leaving behind the faint smell of ozone, and the groaning of broken soldiers.

"I ask that the old tend to the new." Marius said, "And that my friends from Hestia and Takemikazuchi Familia follow me forth."

"YES SIR!" The soldiers shouted, splitting up efficiently into pairs and marching quickly to the fallen soldiers as the rest of us approached Marius.

Haruhime noticed my distress and chided me as I tried to rub my belly and get who ever it was off my bladder. "You should have gone before we left."

"I did." I mumbled back, though Asuka giggled quietly.

"Problem?" The Queen held back a step and looked at me.

"Just trying to get someone to roll over or something..."

"First try at parenting?"

"Yes." Haruhime and I said together with a smile.

"They aren't..." She looked briefly at Marius's back.

"No." Again in perfect unison.

"*ahem* Well, you want them to move... so you try and make it more comfortable somewhere else." She lightly put a gauntlet on my belly, "Make over here warmer, instead of encouraging them to stay where they are."

"When you are out of armour, I'll hug you." I said, taking her advice and feeling a small shift in my belly. "Oh, that feels so much... lighter."

As it was, one of my tails snaked over and lightly flopped over her arm. "I'd very much like to hear about my son's year in your care." She gave the tail a pat, then paid it no mind.

Marius had slowed slightly, ever aware of the state of the party. But now that our little lesson was over, he half turned, "Ready?"

"Yes." We all said together.

The two foxes set themselves to flank Marius, while Mikoto and Asuka took up a rear guard. This left me in the middle with Takemikazuchi, Ares, the two soldiers who were still supporting him, though He was walking mostly without them now. Lilly was behind Marius, her little crossbow ready, while Welf and the Queen walked side by side.

As we passed under the overhang just before the door, I heard, "ARCHERS, FIRE!" Shouted from inside. Our reaction was smooth and nearly instant. Marius brought up his tower shield, Haruhime and I put our hands on each other's back, and moved our ghostly foxes a little closer to him, and pushed more magic into them, turning them more solid. Everyone else simply got behind them, the three of them nearly taking up the width of the door.

It hurt. And I could tell Haruhime was feeling it too. The sympathetic pain of my fox taking damage, its ghostly body not nearly as tough as my own, or as solid, sent a sharp jab of pain through me where ever it hit on the fox. But, eyes closed and taking comfort in Haruhime's touch, I endured.

"READY!" The King's voice called again, "FIRE!"

Another sheet of arrows, and I could feel Haruhime falter slightly. I was close to my limit as well, but we were through the door now, and through squinted eyes I could see the king, standing in front of a golden throne.

"Lilly." Marius said calmly, his boots snapping arrow shafts as he walked. "Welf, to my left."

"Sir!" Welf replied, moving to replace Haruhime's fox. Haruhime herself let the fox fade, arrows that had stopped inside its body clattering to the polished marble floor.

"I will support you Welf." Haruhime said her body glowing as she put her hands together.

With the black edged golden fox gone, Lilly put a handful of bolts into her mouth and started firing her little crossbow as fast as she could. With all the practice she'd put in, it was nearly as fast as a normal bow.

"AGAIN!" More arrows, though Mikoto moved in front of Haruhime and I and started swatting them out of the air as the more clever of them tried to arc some over our forwards.

There were a few less arrows this time, as Lilly aimed for kneecaps.

"How long will you let your men suffer father!" Marius shouted back, timed perfectly with a little crossbow bolt hitting the soldier directly in front of the King. "Surrender! Or by the Gods I will end your rule by my own hand!"

"Listen to him!" Ares shouted, though a little breathless, "Stand down Martinus!"

Through the haze of pain from my ghostly fox, I could see the conflict in the King's face. But I could also smell something odd in the air. A hint of rubbing alcohol and mint.

"Are you sure, your majesty?" A familiar voice asked, as Hermes stepped out from behind the throne, along with Asfi, who seemed to be releasing a faint vapour into the air from her body. "Your son is dead. You read the letter yourself. It is simply a ploy for the half monster, the Demon Fox, to take your throne, and place this pretender on it."

The soldiers, with no orders, had ceased fire. While the King held the side of his head, "You're right, Lord Hermes..."

"Asfi!" I called out, "What ever you owe that filthy, meddling, worthless excuse for a God, can't be worth the pain you've helped put these people through!" I made to take a step forward, but Hermes met my eyes.

"Now now... To a grown adult, this might cloud the mind, but who knows what it might do to your unborn children." Hermes taunted, my feet locking in place. "I'm surprised... Where is Bell?"

"Bell-dono is at home, recovering our Familia's war chest." Mikoto said.

"All of the problems we've had because of you have pretty much emptied our coffers." Welf continued.

"And he needed to do something productive, now that he knows you were trying to manipulate people to make him look like the hero." I said, "He doesn't want to be 'manufactured'. He wants nothing to do with you, your plans, or being made into a hero by anyone other than himself!"

"HE SHOULD BE GREATFUL!" Hermes replied furiously, taking out his dagger and unceremoniously stabbing the still struggling king in the back. For someone with normal strength, the dagger didn't go far, but He had wedged it between the two bands of metal just under the King's shoulder blades. "All my efforts to make him great! The Greatest! To shine in the eyes of the people, and give him the opportunity to earn more power!"

The soldiers, as well as Marius, were stunned for a moment as the King gasped, trying to get the dagger in his back while Hermes wedged it in a little further, before kicking the monarch in the back of the knee. "Because of me, he has had so many opportunities to overcome! So many chances to be a true hero!" He looked to Asfi as we all glared at Him, "We're leaving." He tried to pull out His dagger, but gave up and turned away from us, Asfi calmly tossing a bottle to the floor, filling the area with white smoke.

"Because of you, so many people have suffered!" I yelled back, losing sight of the throne in the sudden rush of smoke.

"And if You knew Bell at all, You'd know he'd have done the right thing without Your involvement!" Haruhime shouted from beside me, surprising most of us, and urging us into motion.

"Any of you who lay down your arms will not be harmed." Marius shouted, "Any of you who pursue that God will be rewarded." His heavy footsteps stomped forward, "Father!"

"If you would assist me." Takemikazuchi said calmly, though his smile was not present, "I would like to have a word with Hermes."

I felt a chill that went from the base of my neck to the soles of my feet at His words. Mikoto, Asuka, Welf and Lilly, all formed up around him however, and they followed Marius into the smoke.

"Ko-san... Your fox?"

I let the magic of my fox fade, dozens of arrows clattering to the floor as it simply vanished. I summoned another one a moment later, Haruhime doing the same. Together, we made them larger, shocking the soldiers who were helping the fallen or trying to swat away the mist with their shields. Then with poofy tails the size of wagons, we dispelled the smoke around us and the throne. All eyes went to Marius, who was cradling the body of his father, before putting him down and shaking his head.

With the Queen by us, we went to him, "The blade found his heart." Marius said, holding the bloody knife in his hand. "The potion did nothing." I could see a mix of potion and blood leaking from the corner of Martinus's mouth, "Mother?"

"I am here." She said, putting a hand on Marius's shoulder plate.

"He knew me, in the end. I saw it."

"Yes he did."

"I will do better."

"Yes you will."

"I will stand vigil." Ares said, no longer supported by the two soldiers, who were helping pull crossbow bolts from legs. "The people will need to know. Your people."

"My Captain." Marius said, turning his head towards me, "I leave Hermes to you."

"Are you sure?" I asked, rubbing my belly again, trying to get yet another elbow off my bladder. My unborn seemed to have no sense for the mood yet.

"I must lead." He said, closing the eyes of his father and standing.

"Go get them, my Lord." I said, the two of us tapping knuckles.

* * *

Of all the things I didn't like about my current condition, 'mobility issues' was the biggest one. I could walk just fine, but anything much faster made my extra dimensions wobble painfully. Haruhime and I supported each other as we walked quickly behind the Queen. "My room, where they were staying is this way."

"Asfi has boots that allow flight." I said, "they would likely try for a big enough window, or the top of a wall."

"Being built for war, there are no windows big enough, without breaking the walls themselves. Not a problem for a strong enough adventurer I suppose... But you would have heard the noise I'm sure."

"Do you think they got away?" Haruhime asked, looking up at me.

"I'm sure I saw Asuka and Mikoto snatch a bow on the way. Asfi is level four, but not very tough, and I know its hard to fly with an arrow stuck in you." My calf started itching as I spoke, an echo of my own experience.

"Then the nearest way to the outer wall then." The Queen changed directions, stopping only long enough to open a door, peer inside, and make a disappointed noise, "Smells terrible in there... It will take weeks to get that smell out."

I caught a whiff of that smell as well, and recognized the scent of some of alchemy ingredients. "Asfi hasn't been idle. I hope the oth"

The ground under my feet shook slightly, followed by a booming roar as something above us exploded. "Second floor! Hurry... well, as much as you can." The Queen said, picking up her pace a little.

* * *

"Give up Hermes." I heard Welf say, "I know these walls, and nothing Asfi has will break them. And if she did have something, she'd die in the process."

The five of them were standing in the middle of a long hallway, facing a heavy door. It was iron bound wood, but from the scorch marks along the walls and floors, along with a few random arrows here and there, Asfi had done well in holding off the five of them. Welf himself had a scorched arm and shoulder while Lilly's slave outfit was in tatters. Asuka and Mikoto were covered in soot, but Takemikazuchi had not a mark on him.

"This hardly seems far you know." Hermes said from inside. "But if you open that door, you'll see how well Asfi's potions work.

"Let me." The Queen said, stepping forward, "Lord Hermes." She said, her voice strong and confident. "I would like you to listen very carefully."

"Ah, your highness. So glad you were able to make it out of your room for the occasion."

"Lord Hermes." She repeated, "You stand accused of many things, here in Rakia. The last being the murder of the King. If you give up now, I can promise your life, as well as the life of your assistant."

"I am a God." Hermes said. I could tell by the tone he had that infuriating grin on his face, "No mortal can judge me."

"Hermes." Takemikazuchi said, his tone flat and menacing. "You stand accused of many things, here in Rakia. The last being the murder of the father, of one of my Familia." Takemikazuchi stood beside the Queen, and looked to Welf, who nodded and braced his shoulder quietly to the door, "Asfi. Child. If you can hear me, I promise you safe passage, and exemption from my wrath, and that of all present, if you simply walk away, now."

Even the children inside me were still as the no longer smiling Eastern God of War spoke.

"I understand." we all heard Asfi say, "I owe you, Lord Hermes, but no. Not this much."

A moment later, the door unlatched, and opened, revealing Asfi, who had taken off all her potion belts. Holding them loosely in her two hands, the Queen and Welf took them away quickly and carefully, while Asfi, hands still up, walked away, down the hall. Hermes, when I got close enough to peek into the room, was standing there, shocked, mouth open, trying to form words.

"Some one once told me, Hermes, that if we put all the Gods in a room, with their weapon of choice, only Lord Takemikazuchi would leave." I said, enjoying the sight of all the colour vanishing from Hermes's face, "Except, you left your dagger downstairs."

Takemikazuchi entered then, and Welf helpfully closed the door behind him, the quiet hiss of a katana being drawn the last sound before the 'click' of the door latch.

* * *

"Hurry Ko-san." Haruhime urged me, as the sound of people outside the palace got louder. "Marius-dono is about to speak."

"Love... I don't know how you do it, but do you know how long I've been holding it?"

She giggled from the other side of the door, "Your children are thoughtful, just like you."

"They are just waiting for you to let your guard down." I replied, finishing and awkwardly getting my clothes back in place. I used the washbasin and a towel, then stepped out, leaning down and kissing Haruhime's forehead. "I hope we are home before the full moon... Or, alternately, we could stay until just after..."

"It would be a proper vacation then." Haruhime took my hands and put them on her belly, "Let's go. I am pretty sure they are waiting for us..."

"Come on you two." Asuka said from just down the hall, standing at the entrance to the throne room, "The people are waiting."

I walked as smoothly as I could, my tails covering Haruhime's back and flopping over her far shoulder. Her tails wrapped around my hip, and together, we made it to Asuka, who walked just ahead of us. I spotted Welf, talking with the Queen and looking over her sword, while Garon and some of the 'old guard' were still tending the wounded.

Now that I wasn't occupied by trying not to get shot, I took a good look at the throne room itself. Roman pillars in almost glass smooth pure white marble. Gold leaf along the base and top edge of all the walls. Mirror polished red granite floors... I was seriously impressed by just how much high quality stone had been used in this place. It needed more windows though. With only arrow slits and torches letting the light in, it was almost like a well lit tomb, instead of an opulent throne room. The throne itself, with a spot for the Queen and Prince to sit beside the centre chair, still had the body of the King laying before it. Though, it was covered by a white cloth.

"A shame, really." I mumbled.

Haruhime's ear twitched towards my voice, "Hermes will never bother anyone again though."

"True." I replied.

"Hey you two!" Welf called out, "The Prince is waiting outside." He handed the sword back to the Queen and came over to us. "Mikoto and Lord Takemikazuchi are already out there."

"And Lilly?" I asked.

"Helping the Constable with the wagons. It has to be properly put away. The magic stone containers won't last forever, and there are a lot of perishables in there." Welf replied, "She'll be along soon though."

I nodded, and together, we walked into the early afternoon light. Blinking the dazzle from my eyes, I saw... People. Young, old, men, women, soldiers and slaves. A mix of old and new guard were on the steps, shields ready, but weapons away. But around them, at the base of the stairs, were thousands of people. Marius was standing at the top of the steps, Mikoto and Takemikazuchi on either side of him. Still dressed in his new adamant suit of armour, he looked less a prince, and more a conqueror. Mikoto looked at him, her mouth moving, and Marius turned back to look at me.

Face serious, he waved us over. "Line up, please, and stand just behind the line here..." He said quietly, pointing to a line that had been polished just a little more than the rest of the marble around it. "The architects made this spot into an..." He said something I didn't understand.

"Amphitheatre." Takemikazuchi said.

"Very clever." I mumbled, turning to look behind me, and spotting how the walls were tilted just so, and the high roof of the entryway had a peculiar slant on the underside. "Ah, your mother is closing the door..." I was quite impressed by the design, now that I was able to pay attention.

With a echoing rattle and thump, the huge double doors of the palace closed, and the people at the bottom of the stairs stopped milling about and fell silent. My eyes also spotted how the two guard towers out front also had a bit of an odd design. Just like the designer of the secret clockwork door in Royman's office, I'd have loved to meet the person who made this grand stage.

"People of Rakia." Marius started, his voice loud and echoing. "I am Prince Marius Victrix Rakia, and I have returned home." A pause, the people at the foot of the steps stirring, looking confused. The soldiers on the stairs thumped their shields down once, however, and all was quiet again.

"A more than a year ago, I, along with Lord Ares and a great many of our soldiers, turned our spears towards the adventurer town of Orario. It is no secret, that we lost that war. Many returned home without Falna, others returned home wounded, and some did not return at all." Ares was escorted onto the 'stage' at this point, standing behind Marius, and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I was one of those. Captured alongside Lord Ares, I was given a choice. No. An opportunity. Return home in shame, stripped of my Falna. Or to stay a year and a day, under the care of Takemikazuchi Famila."

He was simplifying it a little, but I could see he had the entire crowd's attention. Takemikazuchi put his hand on Marius's other shoulder, and the Prince continued, "The goal of this was simple. I would learn, grow, and return. Made strong and tempered by the dungeon." He looked cross ways at me, "Kodori Haruhime, the Demon Fox, had something else in mind as well."

"Did you really have to use that name here?" I mumbled, watching the people below point at me, or gasp in surprise.

"She didn't just want me to return stronger. But wiser too. And over the past year, we have been learning from each other. With my return, I bring that wisdom home." The shields were slammed down again for silence as the people started to cheer, "New ideas for growing food. Treating sick. Tending livestock. Purifying water. New crops. New trade goods. All of these returned with me."

This time he let the crowd cheer a little, before raising a hand for silence, the shields not needed this time. "I wanted, with all my heart, to return with these gifts, and present them to my father. But the God Hermes had murdered him before I could do so."

Several times, the boom of the shields echoed out, before the people were quiet again. "The light of a God returning to the sky is unmistakable, and Hermes will never again bother the world of mortals. Lord Takemikazuchi, Eastern God of War, my mentor too, has settled the blood debt Hermes owed my family." Marius held up a hand before the people could make much noise, and they fell silent once more, "It is with a heavy heart I announce my ascension to the throne of Rakia. But, with what I have learned over the past year, I intend to make this country prosper!"

"Too long has the outlying territories of Rakia been empty fields and barren rock! Too long have our crops failed, our people going hungry! Too long has our pointless 'grand military' been the sole focus of Rakia! NO LONGER to I want our empire to be a place people point at, and say 'Oh look, it's that warmonger's home'. Or 'People starve while your soldiers eat'. NO! This will not stand!"

I was smiling, even though Marius looked furious. He had the ears of the people though, and not a one looked away as the prince raised his hands in the air.

"With the gifts I have been given for my time in Orario, I will make us a place people will be in AWE of! We have the land! We have the people! And now, we have the knowledge. Rakia will proper. And while we might never have the might of Orario, I will make sure my people want for nothing! This age of pointless war is OVER! It is time to Grow! To Build! And one day, soon, I intend to return to Orario, not as a conqueror, but as a friend. To invite them here, to Rakia, and show them, that they are not the only ones who can shine in the eyes of the Gods. That the gift of the chance they gave to me, was not wasted!" His eyes swept over the people, "In the coming years, I will ask much of you, but no more than what I know you can give. And in the years after that, the return will be worth every drop of sweat you spend. I, King Marius Victrix Rakia, Swear this, before the Gods, and the people!"

* * *

Poor Marius was swamped with meetings, paperwork, organization, and other things a sudden monarch needed to do. He made sure however, that our needs were met, and that we were free to roam about as we pleased. Like we had intended before this mess got kicked off.

Both Haruhime and I had to spend three days in seclusion, thankful that the thick stone walls were good for privacy, as well as defence. But afterwards, after soaking and resting in a nice open air sauna, much like the pictures of the Greek Baths you can find, we were ready to discuss our return to Orario.

"Enter." Marius called from inside his new 'office'. Not quite as spacious as Royman's it still had plenty of book shelves, as well as chairs, a nice wide desk, and a slump shouldered man sitting behind it. "Ah good. I suppose it's almost time?"

We were all in the office, wearing Rakia made clothing too, for the full vacation experience. Lilly answered first, "Lilly thinks Marius needs a nap."

"Oh how I'd like that." Marius replied with a tired smile, squaring up the small stack of papers in front of him and setting it aside. "But, the last six months have not been kind to the ledgers. We're swimming in debt, our people are just barely able to feed themselves, and our winters are a lot colder than Orario."

"We could arrange a few relief supplies?" Welf asked, "I mean..."

"No. We must stand on our own two feet." Marius said, "Besides, it would take quite a few wagons to supply a city like this. We have more people in Rakia by far. We will make it, and come spring we will begin with the new field plans, and crop cycles." He grinned, a bit of his usual energy returning, "Now, if you could find a buyer for high quality marble... We have lots."

"We've gotten everything else set then." Asuka said, "Including..."

"Yes. I am very sorry about them. Please, Lord Takemikazuchi, can you find a little more space in your heart for them?" Marius asked, "Maybe try and find their families?"

"You need not ask. I intended to do so from the start." Takemikazuchi said, his usual smile back in place. "We will do all we can for them."

"One more thing on the long list of things our constant warring has done..." He stood, walking around the desk and bowing to us, "Thank you, for everything. I promise to make this a place you would want to visit again. Maybe when they start walking? I'd love to see them." He said to Haruhime and I.

"Look forward to it, My Lord." I grinned, making him wince a little.

"Lady Haruhime, did you hear something? Sounded like someone teasing me..."

"Hm, I heard no such thing." Haruhime subtly kicked me in the shin gently, "Surely no one would tease such a hard working, serious man like yourself."

We all laughed a bit, "Well, if you need anything, send a letter. We'll do our best, just like always." The two shook hands.

"Indeed. It was a great honour to learn and teach you." Mikoto bowed, Marius bowing in return.

"If you don't send at least two letters a year, we're going to drag you back." Asuka bowed as well.

"Lilly will now have to carry all the things again." She pouted, but laughed as Marius ruffled her hair, "Lilly will miss this too."

"Don't worry. All that practise carrying almost all the things, will help me hold Rakia up on my shoulders." He and our supporter shared a fist bump.

* * *

"All packed up then?" Garon was checking the horse's feet when we got to the wagons. He gave the horse he was tending to a pat, then walked over to us. "I see you'll have some extra people on the way home."

"They will be seen to, and cared for." I said, "Oh, I have something for you." I turned, "Hey Welf!" He turned from the farthest wagon, giving me a 'what?' look. "Where did you put it?" He looked at me, puzzled, then perked up and hopped up onto the wagon bed, looking through the crates. A moment later, he hopped off, carrying a big glass jar. "Want me to tell you how to mix it? Or do you think you can figure it out on your own?" I teased the Elder Crozzo as Welf came over and handed him the jar.

"I'd be more interested in learning how to hold metal like you do. But I think I'll manage this." He grinned, looking at Welf, "Any luck yet?"

"A fire, a hammer, and burning passion." Welf answered, "And, a little luck." He grinned, "Kick my old man in the knee for me."

"Sure." The two of them shared one of those manly hugs, with lots of heavy slaps on the back. "I might join Ares Familia, if our new King really does have him under control."

"I look forward to seeing what you make next then." I said. I looked at the wagons, one of our two cargo wagons replaced by simple version of our 'living' wagons. "Are they all accounted for?" I asked Garon.

"Once Marius made his second edict, abolishing slavery and offering either a small reward or hard labour to anyone still holding onto one, I think we have them all."

I spotted the head of the one who Lilly 'replaced', peeking her head out from under the heavy cloth. She waved cheerfully at me, then turned inside, then back, a half dozen other little faces popping out and looking at Welf and I.

"Lets get going then." I said, "I am so looking forward to pasta night..."

* * *

Before we got to the mountain pass, we said goodbye to some of the older soldiers who were escorting us. We were given words of thanks and well wishes, for returning Marius as promised, and hopefully setting Rakia on the right path.

That night, while I was on watch, just at the mouth of the mountain pass, I got up onto the top of the first living wagon, and opened up one of my potion bottles. It was one of the glowing ones, much like the one I used during the war game. On the top of the wagon, I carefully spread it over the top, spelling out something, and using my boot to try and spread it out properly.

Moments later, with the quiet sound of rushing wind, Asfi landed beside me gracefully.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"Didn't." I replied quietly, "But I'll let you in on a secret." She looked at me, adjusting her glasses with a fingertip, "A lot of me being wise, is making the right guess at the right time. The rest is just being older than I look."

"So why did you signal for me?"

"I'll get right to the point." I replied, "Hermes did a lot of really bad things, and you helped him. I won't even guess at why, but I'm glad I was right about you in the end." She looked away, but one of my tails swished over to her, brushing her hand, "I don't want a reason, or apology. But, if you wanted to try and make things right, go talk to Marius. I'm sure he'd be willing to let you help. I'm no where near your level with alchemy, and I'm sure the notes and recipes Naaza and I made could be improved on."

"Penance then?" She frowned.

"A suggestion. No more, no less." I shrugged, "I'm sure the Hermes Familia will be even more disorganized than usual with Him gone. But, I have an idea for that, if you want to hear it?"

"No... I think you're right, I've been running with Hermes too long, and need to find some place to apply myself." She replied, "I am sorry though, for just... Going along with it."

"We all have our reasons. Come visit some time. I'm sure I'll be asking for ideas after..." I gave my belly a gentle pat.

"Very well. Be well, Fox." She took a step back, though not before patting my stray tail once, making ready to jump into the air again.

"Oh, here." She paused in mid crouch, and I handed her the potion belts she had given up, "I took the explosives off it, just to avoid an accident, but I know how hard it is to make a good potion belt."

"Thank you. I'll visit... sometime..." And with a little 'hup' she was airborne, then gone.

I'm sure someone had noticed Asfi's arrival and departure, or even heard our quiet conversation, but no one bothered me about it. I hoped she wouldn't do something like try and take over Rakia, but I was sure Marius would know what I meant by sending her there.

* * *

The only other incident worth mentioning on our way back, involved the ten new orphans we had picked up. They were all in various states of... 'disrepair', I guess you could call it. From lash marks to missing tongues, they all bore some kind of trauma from rough handling. Only the young elf managed to stop them all from panicking every time one of us adults went to check on them. The incident however, was when one of them finally reached a hand out to Takemikazuchi to get his attention.

It only took His smile to finally make them all understand they were safe now, and within moments, He had them all out of the wagon and playing, while we had stopped to make food for the night. From then, until we made it within sight of the city, they slowly became a little more like children, and a less like frightened slaves.

* * *

Our return was almost not noticed, among the usual hustle of the city. Suited me fine, as Haruhime and I both, were started to suffer from some of the other discomforts of pregnancy. Thankfully, the rest of the group was kind enough not to tease us about our various complaints, like needing to wrap our chests in towels, just so we didn't get milk everywhere. Or needing to stop for bathroom breaks a dozen times a day.

As we passed customs, getting a welcome back and a raised eyebrow from the Ganesha Familia guard on duty, we navigated our way home without much problem.

Wiene was at the gate, opening it to allow us to drive the wagons in. She was able to hold herself from asking questions until we had actually gotten off the wagons, and sent Welf to lead the borrowed horses back to the post office stables.

"You're back!" She finally allowed all her excitement out, very carefully giving me a hug, then Haruhime, and getting headpats from Asuka and Mikoto, and a (we know she loved it) begrudging hug from Lilly. "How was your trip?"

"We'll tell you about it after dinner." I said, looking towards the last wagon, where Takemikazuchi was ushering out the newest members of our orphanage. "Want to go introduce yourself?"

"Yes!" She was about to go running over, when my tails scooped her up. "What's wrong?"

"Remember when we found you?" She nodded, "They are much the same. Be gentle, be quiet, be friendly." I put her down again, and she nodded, giving me a wide smile before walking towards the new group.

"I hope they get along here." Haruhime said, rubbing her belly, "Oh dear... They are excited I think."

"Elbow?"

"Yes..."

"We can unload later. I really want a hug." We smiled at each other, then turned towards our front entrance, where Hestia had been watching the entire time.

"Welcome home. Did you want a hug now? Or after a bath?" She asked, smiling that familiar smile She had when we had just come home from the dungeon.

"How about both?" I said, putting my tails around her, while Haruhime did the same, lifting Her off the ground.

"I suppose I should have expected this." Hestia said, as we vanished into the Manor.

* * *

Notes.

Okay, I just couldn't do it. The wrap up will be next time, THEN I'll dimension hop. Good grief. So many words! Next chapter will be the 'fall out' of Hermes suddenly vanishing. And yes, a mild fast forward to the moment (some? Most?) of you have been waiting for.

Wedding was a blast. My new D&D group killed their first goblins ever. And I managed to get some sleep some where in there.

Going to ice my fingers. x.x

Also, just in case anyone reads this a second time... Added in the line breaks. totally forgot the first time. x.x


	78. Chapter 78

Chapter 77

Bathing, was pure bliss. Even more so, because our Goddess was sitting between Haruhime and I. It might not sound like much, here in the city of Gods and Goddesses. But, it felt special, to have Her act like just another person. No high and mighty act. No attempts to command us to do silly things.

I think, that was part of her 'aspect'. Hearth and home. She just wanted our home to be... Home. Nothing fancy. Just a happy place.

She was also fascinated by Haruhime and I's bellies, resting Her head on them and listening.

Looking over Hestia's head, I asked, "Did you want to tell Her?"

"Hm?" Hestia lifted her head off my belly, Her hair tickling the stretched skin. "Tell me what?"

"Here." Haruhime took Hestia's hand, then the other, and placed them over her own belly. "See if you can tell."

A pause, as Hestia's little hands roamed over Haruhime's swell. "Wait... one... two?"

"Three." I said. "Each."

Eyes wide, Hestia, for lack of a better word, 'squee'ed' and gave us both a hug. "It's going to be so busy around here, when the time comes."

"Yes it will." I said, "We have some things to get done before hand as well, but, later. This bath... so nice."

Lilly entered then, along with Mikoto and Asuka. "Some one's happy?" Asuka asked, sitting at one of the shower stalls and turning on the water. "Oh... running water, how I missed you."

"Lilly liked the... sauna?"

"Hm. Very relaxing." Mikoto added. "Not as good as this however." She lowered herself into our huge bath with something close to a purr.

"Maybe when we have some time, we can make one next to the pool." I said, "And yes, I told Lady Hestia about how much Ha-chan and I are carrying." I wiggled a little closer to Hestia, "Oh... We also picked up a short dozen new orphans... Be gentle with them. They are former slaves and... well..." I sighed, "They were treated poorly, and can't speak."

Hestia went a little pale, but nodded, and Haruhime added, "We are going to ask Naaza about how to properly restore what was lost."

"I will give them my best smiles." Hestia said.

"All your smiles are the best though." I said with a grin.

* * *

"Is that pasta I smell?" Bell said, entering the kitchen, "Miss Kodori!" without hesitation, he came over and hugged me carefully, then stood beside me and helped me cut up more vegetables. "We missed you, while you were gone."

"Well little brother, we had a busy time." I replied, "Lots to talk about after dinner. But for now, its good to be home." I put down my knife, and ruffled his hair, "Oh I missed doing that."

He laughed, shaking his head to clear the hair from his eyes, "I'm going to ask Miss Chigusa to trim it later I think... It's starting to get shaggy." He scooped up a pile of cut veggies and put them into the sauce I had simmering, "Hermes is gone, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Miss Aisha was by a few days ago. She said Hermes Familia is... how did she say it? Really messed up." Bell sighed, "How about Miss Asfi?"

"Hopefully, helping Marius... King Marius, in Rakia."

"Oh! I'll have to write a letter then..."

"He'd like that. And this time, no one will mess with it."

* * *

"So, yeah... Aside from welcoming our newest little pile of orphans," I looked down the table, at the ten new kids who were happily nibbling on fresh baked bread and vegetables. We didn't know how they would handle 'fancy' food right now, so we were sticking with what we knew they could eat for now. "That was how our trip went."

"Wow... You guys really had a time of it." Ouka said, scratching his head, "Well, I guess our time here was... kinda plain."

"We met with the Xenos again." Chigusa said, "they wanted to say 'congratulations' again, for your wedding."

"I'll use the occulus later then." I said, "So... Now that we've made the mess, we are going to have to explain to the right people why." I looked to Takemikazuchi, "Hermes is going to get one more jab in, with all the paper work you're going to have to do."

"I regret... nothing." Takemikazuchi said firmly, making everyone shiver a little.

"Did you want me to go to Mr. Royman?" Bell asked, "With your idea?"

"No. I'm not immobile yet, though, if you wanted to come with me, I wouldn't say no." I replied, getting a chuckle from around the room.

"Back to work tomorrow then?" Welf asked, "I'm going to have to clean out the forge... what a pain."

I felt something brush my foot, and looked down to see Chime, now the size of my two hands together. I used a tail to scoop her up off the floor and put her on my belly. "Think your old man will figure out 'ko-steel' without blowing anything up?"

"No." Welf grinned, "But that's half the fun."

"No burning your hair." Haruhime said, reaching over and petting Chime, who was gently pawing my tummy with every little kick my kids were giving her.

"The Hime's are going to be busy soon." Mikoto said, "Takemikazuchi Familia is familiar with raising children, if you want some help planning ahead?"

"Yes please." Haruhime and I said together.

* * *

"Kodori Haruhime. Bell Cranell." Ouranos looked down at us from his massive chair, "You look well."

Bell was trying to look at everything all at once. Royman had let us in with hardly a word, and from the second we started down the long set of secret stairs, he had been captivated by just how odd this place was. I gave him a nudge to get him to focus. "I feel well enough, considering." My hands wandered about on my belly, once again trying to move an elbow or knee. "I'm sorry, but we could no longer ignore Him."

"I read all of the reports you have submitted to Royman. What did Hermes finally do, to warrant this?" He frowned, but lifted a hand, "Also, you may both approach."

They both listened as I told the story of Hermes basically trying to incite yet another war with Rakia, and how He personally had murdered the King. Ouranos simply listened, eyes closed as if He already knew, yet had to hear it.

"I understand." He said finally, opening his eyes. "This however leaves a problem. Orario relied on Hermes Familia for many things the Guild... didn't have a way to deal with."

"I already thought of that." I said, both Bell and Ouranos raising an eyebrow at me. "What? I can't go to the dungeon like this, and driving a wagon is very dull."

"What is this idea then?"

"Respectfully. Don't you think it's time you stopped being so idle?" I said, "Hear me out, Lord Ouranos. You have now, two tools ready to use. The Xenos, who tell me have been getting fewer and fewer screams of terror from various dungeon goers. And now, Hermes Familia, who aren't much for the dungeon, but love the freedom of movement that Hermes gave them. For some one who is a neutral party, like yourself, don't you think you should have a little more reach?"

"Since I came to sit here, in this place, to keep the dungeon from running wild, my power is one of taking no sides. Like the Guild." He frowned, "If I were to have a Familia, it may upset the balance."

Bell was looking worried, almost panicked, as I argued my point to the single most 'powerful' God in the city, "It's that attitude that lets people get away with things. If you offered the former Hermes Familia a hand, you would have a bunch of people who are good at being subtle, like Fels. Except they could actually be seen topside. And be able to defend themselves, unlike the Guild if some one gets rough. If you don't make that offer to them, they will either leave, denying you the asset, or, join someone else, and maybe one day using it against you."

I could see His face become thoughtful, so I pressed a little more, "I've spoken with some of them. They are the only Familia I can think of who can do what they do. That includes delivering the mail to far off places."

"I see your point, Kodori." Ouranos boomed, "Perhaps it is time for me to do something more than sit here. And maybe, the information I get from Hermes Familia, won't be... missing the important bits." He tilted his head back, and looked up at the darkness above, "Tell Royman I'd like to see him."

"Very well." I bowed, somewhat awkwardly, and Bell followed suit.

"And, I'd like to play chess with you once day." He looked at me, "You might be better than Hermes."

"If I have time, some time this week. Much later, and I might not be able to make the steps."

* * *

"I..." Bell started, as we walked towards the market square, "You just have this confidence."

"Oh, is it time for more Kodori being wise?" I ruffled his hair, he laughed and accepted his fate, "I will tell you a saying from where I'm from. 'You are who you know'. Before you think on that, think about who we know. Who we've been involved with, who we've done favours for, or who we have owed favours to."

He scratched his head, then tried to use his fingers to fight his hair back into some kind of order. He didn't reply for a moment or two more, then, "It's... a lot. Isn't it?"

"For the most part, we have been involved with every major player in the city. Loki respects our strength, even if we are still a very small Familia. Freya, while not owing us anything, looks at us favourably." A little too favourably, brr. "Hephaestus is friends with Hestia, and Welf and I deal with Her directly on occasion as well. The Guild knows and respects us. The Hostess of Fertility, aside from being my first family, really likes you too." I give him a light tap in the shoulder, "This doesn't count all the minor Familia and Familia members we've helped out in the dungeon, simply because we were there to do so. Even Ganesha, who is by far the most popular Familia, has said they owe us, and count us as friends."

"So... If we knew nobody... We are nobodies... But wow... We do know a lot of people." Bell chuckled, "You think about things a lot, don't you?"

"It's not like I did it all alone you know. You and that immense talent of yours. As well as your true hero personality... Bell, do you remember what I said to you? Almost two years ago?"

"Which one?" He grinned, "Wait... Let me guess..." He held his chin, thinking, "Grow, but do not change."

"Gold star for you." I said, "That's exactly it." I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "Hermes was an idiot, for thinking you needed help to be a hero."

"So what are we here to get?" He asked after I let him go.

"Almost all the things." I replied, handing him the list. "I hope you've been busy in the dungeon."

* * *

"Well Naaza?" I asked, as she turned off the little magic stone light, and gave the young elf a pat on the head to get her to close her mouth.

"Well... It won't be difficult, but it won't be very comfortable either." She said, "Some are even worse, but I think it's possible."

"So what's the bad news?" I asked, letting the girl pat my tails while I talked to Naaza.

"It will be a little painful, and it might take a little work to restore function for some." She also pet one of my tails, "The one with the limp for example, or the one with the bent back."

"I expected that. Can you mix something strong enough, if I called the surgeon? Like you did with me?"

"Yes, aside from cost." Her tail swished once, "I'll have a list for Bell, for things I'll need in the dungeon. "Since the wounds are long since healed, it will need something a little different. Thanks to your little inventions, I've tried something new... I might even be able to restore my arm, but it wouldn't be healing... More like... regrowing."

My eyes widened, and the little girl made a noise as my tails wrapped around her. I gave her a pat on the head as I took my tails back, "That's impressive. But I suppose you'd have to learn to use your arm again, if you did."

"Yes. Something like a tongue or fingers wouldn't be so bad. Slower, but they have time, before they might want to be adventurers, right?" She ruffled the girls hair. "You can go now, if you want." She told her.

Instead of leaving, she gave Naaza a hug, her little arms hardly making it around the chemist, then she left the infirmary with a smile and a wave.

"Well then. Seems you have an admirer." I said, "oh... Um... Something I might need a hand with, Ha-chan too..."

"Oh?" She seemed a little embarrassed by the hug, "Wuzzat?"

"Well... We're expecting triplets."

* * *

"Suppose I can't lay down for this right now." I said, unable to even sit in The Chair (3.0) in Hestia's room. I contented myself to sit at the foot of the bed instead, as Hestia knelt behind me.

Wiene was here too, my tap at the door for a status update interrupting reading time. Now, she was standing in front of me, her cool hands on my belly, giggling every time she felt a little kick. "I feel them." She mumbled, "It's strange... But..." the dragon girl sat in The Chair (3.0) What's it like?"

"Would you like the simple answer? Or the complicated one?" I replied, still not having undone my house robe.

"Hm... Simple one."

"It's like waiting for something to be done, that you really want. Like baking, or mixing potions, or even waiting for dinner, even though it's still the morning." She giggled, but I held up a hand, "It's not all good. All of my insides have been moved around to make room. So I can't eat as much at once, but I have to eat more, to help them grow. I can't drink as much, even though I have to drink more. And my body has been getting ready for after they are born too. So I have to wear something extra in my bra while I'm out, or I'll make a mess of my top." I reached out to boop her nose, but stopped and put my palm over her cheek. "Mostly, I feel excited, if a little uncomfortable at times."

Wiene leaned into my palm, closing her eyes and holding my hand. It reminded me of a cat. Hestia made a little 'ahem' behind me, so I undid the tie on my robe and reached back to lift my sport bra up, wincing as it didn't slide, so much as 'snap' over my much more sensitive breasts. "ow... Going to need a bigger one for a while too." I mumbled, "Oh, before you update, can you scratch my back a little?"

"Such a spoiled child." Hestia said, scratching the exact middle of my back, "Oh, I wonder if your children will purr too."

"hope so..." I tried not to slump forward off the bed and onto to floor, but the relief was just so nice.

"Okay..." She gave my back a little pat, then I heard the night stand drawer open, and a moment later, felt the warm sensation of my accumulated 'exillia' mixing with Her divine blood, a little bit of heat sort of sifting out from just under my skin. "It's been about two years now..." She said, the ruffle of paper then a second flash of heat as my status was copied, "But, congratulations, again." She knelt behind me and perched on my shoulder as She passed the paper to me.

Kodori Level: 4-5

Power: 862-901-0

Endurance: 999-999-0

Dexterity: 856-885-0

Agility: 839-871-0

Magic: 999-999-0

Congenital Magic: Self Re-enforcement

Through will alone, boost basic stats and magic resistance.

-Home of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant natural armour.

-Judgement of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant increased strength.

Boost is greater in the defence of others.

-Guardian of the Gardens: Additive spell, summons multiple manifestations

-Call of the Goddess: Uses Congenital magic to grant increased dexterity and agility.

Congenital Magic: Outer manifestation

Creates manifestations of will. Greater magic use increases power.

Curse: Weapon's Bane

Weapons used to attack will break upon impact.

Titan's grip

Grants an unbreakable grip.

Titan's stance

Becomes immovable when Titan's grip is active.

Kitsune Manifestation

Grants bestial form.

Grants a boost in all stats.

May lose control.

May also be manifested.

 **Blood Alpha**

Founder of an original bloodline, all manifestations increase in ability, mana cost becomes more efficient.

Fire resistance

Is immune to most normal fire, and some magical fire.

Mage: C B

Crafting: D C

Abnormal Resistance E

Development Choices

Strong defence

Fist Fighter

Spirit Healing

Blacksmith

Mixing

Mystery

Metalworking

Magic Resistance

"Oh my... Honestly, I expected the level. But... This list of skills here..." I read the paper easily now, a far cry when I had to mumble read all the time. "It's... Kind of amazing."

"Would you like some time to think on it?" Hestia asked, Her hands playing with my ears lightly, "I'm so glad you haven't had your hair burn off again... your ears are much nicer when they are fluffy."

"I'm on holiday, so, no rush." I replied, looking over my paper, before something dribbled on it. "Oh, guess I should cover up again... Sigh..."

* * *

A few weeks went by, both Haruhime and I swelling even further. For me, being so tall compared to most, I simply looked 'very pregnant'. Haruhime, who was a head shorter than me, looked 'adorably massive'. Even with her status, the strength she had gained through effort and encouragement, she was very close to being unable to move about freely. You wouldn't think being unable to see the stairs as you went down them to be a big deal, but it really is.

That's not to say we were miserable. Bell and the others still went to the dungeon, but they took turns keeping us company through the day. We both insisted they didn't need to, but, it was brushed off with a 'it's no trouble'. Astraea and Ryuu visited as well, the two of them surprised at how large we had gotten. They even cooked for us that evening, saving me from standing too long, even if it was pasta night.

My chess game with Ouranos ended as a stalemate. Twice. The third game was put on hold when Royman came down the steps with a familiar red vested Chienthrope. When I gave Ouranos a raised eyebrow, He returned with a small smile.

Then... There was Aisha.

* * *

"Wow Fox. You're... big." As usual, the Amazon was just as blunt with me as always, but she was smiling when she gave me a kiss on the forehead and a light pat on the belly. "Hime?"

"Reading in the living room." I replied, "Most everyone else is in the dungeon."

"W...oo dis?" The elf girl, who liked to follow me about after Naaza and the Ganesha Surgeon treated her, sort of appeared from behind all my tails, "S..ee 'all." Her tongue hadn't fully grown back yet, but she was the furthest along in learning to talk again out of the rest of them.

"Oh, you must be one of the ones from Rakia." Aisha knelt down, getting mostly eye level with the girl. "I'm Aisha." She ruffled the girl's hair, who giggled quietly, before squeaking as Aisha scooped her up and perched her on her shoulder. "Haha! Now you're tall too!"

"So, what brings you by?" I asked, turning and walking back towards the living room, my tails swishing closer to Aisha, trying to encourage a pat or two. "Is it time?"

"Yeah." She said, "In a way, you saved everyone half the trouble of leaving Hermes. Without Him down here, the exchange can just happen. No negotiation, or fees, or trades."

"Chosen who then?" We got to the living room, Haruhime looking up, "We have a visitor."

"Don't get up Hime." Aisha said, picking up the elf off her shoulder and putting her down. "And no actually... "

"Oh! You're going to join us here?" Haruhime asked, reaching out for Aisha and taking her hand, "Sorry I can't greet you properly."

"I blame the Fox." Aisha grinned, giving my wife the customary belly pats, "Soon now huh?"

"Less than a month." I said, "I mean... If we're like humans. Not like we could really ask another Renard."

"Fair. But no... I mean, yes, I'm here to ask one of your Gods to allow me into the Familia, but, I'll still live where I am now... I think..."

"Oh? Still think you're intruding?" I asked, both Haruhime and Aisha blushing. Kodori 4, Aisha 10004. "I think we made it very clear you weren't..." Poor Haruhime went nearly as red as her kimono as I said that.

Aisha however was back under control, and shook her head, "Not exactly? I mean, I've toured this place, you have lots of space, but, I'm used to having time off from people."

"And here we were hoping you'd join the morning spar." I replied, finding my spot next to Haruhime and sitting down carefully, "If Mia would have allowed it, I'd have gotten Ryuu and Lady Astraea here too."

"I'm curious why you'd do that." Aisha asked.

"The more experience we can get within our walls, the better our chances in the dungeon are. Even if we don't all go, exchanging information, practise, trying new ideas... I might not be able to go into the dungeon, but I can still tell someone they're slacking off. Not that anyone but Welf might slack off at all..." I tried to stretch my arms over my head, to relieve a little pressure on my back, but I couldn't quite do it. "I'm going to so enjoy laying on my belly when I can..." We all shared a chuckle, "So why can't you choose? Both of them would accept you."

Aisha sat down across from us, "Well... Hestia is everything my mother wasn't. All tiny and adorable and stuff. And Takemikazuchi could probably teach me so much, even with all the fighting I've done."

"You know, since they both live here, under one roof, and also share my viewpoint on surviving the dungeon and being happy, the choice is almost cosmetic." I laughed as they both looked at me, "What? The two of them are great people to be around, as well as Gods worthy of all the respect we give them. But, both of them would be willing to update your status. Remember? All my good friends, have good friends. We work together, always have, always will."

"The Fox is wise." Takemikazuchi said as He entered the living room. "Thank you, child, for coming to get me." He said to the little elf girl. "It is the same reason, I think, why Mikoto-san hasn't chosen to switch back to my Familia, despite her year being long over."

"Our two Familia are essentially one." Hestia said, accepting a hug from the elf girl, "I think the Guild is the only one who cares about the difference."

"Aisha-san... You could always just... flip a coin?" Haruhime suggested.

"How about you join us for dinner, and our two Familia can... I dunno... Have a game in the pool. Winner decides who you join?" I suggested.

"And are you sure you don't want a room?" Hestia asked, "I mean... We could just give you a room key, in case you wanted to sleep over?"

"That, I would like." Aisha said, "I would actually have a reason to wake up at that ungodly hour to spar with you guys."

* * *

In the end, Aisha joined Takemikazuchi, Ouka managing to score a match point in pool volleyball, by bouncing it off Welf's face with a little backspin.

* * *

"You know, I might change my mind about not living here. My place is nice and quiet, but you really do have everything."

A couple more weeks had passed, with Aisha dropping by every day, if for nothing more than to join us for dinner. I suspected, that there was another reason though, and 'the due date' was almost here. The dungeon teams were only taking day long trips, though, they would report going to the eighteenth as fast as they could, to try and kill as many Minotaur and hell hounds as they could. Both the horns, teeth, leather and fur were good drop items, and there was a big stockpile in the shop now, waiting for me to have a look.

As it was, hell hound fur, when properly cleaned and treated, was really warm and soft. Welf was going nuts with the Minotaur horns, and trying to enchant them by making an alloy of ko-steel. He only had to replace a few bricks of the workshop after his first attempt.

"Well," I started, accepting Aisha's hand for balance and sinking into the bath with a sigh, "You've got a room of your own, and good company. With a little work, we could make you all new furniture, hunt some of those dinosaur things around the twenty fifth, and skin them to make it look suitably tribal. I even learned how to make those special torches in Rakia.

"You think I'm some kind of savage?" She lowered herself in, then gave me a punch to the shoulder, "Nope, Ishtar ruined me for rough sleeping. Love my silks and cottons."

"Good. Ha-chan likes your skin being soft. Wishes you'd soften your hands a little more though." I replied with a grin.

"Oh really?" She replied, "She certainly didn't have any complaints at the time."

"I was more referring to when she was napping on you a couple days ago, and the foot rubs you gave her. Not..." I paused, feeling something give a little kick, before it felt like my abdominal muscles were getting ready to brace for a punch, "Nine... months..." It happened a second time, certainly without my conscience control, "uh oh."

Aisha, easy going soul that she was, took one look at me, and said, "Let's here it for Amazons." Before moving over to me and putting a hand on my belly. "Fox?"

I was about to say I was okay, the muscle twitch seemingly just that. I'd had a few, as I got larger, my poor abs stretching to accommodate. "Yup, uh oh." I repeated as another shock went through my middle.

"Well then." She said simply, before simply scooping me up princess style, "Time to send the messengers."

* * *

What followed, between muscle twitches, shouted orders, and people stepping in and out of the infirmary to pick up or drop off things I might need, was mostly a blur. All my attention was focused inward. Part way through, as I was gritting my teeth through another spasm, Haruhime joined me, Bell laying her down on the bed beside me. She too was looking a lot like I felt, a little dazed, sweaty, and squinting her eyes as he body was doing things on its own. She caught my eye, giving me her best smile, even with all the excitement going on.

"Hestia?" I called out, "He's been called?"

I felt her hand, cool and calming on my shoulder, "Yes, he'll be here soon."

"I'll... I might need your help." I said between sharp little pains, "Please don't leave."

"I'm here! Both at once? You, Amazon, done this before?" Dimly, I thought I could recognize the voice, but his face, lean and bookish, with short black hair and deeply tanned skin, was unfamiliar. "You and you! Water, boiled, and clean towels." He had the Ganesha crest on the black leather bag he was carrying, "You, if you think you won't faint, hold this lamp. You, hold her tails."

With authority, the man organized the half dozen in the room, and with smooth motions he had put blankets and towels down to get us both ready. Then I saw the scalpel.

I had hoped I was over this. Ever since Haruhime got 'stuck' I knew this was the only way I could deliver. But when the Ganesha surgeon held the scalpel in his hand, my mind went back, to hanging helplessly from the rafters, knives and clubs ready to rain on me. Muscles tensed, my legs started to try and back me up, my fingers curled into fists, the ember of my magic went white hot instantly.

Then I saw blue. Even as my body wanted to panic and escape, the feather light weight of my Goddess kept me down, Her eyes looking into mine as Her forehead rested against my own. Distantly, I felt cold numbness, heard more barked orders, grunts of effort and pain, but my mind was kept calm by those bottomless blue eyes. I felt something swish against a tail, and it latched onto it reflexively, the barest hint of comforting magic creeping up my spine.

Then there was a cry. A thin, stuttering squeaky noise that cut through everything. "A girl." Some one said, then, "One here too." Moments later, another squeak of distress, "A boy, and... Another girl." More cold numbness, the feeling of emptiness and muscles too tired to move, "A second girl..." I heard from just out of arms reach, my eyes still lost in the calm blue emptiness. "A boy..." A pause, "Doctor?"

"Problem?" I felt the tail touching mine twitch fitfully.

"Not sure? Never dealt with more than twins. Almost there Hime..."

"You, apply this, just as if you were closing a deep cut." A pause, then a weak grunt of effort, and a little gurgling hiccup. "Oh... Hm." The room went silent for a moment, "It's... both?"

* * *

I felt like just before the war game. Training to total muscle failure, only to have cold water thrown on me, a potion pushed past my lips, only to do it again. Hestia had moved away, sitting between the beds, holding our collection of tails like a bundle of endlessly furry ferrets or something. Aisha was sitting on the far side of Haruhime, holding her hand and cleaning her face with a damp cloth. A cloth was pressed to my face, drawing my attention away and onto Lilly, who was smiling a little nervously.

"Hey." I mumbled, "It's so quiet. Why?" I wanted to give Lilly a pat on the head or something, but I couldn't muster the effort.

"Nothing to be worried about." The Surgeon's voice said from somewhere in the room, "Just doing a quick checkup... Takes a little time when you have seven to do at once. You say you managed this with some kind of potion correct?"

"Yes..." Haruhime replied softly, "Ko-san found a way."

"Let's hear it for Amazons." Aisha chuckled.

"Might explain the numbers." The doctor said, "Come help, I only have two hands."

It was a strange feeling, having a little wrapped up person placed in my arms. Tiny and adorable, with ears that were still folded down close to downy black fuzz. Its eyes closed still, I was just getting used to holding one, when a second was placed in my arms. This one also had black hair, but I could just make out a hint of green under nearly closed eyelids. "And, number three." Aisha said quietly, "This one's your boy, by the way." Blond fuzz, flat ears, and a scrunched up red face, the last one was a tiny bit lighter than the other two.

Prying my eyes away from them felt like a titanic effort, but, I managed to look across, past Hestia, who looking conflicted on which child to look at first, as the Surgeon placed the fourth child into Haruhime's arms. Pure white fuzz atop its head, scrunched up ears like a newborn puppy, and peeking out from under its eyelids, I caught the gleam of gold, and a flash of green.

"This one is... Both. Perfectly healthy, all of them, but using magic of any kind, especially using God's Blood, can sometimes have strange effects." The Surgeon explained, "Seems to have..."

"Heterochromia." I mumbled, getting a few odd looks as I spoke in English, "Sorry... I know my word for it... Two different eye colours."

"Yes. I'd love to hear about this place you come from." The man replied, "When you're not so busy. I will leave some notes for you to look over later, and if there are any problems, send a message and I'll drop by. Lord Ganesha want's to do all He can to help."

"Thank you." I replied, as did a few others, "Uh oh." I said, looking down at one of my... how odd this felt, thinking it, my children. "I suspect it might be feeding time very soon..."

* * *

Thanks to the marvel of what was basically magical medicine, recovery for both Haruhime and I was very swift. I remember when one of my sisters was born, and my mom was basically in bed for almost a week recovering. The two of us however, were recovered enough in a handful of hours, to get up (slowly) walk (also slowly) and clean up a little. Both of us, were escorted by the women of the Familia to the bath, to clean off the various fluids left behind by birth. Aside from the two of us looking like we had suddenly lost ten kilograms in a few hours (which we did) we were recovered enough to finally figure out the logistics of feeding time.

"Two boys, four girls, and one other." I said, sitting on the couch next to Haruhime, feeling both of my girls trying to encourage more milk out of me.

"Maybe it's because my hips are wider?" She mumbled, "He has two tails too..."

Yes, each of our tiny little bundles had an equally tiny tail, about as long as my hand, from wrist to fingertip, they were covered in downy fuzz, just like their heads. They even tried to wag every so often.

"Seems the boys will be easy enough to tell apart." I commented, mine with blond hair, hers with black. "And the girls too." Mine were identical, while Haruhime's had one black, the other blond. "Maybe we should try and send another letter?"

"Only if the fox comes back... I doubt anyone could find them otherwise." She replied, "Oh hello." She said down to one of the little bundles, "Welcome home." She said.

Leaning over as best I could, while holding two in place so they could feed and the third kind of between them to sleep, "Heehee." I smiled, "My eyes."

"Yes, pretty and gold." She replied, "Oh, I think she's done... maybe?" There was no complaint when she moved the infant off her nipple, "Okay... Your turn... And to pat you... this is going to be difficult, with only two arms..."

"Well, we just happen to have a home with a kind Familia. As captain on vacation, I think I will exercise my authority to recruit people." I said, using one of my tails, which was perfectly obedient for once, to help us hold all the little bundles.

"We are going to have to think of names too." She said.

"Well, so long as we don't name them like Welf names his weapons and armour..."

* * *

Notes.

That's it. Done. Dust it off and shelve it. :) Just over half a million words, and a year, less a day, in production.

 **Now, Readers, I have a QUEST! For you! Out of this list...**

Strong defence (exactly what it says, goes above and beyond the endurance stat.)

Fist Fighter (Kodori who hits things.)

Spirit Healing (Faster mana regen.)

Blacksmith (Like Welf, only with tails.)

Mixing (Like Naaza, only with MORE tails.)

Mystery (Asfi and Fel's have this one. Hard core enchanting skill.)

Metalworking (Asfi has this, more for trinkets and jewellery, to be used with mystery)

Magic Resistance (Also exactly what it says, above and beyond Kodori's tails grounding out magic.)

 **A suggestion** if you have one that isn't instantly Over powered.

I would like people to vote on Kodori's level 5 skill. This will be what she carries over into High school DxD(xDungeon). Names too, if you want to throw in suggestions. Honestly, it will be a long time (like years real time?) before the kids will be old enough to actually DO things besides be motivation for Kodori, and be cute. As with the vote to her dimension hop, I'll wait about two updates before choosing, and hammering it into the story.

Two boys, one blond with gold eyes, one black haired with green eyes.

Twin girls, black hair, green eyes.

Girl, black hair, gold eyes.

Girl, blond hair, green eyes.

The odd one out, Albino white hair, one green eye, one gold eye two tails.

As usual, questions, comments, thumbs up and down, all appreciated.

Now, I go to watch more DxD... (for the plot. Honest.)


End file.
